Al Plastino

Last updated • 6 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Al Plastino
Al Plastino in 2007.jpeg
Al Plastino in 2007
BornAlfred John Plastino
(1921-12-15)December 15, 1921
Manhattan, New York, U.S.
DiedNovember 25, 2013(2013-11-25) (aged 91)
Patchogue, New York, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Area(s)Writer, Penciller, Inker, Editor, Letterer, Colourist
Notable works
Action Comics
Adventure Comics
Superboy
Superman
Awards Inkpot Award 2008

Alfred John Plastino [1] (December 15, 1921 – November 25, 2013) was an American comics artist best known as one of the most prolific Superman artists of the 1950s, along with his DC Comics colleague Wayne Boring. Plastino also worked as a comics writer, editor, letterer, and colorist.

Contents

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 Saint Vincent's Catholic Medical Center in Manhattan, New York City, on December 15, 1921, [2] and raised in The Bronx, Plastino was interested in art since grade school. [3] He attended the School of Industrial Art in New York City, [3] and afterward began illustrating for Youth Today magazine. He was accepted into the college Cooper Union but chose to continue working as a freelance artist. [4] His earliest known credited comic-book work is as penciler-inker of the Dynamic Man and Major Victory superhero features and Green Knight medieval-adventure story in Dynamic Publications' Dynamic Comics #2 (cover-dated Dec. 1941). [5] Before the war, Plastino inked some issues of Captain America Comics . [6]

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. [7] Now settled in the comic book field, he largely dropped other commercial work for two decades. Early on at DC, Plastino was forced to copy Wayne Boring's style but gradually began using his own style. [8] He did 48 [5] Superman covers as well as countless DC stories. Plastino and writer Bill Finger produced the story for Superman #61 (Nov. 1949) in which kryptonite, which had originated on The Adventures of Superman radio program, made its way into the comic books. [9] He drew the Lois Lane feature in Showcase #9 (Aug. 1957) which served as a tryout for the character's own series. [10]

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"' [1] was a story he drew for Superman #168 (April 1964, scheduled for publication Feb. 1964), titled "Superman's Mission for President Kennedy." [15] The piece was done in collaboration with the Kennedy administration to help promote the president's national physical fitness program. In the story, Superman visits the White House, and trusts President John F. Kennedy with his secret identity. The story was produced shortly before Kennedy was assassinated, which led to the cancellation of its publication. At the behest of President Lyndon B. Johnson, it was published two months later, in Superman #170 (June 1964), [15] with Plastino adding a title page showing a ghostly figure of Kennedy looking down from the heavens at Superman flying over Washington, D.C. [16] Plastino had always believed the artwork had been donated to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, but the artwork was placed on auction by a private entity in late 2013. [16] [17] DC Entertainment subsequently purchased the art and donated it to the Library. [18]

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 syndicated Batman with Robin the Boy Wonder comic strip [21] from March 17, 1968, to January 1, 1972 [22] and was the uncredited ghost artist on the Superman strip from 1960 to 1966. [23] In 1970, he took over the syndicated strip Ferd'nand , which he drew until his retirement in 1989. [24]

Plastino also worked on Sunday episodes of Nancy from 1982 to 1983 after Ernie Bushmiller died. [24] Plastino's official website says the artist was commissioned by the United Media newspaper syndicate to ghost Peanuts when Charles Schulz underwent heart surgery in 1983, [4] but David Michaelis, author of Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography, revealed that syndicate president William C. Payette had hired Plastino to draw a backlog of Peanuts strips during contract negotiations with Schulz in the 1970s. When Schulz and the syndicate reached a successful agreement, United Media stored these unpublished strips, the existence of which eventually became public. [25]

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

Centaur Publications

Chesler/Dynamic

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

Magazine Enterprises

Marvel Comics

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lois Lane</span> Fictional character in the Superman series

Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1. Lois is an award-winning journalist for the Metropolis newspaper the Daily Planet and the primary love interest of the superhero Superman and his alter ego, Clark Kent. In DC continuity, she is also his wife and the mother of their son, Jon Kent, the newest Superboy in the DC Universe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curt Swan</span> American comics artist

Douglas Curtis Swan was an American comics artist. The artist most associated with Superman during the period fans call the Bronze Age of Comic Books, Swan produced hundreds of covers and stories from the 1950s through the 1980s.

<i>Action Comics</i> American comic book

Action Comics is an American comic book/magazine series that introduced Superman, one of the first major superhero characters. The publisher was originally known as Detective Comics Inc., which later merged into National Comics Publications, before taking on its current name of DC Comics. Its original incarnation ran from 1938 to 2011 and stands as one of the longest-running comic books with consecutively numbered issues. The second volume of Action Comics beginning with issue #1 ran from 2011 to 2016. Action Comics returned to its original numbering beginning with issue #957.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legion of Super-Heroes</span> Fictional characters in DC comics

The Legion of Super-Heroes is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, the Legion is a group of superpowered beings living in the 30th and 31st centuries of the DC Comics Universe, and first appeared in Adventure Comics #247.

<i>Adventure Comics</i> Comic book series

Adventure Comics is an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1938 to 1983 and revived from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues, making it the fifth-longest-running DC series, behind Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman, and Batman. The series was revived in 2009 through a new "#1" issue by artist Clayton Henry and writer Geoff Johns. It returned to its original numbering with #516. The series ended again with #529 prior to a company-wide revision of DC's superhero comic book line, known as "The New 52".

<i>Supermans Girl Friend, Lois Lane</i> American comic book series, 1958–1974

Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics. The series focusing on the adventures of Lois Lane began publication with a March/April 1958 cover date and ended its run in September/October 1974, with 137 regular issues and two 80-page Annuals. Following the similar themed Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, Superman's Girl Friend Lois Lane was the second comic series based on a Superman supporting character.

<i>Superman: The Wedding Album</i> 1996 comic book by DC Comics

Superman: The Wedding Album is an American comic book published in 1996 by DC Comics. It is notable for featuring the wedding of Superman/Clark Kent and Lois Lane in DC Comics continuity, an event that was nearly 60 years in the making.

Karl Kesel is an American comics writer and inker whose works have primarily been under contract for DC Comics. He is a member of Periscope Studio and is best known for his collaborations with fellow artist Tom Grummett on The Adventures of Superman, Superboy, and Section Zero, as well as the first Harley Quinn comic title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otto Binder</span> American writer (1911–1974)

Otto Oscar Binder was an American author of science fiction and non-fiction books and stories, and comic books. He is best known as the co-creator of Supergirl and for his many scripts for Captain Marvel Adventures and other stories involving the entire superhero Marvel Family. He was prolific in the comic book field and is credited with writing over 4,400 stories across a variety of publishers under his own name, as well as more than 160 stories under the pen-name Eando Binder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurt Schaffenberger</span> American cartoonist

Kurt Schaffenberger was an American comics artist. He was best known for his work on Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family during both the Golden Age and Bronze Age of comics, as well as his work on the title Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane during the 1950s and 1960s. Schaffenberger used the alias "Lou Wahl" on certain comics, when he was moonlighting from his main job of drawing Lois Lane at DC Comics.

<i>The Superman Family</i>

The Superman Family is an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1974 to 1982 featuring supporting characters in the Superman comics. The term "Superman Family" is often used to refer to the extended cast of characters of comics books associated with Superman. A similarly titled series, Superman Family Adventures, was published in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Grummett</span> Canadian comics artist and penciller (born 1959)

Thomas Grummett is a Canadian comic book artist and penciller. He is best known for his work as penciller on titles such as The New Titans, The Adventures of Superman, Superboy, Power Company, Robin, New Thunderbolts and Heroes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayne Boring</span> American comic book artist

Wayne Boring was an American comic book artist best known for his work on Superman from the late 1940s to 1950s. He occasionally used the pseudonym Jack Harmon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Robbins</span> American cartoonist, 1917–1994

Franklin Robbins was an American comic book and comic strip artist and writer, as well as a prominent painter whose work appeared in museums including the Whitney Museum of American Art, where one of his paintings was featured in the 1955 Whitney Annual Exhibition of American Painting.

<i>The Man of Steel</i> (comics) Comic book limited series featuring Superman

The Man of Steel is a 1986 comic book limited series featuring the DC Comics character Superman. Written and drawn by John Byrne, the series was presented in six issues which were inked by Dick Giordano. The series told the story of Superman's modern origin, which had been rebooted following the 1985–1986 series Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Cary Bates is an American comic book, animation, television and film writer. He is best known for his work on The Flash, Superman, Superboy, the Legion of Superheroes and Captain Atom. Bates is the longest-serving Superman writer, at twenty years.

<i>Supermans Pal Jimmy Olsen</i> Comic book series

Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen is an American comic book series published by DC Comics from September–October 1954 until March 1974, spanning a total of 163 issues. Featuring the adventures of Superman supporting character Jimmy Olsen, it contains stories often of a humorous nature.

<i>Superboy</i> (comic book) Comic book published by DC Comics

Superboy is the name of several American comic book series published by DC Comics, featuring characters of the same name. The first three Superboy titles feature the original Superboy, the underaged version of the legendary hero Superman. Later series feature the second Superboy, who is a partial clone of Superman.

George Edward Papp was an American comics artist best known as one of the principal artists on the long-running Superboy feature for DC Comics. Papp also co-created the Green Arrow character with Mort Weisinger and co-created Congo Bill with writer Whitney Ellsworth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legion of Super-Heroes (1958 team)</span> 1958 version of the Legion of Super-Heroes

The 1958 version of the Legion of Super-Heroes is a fictional superhero team in the 31st century of the DC Comics Universe. The team is the first incarnation of the Legion of Super-Heroes, and was followed by the 1994 and 2004 rebooted versions. It first appeared in Adventure Comics #247 and was created by Otto Binder and Al Plastino.

References

  1. 1 2 3 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.
  2. 1 2 3 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)
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 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)
  4. 1 2 3 4 "About Al". Al Plastino (official site). Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved November 17, 2009.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Al Plastino at the Grand Comics Database
  6. Plastino bio, "Living Legends," New York Comic-Con program booklet #4 (Reed Exhibitions, 2009), p. 14.
  7. Stroud, Bryan (December 12, 2007). "Al Plastino interview (Pt. 1)". The Silver Age Sage. Archived from the original on September 1, 2012.
  8. Zeno, Eddy (December 2, 2013). "Excerpts from Last Superman Standing: The Al Plastino Story". The Comics Journal . Seattle, Washington: Fantagraphics Books. Archived from 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.'
  9. Wallace, Daniel; Dolan, Hannah (2010). "1940s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 61. 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.
  10. 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."
  11. 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."
  12. 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"
  13. Markstein, Don (2010). "Supergirl". Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on May 27, 2024.
  14. 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."
  15. 1 2 "Superman's Mission for President Kennedy" at the Grand Comics Database
  16. 1 2 3 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....
  17. Doran, Michael (November 26, 2013). "DC Comics Reports the Passing of Artist Al Plastino". Newsarama. Archived from the original on December 5, 2013.
  18. "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.
  19. 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.
  20. 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."
  21. Stroud, Bryan (May 12, 2008). "Al Plastino interview (Pt. 2)". The Silver Age Sage. Archived from the original on September 1, 2012.
  22. Zeno, Eddy (2016). "The 'Most Plastino' Hero". Al Plastino: Last Superman Standing. Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing. p. 45. ISBN   978-1605490663.
  23. 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.
  24. 1 2 "Al Plastino". Lambiek Comiclopedia. November 26, 2013. Archived from the original on June 6, 2014.
  25. 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.
  26. 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.
  27. Ross, Barbara (November 26, 2013). "Longtime illustrator for 'Superman' and other comic book legends dies". Daily News . New York, New York. Archived from the original on December 18, 2013. Retrieved November 30, 2013.

Further reading

Preceded by Action Comics penciller
1948–1968
Succeeded by
Preceded by
Win Mortimer
Superman penciller
1948–1968
Succeeded by
Preceded by
John Sikela
Superboy penciller
1957–1968
Succeeded by