A forthcoming 2024 Justice League calendar will mark the return of iconic art that fans have long demanded. In the annals of DC history, José Luis García-López may be the publisher’s most important artist, having helped fashion the company’s style guide in the early 1980s – which in turn helped define these characters for generations. Fans have been clamoring for the guide to be released, and while there are seemingly no plans for DC to do so, a new 2024 calendar features some of García-López’s iconic work – as well as other top artists.
The calendar, published by Date Works, is currently available for pre-order on Amazon. Featuring the last four months of 2023 and all of 2024, the calendar shines the spotlight on some of DC’s biggest icons, including Superman and the Justice League. In addition, there are lesser-known characters such as Mary Marvel and Zatanna. A majority of the calendar’s art is by José Luis García-López, with additional art by Eduardo Barretto and the late Neal Adams.
DC’s Style Guide Art Returns in 2024 Calendar
José Luis García-López is one of the most important artists in DC Comics’ 80-plus year history. After drawing various titles for both DC and a variety of other publishers including Charlton Comics, García-López helped draft the publisher’s style guide in 1982. This guide served as a reference for licensed merchandise, meaning García-López’s artwork could be seen on lunchboxes, clothing, toys and other items as well. García-López has since worked on other style guides for DC Comics, further shaping the publisher’s brand and universe in the public eye. For years, fans have held out hope that DC would publish García-López’s 1982 style guide – even signing a petition to have it released – and this new calendar provides a tantalizing glimpse at this “lost” classic.
DC Celebrates Its Most Iconic Art
While García-López drew a number of titles for DC over the years, it’s hard to overstate how influential his style guides became. A generation of fans first encountered the heroes and villains of the DC Universe thanks to García-López, and many of these designs from the 1982 style guide are still being used today. Images of Doctor Fate, Green Lantern, and Mary Marvel & Captain Marvel Jr. (the beloved inspiration behind Elvis Presley’s stage persona) are incredibly crisp and colorful – each a worthy poster in its own right.
This new Justice League calendar is more than a look at the iconic 1982 style guide – it is a celebration of DC Comics’ rich history as well. Every page on the calendar bursts with energy, and the art is fresh and fun, yet with an iconic footprint on the medium. Fans that grew up with José Luis García-López artwork will find much to love in this new Justice League calendar, while any lover of the DC Universe deserves to see this art, even if the publisher is seemingly in no hurry to release the full Style Guide.
