DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest No. 20 Cover by Joe Orlando

I have to say that as a teenager, I passed up buying this issue. I think a lot of young guys did, which is why this issue of gothic romance reprints of early 1970s material commands a high price on the collectors’ market now.

I appreciate this cover for the Joe Orlando art. He was a DC editor at the time, and I wish he’d been able to draw a lot more covers and stories. As a former EC guy, he had the chops.

This comic is notable to me for a Madame Xanadu pin-up by Michael Wm Kaluta. You’ll see it after the cover update.

Colour and updated trade dress by me.

Cover by Joe Orlando

As published.

Original art scan from Heritage Auctions.

Art made production ready.

New colour.

Re-created and updated trade dress added.

Back cover.

Front cover.

Madame Xanadu Pin-Up by Michael Wm Kaluta

Michael Wm Kaluta has been associated with Madame Xanadu from her first appearance in Doorway to Nightmare No. 1 in 1978.

In addition to the five Doorway covers and a Madame Xanadu one-shot that make up the character’s early appearances, Kaluta also contributed a pin-up to this issue.

The art is well-suited to being turned into a half-page ad for the return of DC’s anthology line.

The published pin-up in the digest.

Scan of Kaluta’s original art.

New colour.

House ad layout.