Ross Andru
Ross Andru | |
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Superman vs. Spider-Man Wonder Woman |
Ross Andru (
His most frequent collaborator was comics inker Mike Esposito, with whom he worked on projects over a span of four decades. The two also founded three short-lived comic books companies: Mr. Publications (1951), MikeRoss (1953) and Klevart Enterprises (1970).
Early life and education
Ross Andru was born in Highland Park, Michigan on June 15, 1927, the third of Alexander and Glafire (née Evanoff) Androuchkevitch's three children.[1] Andru grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, raised by Russian émigré parents who came to the US in 1926.
After moving to New York City, Andru graduated from
In 1947, Andru attended the
Career
Early work
In 1946, Andru worked for an animation studio in Manhattan drawing artwork for Chiclets chewing gum commercials.[5]
In 1948, Andru's first professional work as a comic strip illustrator was drawing layouts for the
Partnership with Esposito
A source claims
The team's first confirmed collaboration was on the six-page "Wylie's Wild Horses" in Hillman Periodicals' Western Fighters vol. 2, #12 (Nov. 1950), signaling the start of a four-decade collaboration.[8]
They quickly founded their own comics-book company, the name of which is variously rendered as MR Publications,
Andru and Esposito created early work on Key Publications' Mister Mystery in 1951 and Standard Comics' The Unseen and Joe Yank (the latter credited as "Mikeross").[8]
DC Comics
In September, 1953, the two began a long career as one of
From 1957 to 1959, Andru and Esposito shared a studio with fellow comics artists
Andru began a nine-year run on
Andru and Kanigher had several other notable collaborations. The "Gunner and Sarge" feature introduced in All-American Men of War #67 (March 1959) was one of the first war comics to feature recurring characters.[17] Andru drew an early appearance of Kanigher's Sgt. Rock character in Our Army at War #81 (April 1959)[18] With Kanigher, the Andru-Esposito team introduced the non-superpowered adventurers the Suicide Squad in The Brave and the Bold #25 (Sept. 1959).[19]
Another innovation was the melding of war comics with
Andru also drew early issues of Rip Hunter, Time Master in 1961, and the Sea Devils.[8]
In 1967, Andru left Wonder Woman to become the penciler on
Side projects
A Spider-Man story drawn by Andru in 1968 was originally planned as a fill-in issue of The Amazing Spider-Man but was published in Marvel Super-Heroes #14 when regular Spider-Man artist John Romita Sr. recovered more quickly than anticipated from a wrist injury.[23]
For the
Andru and Esposito formed the publishing company Klevart Enterprises in 1970,
Marvel Comics
In the early 1970s, Andru left DC for Marvel Comics. Initially he did short runs on such titles as Marvel Feature where he launched the superhero team the Defenders in issue #1 (Dec. 1971)[28] and Marvel Team-Up, starting in March 1972, where he drew Spider-Man teaming with other Marvel characters.[29] In 1973, he began his five-year stint as regular penciler on The Amazing Spider-Man,[30] which at that point was Marvel's highest-selling monthly comic. Andru and writer Gerry Conway introduced the Punisher,[31] who would become one of Marvel Comics' most popular characters.
In 1976, Andru penciled the first large-scale comic book
Return to DC Comics
In 1978, Andru returned to DC to work as an editor, a position he held until 1986.[33] During this period his art appeared mostly on the covers of such titles as Action Comics and Superman. Working with writer Marv Wolfman and collaborator Mike Esposito, he co-created the syndicated comic strip The Unexplained in 1979. Throughout the late 1970s and the 1980s, Andru and inker Dick Giordano were DC's primary cover artists, providing cover artwork for the Superman titles as well as covers for many of the other comics in the DC line at that time.[34]
In the 1980s, Andru returned to interior artwork. He and Roy Thomas collaborated on the "Superman and His Incredible Fortress of Solitude" treasury edition published as DC Special Series #26 (Summer 1981).[35] Pandora Pann was a proposed series by Andru and writer Len Wein which was to have been published in 1982. But other commitments prevented Wein from writing it, and the project was cancelled.[36]
In 1981, Andru contributed to the DC Super Heroes Super Healthy Cookbook, illustrating various Justice League characters as they explained food recipes to a 4th to 6th grade audience. Additional artists included Dick Giordano and Leo Durañona.[37]
Andru made a brief return to the Wonder Woman title, drawing six pages in issue #300 (Feb. 1983).
Later life and career
In 1990, Ross Andru contributed a story to Valiant Comics' Captain N:The Game Master #1. The same year, he reunited with writer Gerry Conway and inker Mike Esposito for a story in Web of Spider-Man Annual #6. In 1992, the graphic novel Spider-Man: Fear Itself, pencilled by Andru, inked by Esposito, plotted by Conway and scripted by Stan Lee was published. Andru's last published work was for Archie Comics' Zen, Intergalactic Ninja in 1992, on which he was teamed once again with Esposito.[8]
Prior to his death, Andru was working with Esposito on a new project to be called The Strobe Warrior for another independent company founded by Esposito and his assistant Blake Seals.[citation needed] The project fell apart after Andru's passing but was revived years later in song by a band called Fling Lois.[43]
Style and technique
Frequent collaborator Gerry Conway commented of Ross Andru's work, "Ross Andru could place a character anywhere he wanted. He had a terrific sense of spatial relations; he could track a battle easily across rooftops, from panel to panel. He drew some great sequences where he maintained the same stationary background, a rooftop or a street, across an entire page, but move the characters from panel to panel. I know there are artists today who do that, but many of today's artists are figure-oriented. Space and context doesn't seem as important to them, whereas it was extremely important to Ross. He used to go around New York City taking pictures of the buildings so he could be accurate about where he put Spider-Man."[44]
Death and burial
Andru suffered a brain aneurysm and died on November 9, 1993, in Jamaica Bay, Queens County, New York.[45][46] His body was cremated and interred at the Fresh Pond Crematory and Columbarium, Middle Village, Queens County, New York.
Awards and homages
Andru was inducted into the
In Ultimate Spider-Man issue #87 (Feb. 2006), a "Ross Andru" has a cameo as the principal of Peter Parker's high school.
Bibliography
Comics work (interior pencil art) includes:
Archie Comics
- Zen, Intergalactic Ninja #1–3 (1992)
- Zen, Intergalactic Ninja vol. 2 #1–3 (1992)
DC Comics
- Action Comics #362–366, 391–392, 599 (Superman); #393 (Superboy) (1968–1970, 1988)
- Atari Force #1–2, 4 (1982)
- Atari Force vol. 2 #4–5 (1984)
- Batman #213, #409, Annual #12 (with Pablo Marcos) (1969, 1987–1988)
- Blue Beetle #15–16, 19–22 (1987–1988)
- The Brave and the Bold #74–75, 77, 89–90, 199 (1967–1983)
- Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew! #1 (Superman figures only) (1982)
- DC Challenge, limited series, #12 (four pages, among other artists) (1986)
- DC Comics Presents #53 (Atari Force preview) (1983)
- DC Special Series #26 (Superman) (1981)
- Robin) (1969)
- Firestorm #65 (1987)
- The Flash #175–194 (1967–1970)
- House of Secrets #87 (1970)
- Heroes Against Hunger (two pages) (1986)
- El Diablo); #57 (Jonah Hex) (1981–1982)
- Metal Men #1–29 (1963–1968)
- New Teen Titans #27 (Atari Force preview) (1983)
- The New Teen Titans (Drug Awareness Campaign, NSDA - promo) #2 (1983)
- Our Army at War #216, 220, 238, 243, 275, 280 (1970–1975)
- Our Fighting Forces #124–125, 127–129 (1970–71)
- Showcase (Metal Men) #37–40 (1962)
- Superman #204, 211, 216 (1968–1969)
- The Rose & The Thorn) (1970–1971)
- Teen Titans Spotlight #3–6 (1986–1987)
- The Unexpected #120, 147 (1970–1973)
- Vigilante#8–11, Annual #2 (1984)
- Weird War Tales #2–3, 6 (1971–1972)
- Wonder Woman #98–171; #300 (six pages, among other artists) (1958–1967, 1983)
- Wonder Woman Annual #1 (seven pages, among other artists) (1988)
- World's Finest Comics #180–183, 185–187, 189–195, 296, 300 (1968–1970, 1984)
Marvel Comics
- The Amazing Spider-Man #125–131, 133–149, 151–153, 156–180, 182–185 (1973–1978)
- Arrgh #5 (1975)
- Crazy Magazine #1 (1973)
- Creatures on the Loose#18 (1972)
- Doc Savage #1–7 (1972)
- Fantastic Four #131, 145–146 (1972–1974)
- Giant-Size Spider-Man #1–5 (1974–1975)
- Iron Man (Ant-Man) #44 (1972)
- John Carter, Warlord of Mars #15 (1978)
- Kull the Conqueror #1 (1971)
- Marvel Feature (The Defenders) #1–3 (1971–1972)
- Marvel Super-Heroes (Spider-Man) #14 (1968)
- Marvel Team-Up (Spider-Man) #1–3, 7, 9, 12, 15 (1972–1973)
- Savage Tales (Shanna the She-Devil) #10 (1975)
- Shanna the She-Devil #2–5 (1973)
- The Spectacular Spider-Man #6, Annual #10 (1977, 1990)
- Spider-Man: Fear Itself GN (1992)
- Sub-Mariner #37–38 (1971)
- Uncanny X-Men #36–37 (1967)
- Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction #1 (1975)
- What If (Nova) #15 (1979)
- Web of Spider-Man Annual #6 (1990)
DC Comics / Marvel Comics
- Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man(1976)
Skywald Publications
- Butch Cassidy #2–3 (1971)
- Nightmare #1–2 (1970)
- Psycho #2–5 (1971)
Valiant Comics
- Captain N: the Game Master #1 (1990)
References
- ^ a b "New York, U.S., State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1794-1943 for Glafira Andru; Southern District, New York; (Roll 1362) Petition No. 397767 - Petition No. 398297". Ancestry.com. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- ^ Ross Andru at the Social Security Death Index. Retrieved 16 February 2013. Archived from the original on 16 February 2013. Note: Birth year is given as 1925 in Miller, John Jackson (June 10, 2005). "Comics Industry Birthdays". Comics Buyer's Guide. Iola, Wisconsin. Archived from the original on February 18, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2010. Additional .
- ^ a b Esposito, Mike, in Stroud, Bryan D. (2008). "Mike Esposito interview (part 1)". The Silver Age Sage. Archived from the original on September 1, 2012. Retrieved February 13, 2009.
I went to the High School of Music & Art ... in Harlem
Additional, June 16, 2012. - ^ "Biography: Adolescence". Mighty Mike Esposito (official site). Archived from the original on March 22, 2008.
- ^ Esposito, Best, "Two: Learning the Business > Part 1: Animation: We Leave the Army", p. 21.
- ^ Esposito, Best, p. 22.
- ^ Sedlmeier, Cory (ed.). Marvel Masterworks: The Incredible Hulk Volume 2. Marvel Entertainment. p. 245.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Ross Andru at the Grand Comics Database
- ^ Esposito, Best, "Three: Some Hard Business Lessons > Part 1: MR Publications: We Get 'Taken'", p. 39.
- ^ Lovece, Frank (October 25, 2010). "Long Island Comic Book Artist Mike Esposito Dead at 83". Newsday. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved October 25, 2010. (Requires subscription) Print version: "Mike Esposito, Comic Book Artist", p. A30
- ^ a b Mister Universe; Publisher's Brands: MR. Publications; Indicia Publishers: Media Publications, Inc. at the Grand Comics Database
- ^ Mikeross Publications at the Grand Comics Database. Retrieved October 25, 2010.
- ^ Bails, Jerry; Ware, Hames. "Esposito, Mike". Archived from the original on May 11, 2007. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
- ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9.)
Wonder Woman's origin story and character was given a Silver Age revamp, courtesy of writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru.
{{cite book}}
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has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ Esposito official site, "Biography: Return to DC Comics". Archived from the original on April 11, 2008. Retrieved 2012-06-16.
- ^ McAvennie, Michael "1960s" in Dolan, p. 105 "Writer/editor Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru put a then-modern-day spin on robots with the exploits of comics' first "heavy metal" group, the Metal Men."
- ^ Irvine "1950s" in Dolan, p. 93 "War comics had rarely featured recurring characters, but writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru changed that with the introduction of U.S. Marines Gunner MacKay and Sarge Clay in All-American Men of War #67."
- ^ Irvine "1950s" in Dolan, p. 93 "In "The Rock of Easy Co.!" written by Robert Kanigher and Bob Haney, with art by Ross Andru, the reader was introduced to Sgt. Frank Rock of Easy Company."
- ^ Irvine "1950s" in Dolan, p. 95: "In 'The Three Waves of Doom', a story that filled The Brave and the Bold #25, writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru introduced the Suicide Squad, a band of World War II-era military misfits."
- ^ McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 100 "What was most memorable about the initial installment of "The War that Time Forgot" by writer/editor Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru was that it was the first cross-genre story to blend war comics with science-fiction."
- ^ McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 141 "The second feature uncovered the roots of Rose Forrest/Thorn's identity, as told by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Ross Andru."
- ^ Cassell, Dewey (May 2013). "A Rose By Any Other Name ... Would Be Thorn". Back Issue! (64). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 28–32.
- ISBN 978-0756692360.)
When John Romita sprained his wrist, Marvel hired artist Ross Andru to draw a fill-in issue of The Amazing Spider-Man to give Romita time to recover. However, never less than a consummate professional, Romita turned in his work on schedule as promised, leaving the company with an extra Stan Lee-scripted Spider-Man story on their hands.
{{cite book}}
:|first2=
has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ Arndt, Richard J. (December 2, 2010). "The Complete Skywald Checklist". EnjolrasWorld.com. Archived from the original on May 10, 2010. Additional, June 15, 2010.
- Lambiek Comiclopedia
- ^ Up Your Nose And Our Your Ear at the Grand Comics Database
- ^ Esposito official site, "Biography: Up Your Nose". Archived from the original on April 11, 2008. Retrieved 2012-06-16.
- ISBN 978-0756641238.)
[Roy] Thomas and artist Ross Andru reunited [Doctor] Strange, the Hulk, and Namor as a brand new Marvel superhero team - the Defenders."
{{cite book}}
:|first2=
has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ Manning "1970s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 60: "Spider-Man was a proven hit, so Marvel decided to expand the wall-crawler's horizons with a new Spider-Man title ... Its first issue featured Spidey teaming up with the Human Torch against the Sandman in a Christmas tale written by Roy Thomas with art by Ross Andru."
- ISBN 978-1-84576-324-4.
Having done a special stand-alone Spider-Man story in Marvel Super-Heroes #14, May 1968, Andru came aboard as the ongoing artist with Amazing #125, October 1973.
- ^ Manning "1970s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 72: "Writer Gerry Conway and artist Ross Andru introduced two major new characters to Spider-Man's world and the Marvel Universe in this self-contained issue. Not only would the vigilante known as the Punisher go on to be one of the most important and iconic Marvel creations of the 1970s, but his instigator, the Jackal, would become the next big threat in Spider-Man's life."
- ^ McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 170 "
- ^ Ross Andru (editor) at the Grand Comics Database
- ISBN 1-893905-27-6. Retrieved December 23, 2011.
Giordano was also frequently partnered with penciler Ross Andru, and for several years, the duo illustrated virtually every Superman cover published, and a host of other covers.
- ^ Eury, Michael (December 2012). "The Amazing World of Superman Tabloids". Back Issue! (61). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 11–16.
- ^ Mangels, Andy (February 2011). "Opening the Box: Pandora Pann's Lost Adventures". Back Issue! (46). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 37.
- ISBN 978-0517417614.
- ^ Manning, Matthew K. "1980s" in Dolan, p. 200: "The Amazing Amazon was joined by a host of DC's greatest heroes to celebrate her 300th issue in a seventy-two-page blockbuster ... Written by Roy and Dann Thomas, and penciled by Gene Colan, Ross Andru, Jan Duursema, Dick Giordano, Keith Pollard, Keith Giffen, and Rich Buckler."
- ^ Manning "1980s" in Dolan, p. 206: "In the tradition of DC's anniversary editions, World's Finest Comics #300 was an extra-length issue contributed to by a variety of comic book talent. Written by David Anthony Kraft, Mike W. Barr, and Marv Wolfman, and illustrated by Ross Andru, Mark Texeira, Sal Amendola, and George Pérez."
- ^ The New Teen Titans (American Soft Drink Industry) #2 at the Grand Comics Database
- ^ "Turner, Carlton E.: Files, 1981–1987 – Reagan Library Collections". Simi Valley, California: Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. n.d. Archived from the original on October 15, 2014.
This series contains material relating to the development and distribution of the Teen Titans drug awareness comic books. The comic books were designed to communicate the dangers of drug abuse to elementary school children. The Drug Abuse Policy Office coordinated the project, DC Comics developed the story line and artwork, and private companies funded the production costs. The Keebler Company sponsored the fourth grade book (released in April 1983), the National Soft Drink Association sponsored the sixth grade book (November 1983), and IBM sponsored the fifth grade book through the National Federation of Parents for Drug Free Youth (February 1984). The files consist primarily of correspondence with educators, parents, and children.
- ^ Greenberger, Robert (August 2017). "It Sounded Like a Good Idea at the Time: A Look at the DC Challenge!". Back Issue! (98). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 43.
- ^ "The Strobe Warrior". iTunes. January 21, 2014. Archived from the original on September 18, 2016.
- ^ Williams, Scott E. (October 2010). "Gerry Conway: Everything but the Gwen Stacy Sink". Back Issue! (44). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 18.
- ^ Voger, Mark (January 16, 1994). "Perchance to Fly". Asbury Park Press. p. E6.
- ^ Marzlock, Ron (October 8, 2020). "Ross Andru drew some 'Amazing' comic characters". Queens Chronicle. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
Further reading
- from the original on 16 February 2013.
External links
- Ross Andru at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
- "DC Profiiles #46: Ross Andru" at the Grand Comics Database
- Ross Andru at Mike's Amazing World of Comics
- Ross Andru at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
- "Remembering Ross Andru". Marvel Age via JimKeefe.com. 1994. Archived from the original on February 16, 2013. Retrieved February 16, 2013.
- Best, Daniel. "Partners For Life: Ross Andru & Mike Esposito". (unpublished interviews and scans made for book below) Adelaide Comics and Books. Archived from the original on April 15, 2012. Retrieved February 16, 2013.