An iconic member of DC’s Green Lantern Corps stands as a symbol of willpower and keeper of law and order for visitors and residents of Burbank as a seven-and-a-half-foot-tall bronze statue of Green Lantern John Stewart was unveiled today in a special ceremony at Empire Center’s Hangar 28 in Burbank. The statue is the newest product of a partnership between Visit Burbank, DC, and Warner Bros. Discovery, joining celebrated DC Super Heroes Batman, in downtown Burbank, and Wonder Woman, at the entrance to the Warner Bros. Studio Tour.
Today’s unveiling ceremony was attended by local government and business luminaries including Burbank Vice Mayor Nikki Perez; DC President, Publisher, and Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee; and DC writers Jeremy Adams, Morgan Hampton and Tim Sheridan.
“John Stewart represents an important milestone in DC history as our first modern Black costumed superhero, debuting in Green Lantern #87, published in October of 1971,” said Lee. “For writer Dennis O’Neil and artist Neal Adams to create a character like John Stewart was nothing short of visionary, as it broke a lot of the usual conventions when it came to superheroes, including his being one of the few to not wear a mask in his role as a Green Lantern to hide who he is. He’s John Stewart, period,” said Lee.
“His adventures in comic books and animation with Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, and Green Lantern: Beware My Power have become an enduring part of DC’s storytelling legacy,” Lee continued. “And with the character’s upcoming live-action debut on DC Studios’ Lanterns TV series, John Stewart’s future couldn’t be brighter.”
The more than 600-pound Green Lantern statue design was inspired by acclaimed DC artist Jamal Campbell and was crafted by Burbank’s American Fine Arts Foundry and Fabrication. To celebrate the city’s newest statue, Visit Burbank has also commissioned an exclusive comic, Green Lantern John Stewart, Global Guardian, written by John Ridley and Charlotte Fullerton McDuffie with art by Amancay Nahuelpan, CHRISCROSS, and Jordi Tarragona and cover art by Jamal Campbell, that will be made available.
The newly installed Green Lantern statue can be viewed 24 hours a day at Empire Center’s Hangar 28 at 1775 N Victory Place, Burbank, CA.
