In 1982, DC’s pantheon of superheroes — including Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman — assembled in the pages of a single book. It wasn’t Justice League of America or The Brave and the Bold, but the DC Comics Style Guide: a complete standardization of DC’s Super Heroes. Created as a reference for DC license holders to deliver a consistent look for the major DC characters, the Style Guide contained rules, color swatches, character profiles, and hundreds of pages with art by José Luis García-López. It has never been made available to the public in print.
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After four decades, publisher Standards Manual and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products will reissue the 1982 DC Comics Style Guide on August 31. The 1:1 hardcover book is reproduced from a rare original copy held by Standards Manual and features over 165highly-detailed scans of the legendary artwork by García-López and inker Dick Giordano.
The long-awaited reissue of the 1982 DC Comics Style Guide is based on the original copy and contains an amalgam of versions collecting material from 1982 to 1985. The 384-page case-bound hardcover comes complete with an introduction by Paul Levitz, former president of DC Comics, and highlights the creatives behind the Style Guide, including former DC vice president and editor Joe Orlando, designer Neal Pozner, DC’s first modern head of licensing, Mary Yedlin, and former DC president Paul Levitz.
“This Style Guide presents graphic designs, quality control procedures, copyright and trademark usage, and new standard artwork for the major DC Comics characters,” an excerpt reads. “Each character is depicted in an updated rendering which will be the model for all future uses. Only these current versions are to be used in creating officially licensed products and packaging as well as for merchandising, media and promotional purposes.”
DC Comics will commemorate the release with a series of Artist Spotlight variant covers featuring the art of García-López originally created for the Style Guide. The covers, which hit stands in July, will adorn issues of Batman #150, The Flash #11, Wonder Woman #11, Shazam! #13, Green Lantern #13, Green Arrow #14, and Superman #16.
The 1982 DC Comics Style Guide is available for pre-order on the official Standards Manual website and ships in August. Customers who place an order before July 4 will receive early-access pricing ($90 rather than $95).
