Al Plastino
Al Plastino | |
---|---|
Born | Alfred John Plastino December 15, 1921 Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
Died | November 25, 2013 Patchogue, New York, U.S. | (aged 91)
Nationality | American |
Area(s) | Writer, Penciller, Inker, Editor, Letterer, Colourist |
Notable works | Action Comics Adventure Comics Superboy Superman |
Awards | Inkpot Award 2008 |
Alfred John Plastino
With writer Otto Binder, he co-created the DC characters Supergirl and Brainiac, as well as the teenage team the Legion of Super-Heroes.
Biography
Early life and career
Born at
With the outbreak of World War II, Plastino and his brothers were drafted, and he served in the U.S. Army. There, a sketch he had made for a model airplane he had designed[4] caught an officer's attention, leading to his being assigned to Grumman Aerospace Corporation, the National Inventors Council, and then The Pentagon.[3] He was assigned there to the Adjutant General's office,[4] where he designed war posters and field manuals.[3] After his discharge he began working for Steinberg Studios, drawing Army posters.[3]
Comics
While working out of a studio in New York City with two other cartoonists in 1948, Plastino showed sample art of Superman to DC Comics, which offered him work at $35 a page. Plastino, who had heard that Superman artists were receiving $55 a page, negotiated a $50 rate.
Plastino worked on several titles within the Superman family of comics, including Superboy and Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane. Plastino drew the Superboy story in Adventure Comics #247 (April 1958) that introduced the Legion of Super-Heroes, a teen superhero team from the future that eventually became one of DC's most popular features;[11] with writer Otto Binder, Plastino co-created the first Legion characters, Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad (as Lightning Boy) and Saturn Girl.[5] Binder and Plastino debuted the villain Brainiac and the Bottle City of Kandor in Action Comics #242 (July 1958).[12] The two men co-created Supergirl in Action Comics #252 (May 1959).[5][13] Plastino drew the first appearance of the supervillain the Parasite in Action Comics #340 (Aug. 1966).[14]
Plastino's "greatest pride"'
In the early 1970s, DC Comics, fearing Jack Kirby's versions of Superman and Jimmy Olsen were too different from their established representations, assigned Plastino (among other artists) to redraw those characters' heads in Kirby's various titles.[19] In 1996, Plastino was one of the many artists who contributed to the Superman: The Wedding Album one-shot wherein the title character married Lois Lane.[20]
Comic strips
Plastino drew the
Plastino also worked on Sunday episodes of
Personal life
Plastino lived for many years in Shirley, New York, on Long Island.[2] At the time of his death on November 25, 2013,[26] at Brookhaven Hospital in Patchogue, New York,[1][27] he had been suffering from Guillain–Barré syndrome. He and his wife AnnMarie were married for 55 years. They had four children: Fred, Janice, Arlene, and the eldest, MaryAnn,[2] who managed his business affairs.[16]
Bibliography
Avon Comics
- Molly O'Day #1 (1945)
Centaur Publications
- The Arrow #3 (1941)
Chesler/Dynamic
- Dynamic Comics #2, 13 (Dynamic Man) (1941–1945)
- Punch Comics #2, 11, 13–14, 16 (1942–1946)
- Spotlight Comics #2 (1945)
DC Comics
- Action Comics (Superman) #120, 122–128, 130–131, 133, 135, 139–140, 143, 145, 148–149, 152–157, 169–170, 172, 176–177, 183, 185, 193, 197, 201, 205, 208, 212–214, 217, 220, 222, 228, 242, 247, 249, 251–252, 254–255, 259–260, 271, 273, 281–282, 289, 291–292, 294, 296, 300–302, 306, 308, 314, 317, 320, 322–324, 328–329, 331–335, 337, 340, 341–345, 354, 361 (1948–1968)
- Adventure Comics (Superboy) #245, 247, 253, 256, 268, 271, 276, 278, 281, 286, 292, 294, 296, 298, 324, 333, 335, 341, 344 (1958–1966)
- Girls' Love Stories #12 (1951)
- Showcase #9 (Lois Lane) (1957)
- Superboy #59–60, 62, 65, 67, 79, 81, 83, 86, 88, 90, 93, 96, 98, 102, 105, 107–108, 110, 114, 116, 125, 128–129, 133, 137, 140, 143, 149 (1957–1968)
- Superman #53–56, 58–59, 61, 63–69, 71–73, 75–109, 112, 114–118, 120, 122, 124–125, 129–131, 133, 135–136, 138–139, 144–147, 150–153, 157, 160–161, 163–165, 169–171, 173–174, 178–180, 183–184, 186, 191, 193–194, 196–198, 201–206 (1948–1968)
- Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #5, 12, 18, 20 (1958–1960)
- Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen #50, 55–56, 60, 64, 73, 76, 78, 87 (1961–1965)
- Superman: The Wedding Album #1 (1996)
- World's Finest Comics #34, 39–43, 47, 49, 51, 54–58, 60–61, 64, 67, 70, 165 (1948–1967)
Harvey Comics
- All-New Short Story Comics #2 (1943)
Magazine Enterprises
- The American Air Forces #1–3, 74 (1944–1953)
Marvel Comics
- Marvel Mystery Comics #33–36 (1942)
References
- ^ a b c Yardley, William (November 29, 2013). "Al Plastino, 91, Dies; Drew Many Superheroes". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
- ^ a b c Lovece, Frank (November 26, 2013). "Al Plastino, 'Superman' illustrator from Shirley, dies at 91". Newsday. New York/Long Island. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2013. (subscription required)
- ^ a b c d e Bubbeo, Daniel (August 16, 2012). "Long Islanders behind Batman comics". Newsday. New York/Long Island. pp. B4–B5. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved August 18, 2012. (subscription required)
- ^ a b c d "About Al". Al Plastino (official site). Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved November 17, 2009.
- ^ a b c d Al Plastino at the Grand Comics Database
- ^ Plastino bio, "Living Legends," New York Comic-Con program booklet #4 (Reed Exhibitions, 2009), p. 14.
- ^ Stroud, Bryan (December 12, 2007). "Al Plastino interview (Pt. 1)". The Silver Age Sage. Archived from the original on September 1, 2012.
- Fantagraphics Books. Archivedfrom the original on December 3, 2013.
When asked why he broke from following Boring's lead, Plastino said, 'No one said change it. Wayne's work was really clean cut and professional, though the characters were a little stiff. It almost hurt me to draw like him. I tried to keep the look consistent, but it gradually did change.'
- ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9.
Kryptonite finally appeared in comics following its introduction in The Adventures of Superman radio show back in 1943. In a story by writer Bill Finger and artist Al Plastino...the Man of Steel determined that the cause of his weakness was a piece of meteorite rock.
- Irvine, Alex"1950s" in Dolan, p. 85: "The future title Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane got a tryout in issues #9 and #10 of Showcase, when Lois Lane stepped in as the lead feature. The lead story in Showcase #9, 'The Girl in Superman's Past', by writer Jerry Coleman and artist Al Plastino, introduced Lois Lane to Superman's old flame Lana Lang."
- ^ Irvine "1950s" in Dolan, p. 89: "The Legion of Super-Heroes would become one of DC's most enduring and popular groups despite their humble beginnings, in a story by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino."
- ^ Irvine "1950s" in Dolan, p. 90: "The mythology of Krypton expanded dramatically with the introduction of the evil Brainiac and the Bottle City of Kandor in the Action Comics #242 story 'The Super-Duel in Space', written by Otto Binder and [drawn by] artist Al Plastino"
- ^ Markstein, Don (2010). "Supergirl". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on June 6, 2014.
- ^ McAvennie, Michael "1960s" in Dolan, p. 118: "With a story written by Jim Shooter and drawn by Al Plastino, the Parasite entered Superman's life."
- ^ a b "Superman's Mission for President Kennedy" at the Grand Comics Database
- ^ a b c Italiano, Laura (October 25, 2013). "'Superman' artist stunned to find 'donated' work on sale". New York Post. Archived from the original on November 27, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
...Plastino's daughter, MaryAnn Plastino Charles, 55, told The Post. 'He is 91, he has prostate cancer, and this is not helping him at all,' she said of her dad....
- ^ Doran, Michael (November 26, 2013). "DC Comics Reports the Passing of Artist Al Plastino". Newsarama. Archived from the original on December 5, 2013.
- ^ "Al Plastino Art Acquired and to be Donated by DC Entertainment to John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston". DC Entertainment. December 16, 2013. Archived from the original on May 5, 2014.
- ^ Evanier, Mark (August 22, 2003). "Jack Kirby's Superman". News From ME. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012. Retrieved April 22, 2012.
Plastino drew new Superman figures and Olsen heads in roughly the same poses and positions, and these were pasted into the artwork.
- ^ Manning, Matthew K. "1990s" in Dolan, p. 275: " The behind-the-scenes talent on the monumental issue appropriately spanned several generations of the Man of Tomorrow's career. Written by Dan Jurgens, Karl Kesel, David Michelinie, Louise Simonson, and Roger Stern, the one-shot featured the pencils of John Byrne, Gil Kane, Stuart Immonen, Paul Ryan, Jon Bogdanove, Kieron Dwyer, Tom Grummett, Dick Giordano, Jim Mooney, Curt Swan, Nick Cardy, Al Plastino, Barry Kitson, Ron Frenz, and Dan Jurgens."
- ^ Stroud, Bryan (May 12, 2008). "Al Plastino interview (Pt. 2)". The Silver Age Sage. Archived from the original on September 1, 2012.
- ISBN 978-1605490663.
- ^ Bails, Jerry; Ware, Hames. "Plastino, Al". Who's Who of American Comic Books 1928–1999. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
- ^ a b "Al Plastino". Lambiek Comiclopedia. November 26, 2013. Archived from the original on June 6, 2014.
- ^ Cronin, Brian (January 11, 2013). "Comic Book Legends Revealed #401". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved May 7, 2013.
- ^ Evanier, Mark (November 25, 2013). "Al Plastino, R.I.P." News From Me. Archived from the original on December 7, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2013.
...who died this afternoon.
- Daily News. New York, New York. Archivedfrom the original on December 18, 2013. Retrieved November 30, 2013.
Further reading
- Cadigan, Glen. The Legion Companion ISBN 978-1893905221
External links
- Al Plastino at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
- Al Plastino at Mike's Amazing World of Comics