Bronze Age Babies: Carmine -- Thanks for Helping Out With That Silver Age Thing...

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Carmine -- Thanks for Helping Out With That Silver Age Thing...

12 comments:

Anonymous said...: RIP Carmine Infantino.

The comics gods have called him up to that great big bullpen in the sky. While I've never been his biggest fan, you can't deny that he made a significant contribution to the comics industry. I did enjoy his run on the Flash, and, yes people, I think I have an old issue of Nova lying around somewhere with his later artwork. Like Gil Kane, his artistic style was unique and instantly recognizable.

- Mike 'bye Mr. Infantino' from Trinidad & Tobago.; April 4, 2013 at 9:21 PM
J.A. Morris said...: This comic was my intro to Infantino's work, years before I knew about his contributions to DC:

http://www.comics.org/issue/32530/

I always enjoyed his work on Star Wars even though the characters looked nothing like their movie counterparts. Reprints of those issues are worth picking up.; April 4, 2013 at 10:18 PM
Garett said...: I picked up his early Flash work last year and really liked it. Clarity and definition to go with that zippy energy. He won Best Artist in comics from 1961-64, quite something.

A few months ago I also picked up Black Canary Archives--Infantino created her look, which I've always liked. In the Foreward, he talks about meeting "a stunning young woman who could have been the identical twin to the Black Canary! I recall that we spent a most memorable time together...."

Some nice work in that Archives book, with Infantino's early Caniff-influenced style, and others by Murphy Anderson and Alex Toth.; April 5, 2013 at 1:05 AM
Rip Jagger said...: As influential an artist as there was during the Silver Age, Carmine Infantino's Bronze Age work was largley as a publisher. He changed the map at DC, but it left him with some scars for sure.

I liked his later work on Nova, Spider-Woman, The Comet, and here and there at Warren magazines. His style opened up and was full of energy and movement, but that didn't appeal to everyone, and I remember reading lots of complaints about his stuff, comparing it unfavorably to the more constrained "prettier" stuff he'd done in the Silver Age.

Not unlike Kirby, some folks became fixed on a certain style from him and didn't want anything else.

Rip Off; April 5, 2013 at 1:33 AM
Edo Bosnar said...: And another one of the old guard passes on (doubly depressing, as I just found out about this a little while after reading that Roger Ebert also died yesterday).
Regardless of what I think of his art, there's no denying that he was a giant in the field.; April 5, 2013 at 2:48 AM
david_b said...: "...mercy.."

Here I was standing up for his work yesterday, praising a wonderful little trip back memory lane with his art, and now this..

TO rephrase what I was sayin' yesterday, he WAS the definitive Flash artist, Dillin and a couple others come close. His Flash and Batman artistry ushered in DC's 'New Look', perhaps more integral than anyone else, this being a visual medium. I love the comments in the 'Silver Age of Comics' book where he strove to paint urban backgrounds as cleanly 'utopic' as he could, being a trend-setter on many fronts. Fully agreeing with Rip and others, Carmine WROTE the map at DC's Silver Period.

He wasn't right for everything, as we reflected yesterday. He focused more on speed and fluidity than bulky muscles. He did surprising well on pre-Miller DD work, looking all quite natural, like he's been drawing DD for years. I aplaud DC's decision to keep Carmen on during the final Barry Allen years, what a wonderful gesture.

If you're unilaterally named a world-renown character's signature artist as he was on Flash (and Silver Age Batman).., and regarded as one of the influential architects of all things Silver, that's pretty cool.; April 5, 2013 at 8:26 AM
Doc Savage said...: He made Flash my favorite D.C. hero via his art and portrayal of speed and action. I love his later work. I love his early work. His Flash made me start collecting super hero comic books.; April 5, 2013 at 8:56 AM
Karen said...: What a day -Infantino and Ebert. While I didn't care for his bronze age Marvel work, there's no denying the impact the man made on the Silver Age.; April 5, 2013 at 10:10 AM
david_b said...: Just reading a few other write-ups on different sites..

Perhaps not as prolific or memorable as Kirby or other Marvel greats from the Silver Era, but I keep forgetting the stable of characters he did create in Central City.., such as Wally West, Iris West, Captain Cold, Captain Boomerang, Mirror Master, Professor Zoom and Gorilla Grodd. I haven't counted them by quantity, but for a DC hero, he probably came closest to Supes and Batman for continuing Rogue Gallery Villains and supporting characters.

I'm sure Batgirl and Ralph Digby fans worldwide are tributing as well..; April 5, 2013 at 2:52 PM
Doc Savage said...: I rather think Flash has the best Rogues Galley in all comicdom, particularly wih their loosely affiliated fellowship and kinda sorta friendship with Flash. Spider-Man and Batman run a close 2nd and 3rd. Anyone else is a distant 4th place.

P.S. It''s Ralph DIBNY!; April 5, 2013 at 6:15 PM
david_b said...: Ouch ~ Sorry Matt, everyone and sorry Ralph..; April 6, 2013 at 8:32 AM
Inkstained Wretch said...: Geez, I'm just catching up on the news here -- and what sad news it is. I'll just stand by the comments I made just the other day: "I think it perfectly suited the character (Nova) and actually boosted a lackluster series. ... Infantino's art was much more stylized and offbeat. The same tricks he used for drawing the Flash at super-speed worked well for Nova too."; April 7, 2013 at 9:56 AM