Recently, New York-based publisher Standards Manual and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products announced the official reissue of the 1982 DC Comics Style Guide, reproduced from a rare original copy as a high-quality 1:1 hardcover book, featuring the legendary art of José Luis García-López.
In 1982, Spanish-Argentine artist García-López was hired to create the key art for a total standardization of DC’s Super Heroes look. The resulting 3-ring binder filled with rules, color swatches, character profiles, and hundreds of pages of stunning art served a very practical purpose, as it was intended to create artwork for product and packaging for DC’s wide range of licensed products and promotions. The model sheets in the 1982 DC Comics Style Guide became the standard reference for DC license holders working on DC releases for decades, and thanks to García-López’ character work, has continued to deeply influence many DC artists and fans to this day.
The Style Guide held by Standards Manual is a rare collector’s item and unavailable to wide-audiences beyond low-resolution, poorly reproduced, and often watermarked images online. The reissue enables fans to finally be able to experience this legendary art as close as possible to the original format. The reissue also intends to highlight the team behind this artistic endeavor, including Joe Orlando, Neal Pozner, Mary Yedlin, Paul Levitz, and may others.
