Letter
Dear Ms. Gibson:
In its public meeting of 19 September conducted by videoconference, the Commission of Fine Arts reviewed a single set of design alternatives for a coin and medal featuring Superman, as the first issue in a new series celebrating the art of American comic books. The Commission approved the submission with the following comments.
In their support of the proposed pairing, the Commission members suggested consideration of minimizing or removing the reverse design’s background clouds, expressing concern that these would obscure other elements of the composition, including the head of the young Clark Kent and the gold coin’s inscription, “United States of America.” They also noted that the juxtaposition of a vintage truck and a modern jet on the reverse may be confusing, and they suggested considering the use of a more contemporaneous propeller airplane consistent with the original comic. For the obverse, they commented that the artwork lacks a consistent character, with the barn shown in more realistic detail than the more stylized features characteristic of comic books, and they suggested that the barn could be stylized accordingly.
As always, the staff is available to assist you with future submissions.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary
Ventris C. Gibson, Director
United States Mint
801 9th Street, NW, 8th Floor
Washington, DC 20220