I don’t know if anybody’s noted this on previous pages, but it is interesting how Joe has drawn Blackjack with the idea that he is to be a recurring foe for DT (like Flattop in a previous era). Blackjack tells DT “you need an opposite number – and that’s me!” Check out how his image shows this, particularly dramatized in the April 12 strip where BJ makes his declaration and the last two panels show them facing off:-DT has a big light-colored hat and suit, white shirt; BJ has a big dark-colored hat and suit, black shirt-DT’s eyes are unnaturally narrow, really slits; BJ’s unnaturally wide, really circles-DT’s nose large and blocky in profile; BJ’s small and pointy-DT’s chin square in profile; BJ’s pointy-DT generally tight-lipped; BJ open-mouthed-DT’s ears round and wide; BJ’s very narrow-DT taciturn and frowny; BJ blabby and smileyAnd so on. Seems clear that Mike and Joe are grooming Blackjack for longevity in the strip.
Still hard to ignore the similarities between this villain and Abner Cadaver the recurring archvillain of Savage Dragon (appearance, funky speech balloons and all). http://www.writeups.org/fiche.php?id=4104 Mike said he didn’t know of that Abner, but surely Joe does? (Joe’s been around alternative comix for a loooong time…)
“brandmother”