Comic Book Artists; Who are They!
Can I Become One?

Comic book artists! You sure couldn’t have a comic book without an artist, right? Who were some of the more famous artists over the years? Who actually drew some of our favorite superheroes? All interesting questions. I will attempt to enlighten you on a few of those wizards with a pencil and give you resources to some of their great artistry. Want to become an artist yourself? Check out some of these pieces of information that may help you learn the biz yourself.

Some of the most popular comic book heroes over the years, in my mind, are Superman, Batman and Spiderman. Who were the masterminds in the creation and visual conception of these characters? Let’s find out about them.

Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel were the creators of Superman. Joe was the graphic whiz, while Jerry concentrated on the writing. Joseph Shuster was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1914. As a youngster, Joe worked as a newspaper boy for the Toronto Star and as a hobby, he liked to sketch. The sights and sounds of a big city newspaper, the hustle bustle of its offices, and the fantasy world of the newspaper's color comics, all had a powerful impact on him.

At the age of ten, Joe and his family moved to Cleveland, Ohio. At the age of 18 he and his friend Jerome Siegel began publishing a short- lived "Science Fiction" magazine. Shuster made the drawings and Siegel did the writing, creating a super character that a few years later evolved into a comic strip. Employed by DC-National, the pair produced a variety of comic stories including the lead feature in the company's issue of the first "Action Comics". Their 1938 character, "Superman," was an enormous success that led to what was later referred as the "Golden Age of Comic Books."

And thus was the start of one of Superman’s first comic book artists. There were many trials and tribulations for Joe along the way. There were legal battles in 1946 with DC Comics and Joe and Jerry’s bylines were pulled from the popular Superman series. For a lot more amazing information and other stuff, the Superman Homepage has probably anything you want to know about Superman comic book artists.

Bob Kane and Bill Finger were the original creators of the ever- popular Batman character. Kane was born in 1916. An eager young artist, Kane came to the burgeoning comics world in 1936 with his own book that led to various assignments in the following years. Then when "Superman" burst on the scene with enormous sales popularity, Kane along with writer Bill Finger developed another costumed crime- fighter - the Bat-Man (original spelling). Bob Kane, however, was the one who proposed the idea to his editors, and so he was the only one of the pair to receive official credit.

The character found quick success after its first appearance in Detective Comics 27, leading to Kane's continued employment at National (today DC Comics) for several years, as one of their comic book artists.

His major contributions to "Batman" were in the 1940s, with several "ghost pencilers" assisting him (like Jerry Robinson who also created the "Joker"). However, due to editorial policy, Bob Kane received the only byline on Batman comics, regardless of whether he was involved in the specific issue. This practice continued well into the 60s, before the comics stopped featuring any byline. It was not until the 1970s that other creators began receiving credit for Batman stories. Interestingly, Kane's name has been featured on (nearly) every Batman story, unlike the names of the creators of Superman, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, who had to win a lengthy court case against DC Comics.

As his comic work tapered off later in his career, Kane took to showing his work at art galleries. He died on November 3, 1998.

Stan Lee and Steve Ditko are the creators of Spider-Man. Ditko, who was the comic book artist of the two, was born in 1927 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He is a renowned comic book artist and writer, but best known for his art work on Spider-Man.

Steve studied at the Cartoonists and Illustrators School in New York City under Jerry Robinson and began professionally illustrating comic books in 1953. He created (or co-created, according to some) the superhero characters of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange for Marvel Comics with writer and editor Stan Lee. His idiosyncratic art style emphasizing mood and anxiety found favor with the reading public.

The character of Spider-Man with his anxiety, angst and troubled social life meshed well with Ditko's personal style and interests. After a run of four years on the title, Ditko is believed to have had a falling out with Lee and left the company. The exact details of this are uncertain to this day.

By 1968, Ditko was producing work for DC Comics where he created characters such as The Creeper and The Hawk and the Dove. Ditko used these tales, ostensibly in the superhero genre, to espouse and explore various ethical issues. Either because many readers found the preachiness in some of these stories unpalatable, or perhaps due to disagreement with the artist's philosophy, Ditko's work was not as popularly received as previously. Ditko's more personal projects, such as Mr. A and Avenging World, displayed his political sentiments vividly, and have demonstrated little commercial appeal.

Ditko currently resides in New York City. Though a prolific and hard-working artist he is also an intensely private man. Preferring to let his work speak for itself, he has refused interviews, profiles and public appearances.

Well, the above 3 comic book artists were quite probably some of the most prolific in the industry. For some very interesting bios on other comic book artists , this link should prove to be quite entertaining. And for another rather lengthy list of comic book artists, this page has quite a few. It may take you a while to get through them, if you find any artists of interest.

If you don’t mind a bit more searching and would like to have in your very own possession, some nice comic book artists’ artwork, there are really some very nice pieces here. You can also get your choice of frame, if you so desire.

Well, if you have a particular artist in mind that you would like to find out more about, give me a holler from my contact page in the menu or you can make a post at the forum (when I get it created). Again, if you want to find out a little about becoming an artist yourself, you can check here for what may get you started on your road to stardom (hmm).

And for an exceptional resource for a comic art directory , this site will more than fulfill your needs.