The Justice Society of America by Anderson and McCorkindale

Editor Julius Schwartz did a brilliant thing when he had Gardner Fox write “The Flash of Two Worlds” for The Flash No. 123. Bringing back the original versions of the Second World War-era characters was a unique and compelling way to integrate them into the Silver Age – the second era of super-heroes.

It got even better when, every summer, the heroes of Earth-One (Silver) and Earth-Two (Golden) teamed up in the pages of Justice League of America, reinforcing the parallel worlds mythos that had been created. By the time this pin-up by Murphy Anderson appeared in JLA No. 76, the multiverse was an everyday part of DC Comics.

Jump to today, and finding pieces of the original art from the era is expensive even if you can find the art. Re-creation artists like Bruce McCorkindale are a popular option for those who want original art for their collections. Bruce can be found in a number of places on social media, and I normally see his work on facebook. I highly recommend seeking him out for re-creations or his strangely-compelling Muppet pieces.

Colour by me.

As published in Justice League of America No. 76. Art by Murphy Anderson.

The Seven Soldiers of Victory published in the same issue. Art by Murphy Anderson. Wing, unfortunately, is depicted as a racist stereotype.

Bruce McCorkindale’s fabulous re-creation of Anderson’s art, swapping in Power Girl for Red Tornado II.

Colour version.

Left side.

Right side.