"Batman Dies Big!" 1976 Albert Bigley Original Comic Art! DC Comics?!

Another blockbuster from my artistic past! For some odd reason, I was possessed to re-create the 1968 BATMAN tale, "Die Small--Die Big!" I only had the later 1975 "Super Spec" reprint, but that sure didn't stop me from bogarting the awe-inspiring art (originally by Bob Brown and Joe Giella)! Did I feel I needed practice drawing actual comics pages with real storytelling? Did I have a new twist for the story in mind? Who knows, but it's fun to look at these two pages (all I managed to do before moving on to more exciting pastures), drawn by me at age 11! Not even the first time I tried this, either! Click to enlarge!

Odd how I cut out characters and dialog I musta thought were superfluous! Who has time for
all that extra writing?

1977 Albert Bigley BATMAN Epic! "Best Cop in Gotham City?!" DC Comics?!

Another attempt to draw (and write) my own comics, this one from early 1977! You can see that I (age 11) was very influenced by Neal Adams' BATMAN work, but also by my back issue of DETECTIVE COMICS # 428, from 1972, which introduced a new supporting player to the Batman books. That issue introduced a tough cop called "Shotgun Smith," created in the mold of then-current movie cops such as DIRTY HARRY and such. So, I tried to add my OWN law-enforcing thorn-in-the-side for the Caped Crusader in my own tale! I decided to give Batman a dapper, by-the-book kinda policeman, one who wouldn't take so kindly to vigilantes, the way Commissioner Gordon and his crew did!  Also, in the tradition of all the cop shows of the day, my new character needed a very visual accessory, ala IRONSIDE (and his wheelchair) or KOJAK (and his lollypops and bald pate). Alas, only 2 pages were ever produced before I moved on to other things. But, get a load of that great dialog! Batman holds the murder weapon in front of his face and mutters, "probably a .45 caliber?!" That's "the world's greatest detective?!" Click to enlarge!

Below: My inspiration! A page from the aforementioned DETECTIVE COMICS # 428, showcasing the friction between Batman and newcomer "Shotgun Smith!" Art by Bob Brown and Dick Giordano!