Had a nice flashback to my childhood this weekend, when I was handed a relic from the 1970s: my old, beat-up copy of THE SUPER DICTIONARY.
Published in 1978, THE SUPER DICTIONARY was a first- through third-grade-level dictionary, lavishly illustrated with art clipped and repurposed from decades of DC Comics.
While the front and back cover boasted new and beautiful artwork by Joe Kubert, all the other (uncredited) art was pulled from countless DC books, rearranged with sometimes hilarious results. If you’ll indulge me, let’s take a stroll through THE SUPER DICTIONARY, shall we?
To get things going, the Dictionary included a helpful “Who’s Who”:
But the Lex Luthor entry was always a favorite:
Not surprisingly, a lot of the entries involving Green Arrow and Black Canary seem to have them bickering:
Putting aside the creepiness of the pose, it’s odd to see the Joker wearing a normal suit and tie. He looks like a game-show host.
This may be where my longtime fondness for Black Canary comes from, now that I think about it…
What’s everyone doing in Lois’ bedroom?
So this was really the best art they could find for the word “attic”?
Offered without comment.
Even as a kid, I was like, “Hey, that’s a Jim Aparo Green Arrow!”
“Giant goose?” Say what?
Supergirl’s had a lot of costumes, but that one’s terrible.
So Batgirl’s at a party. At Perry White’s house. Wearing her mask, a blouse and a derby.
I got nothin’.
Lois lays down the law.
Comet’s not having it.
This feels inappropriate.
Luthor loves cake.
There are a few of these Batgirl/Joker entries that are really creepy in a post-KILLING JOKE world…
I was probably the only kid who had a copy of this book who recognized Air Wave.
Love those simmering anger lines on Wonder Woman.
Batgirl has a bat-shaped bed. Huh. You learn something new every day.
I think there are web sites that specialize in this sort of thing.
I must have missed the issue where Hawkman ate a sandwich.
Yikes.
She’s been taped before? Really?
No one laughs at Lex Luthor. No wonder he’s stealing cakes.
Nice to see at least one appearance of creepy 1940s bondage Wonder Woman in the Super Dictionary.
Man, I miss the seventies.
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