Showcase | |
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Publication information | |
Publisher | DC Comics |
Schedule | Monthly |
Format | Ongoing |
Publication date | March 1956 – September 1970 August 1977 – September 1978 |
No. of issues | 104 |
Main character(s) |
Challengers of the Unknown Flash Green Lantern Lois Lane Space Ranger Adam Strange |
Creative team | |
Written by | Sergio Aragonés, Otto Binder, E. Nelson Bridwell, John Broome, Arnold Drake, Gardner Fox, Edmond Hamilton, Bob Haney, Robert Kanigher, Jack Kirby, Jack Miller, Don Segall, Steve Skeates |
Artist(s) | Murphy Anderson, Ross Andru, Bob Brown, Nick Cardy, Steve Ditko, Russ Heath, Carmine Infantino, Gil Kane, Jack Kirby, Joe Kubert, Ruben Moreira, Win Mortimer, Bob Oksner, Joe Orlando, John Prentice, Mike Sekowsky |
Showcase has been the title of several comic anthology series published by DC Comics. The general theme of these series has been to feature new and minor characters as a way to gauge reader interest in them, without the difficulty and risk of featuring "untested" characters in their own ongoing titles. The original series ran from March–April 1956 to September 1970 suspending publication with issue #93, and then was revived for eleven issues from August 1977 to September 1978.
The Showcase series featured characters in either one-shot appearances or brief two or three issue runs as a way to determine reader interest, without the financial risk of featuring "untested" characters in their own ongoing titles. The series began in March–April 1956 and saw the first appearance of several major characters including the Silver Age Flash, the Challengers of the Unknown, Space Ranger, Adam Strange, Rip Hunter, the Silver Age Green Lantern, the Sea Devils, the Silver Age Atom, the Metal Men, the Inferior Five, the Creeper, Anthro, the Hawk and Dove, Angel and the Ape, and Bat Lash.
The Spectre was revived for the Silver Age in Showcase as well. In 1962, DC purchased an adaptation of the James Bond novel and film Dr. No, which had been published in British Classics Illustrated, and published it as an issue of Showcase. It was the first American comic book appearance of the character. The Showcase series was canceled in 1970 with issue #93, featuring Manhunter 2070.