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Jim Steranko

Birth name James Steranko
Born November 5, 1938 (1938-11-05) (age 69)
Reading, Pennsylvania
Nationality American
Area(s) Illustrator; Writer; Publisher
Notable works Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Captain America #111 (March 1969): Steranko's signature surrealism. Inking by Joe Sinnott.
Captain America #111 (March 1969): Steranko's signature surrealism. Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Reading (ˈrɛdɪŋ is the county seat of Berks County Pennsylvania and the center of the Greater Reading Area. Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional World War II army hero and present-day super-spy in the Marvel Comics Inking by Joe Sinnott. Joe Sinnott (born October 16, 1926, Saugerties New York, United States) is an American Comic book artist

James Steranko (born 5 November 1938,[1] Reading, Pennsylvania, United States) is an American graphic artist, comic book writer-artist-historian, publisher and film production illustrator. Events 1499 - Publication of the Catholicon in Treguier ( Brittany) Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Reading (ˈrɛdɪŋ is the county seat of Berks County Pennsylvania and the center of the Greater Reading Area. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A graphic designer (also known as a graphic artist and communication designer) is a professional within the Graphic design and Graphic arts industry A comic book (often shortened to simply comic and sometimes called a comic paper or comic magazine) is a Magazine or Book of narrative A writer is anyone who creates a written work although the word usually designates those who write creatively or professionally as well as those who have written in many different forms The definition of an artist is wide-ranging and covers a broad spectrum of Activities to do with creating Art, practicing the Arts and/or demonstrating See also History An historian is an individual who studies and writes about History, and is regarded as an Authority on it Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of Literature or Information &ndash the activity of making information available for public view Filmmaking is the process of making a Film, from an initial story idea or commission through scriptwriting shooting editing and finally distribution to an audience For the vector -based drawing program by Adobe Systems, see Adobe Illustrator. His most famous comic-book work was with the 1960s superspy feature "Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D." in Marvel Comics' Strange Tales and in the subsequent eponymous series. The Genre of spy fiction —sometimes called political thriller or spy thriller or sometimes shortened simply to Spy-fi —arose before Colonel Nicholas Joseph "Nick" Fury is a fictional World War II army hero and present-day super-spy in the Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book company owned by Marvel Publishing Inc Strange Tales was the name of several Comic book Anthology series that have been published by Marvel Comics. Steranko earned lasting acclaim for his innovations in sequential art during the Silver Age of comic books, particularly his infusion of surrealism, op art, and graphic design into the medium. Comics (via Latin from the Greek "" kōmikos, of or pertaining to "comedy" from kōmos "revel" The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and commercial success in mainstream American comic books predominantly those featuring the Superhero Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early-1920s and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members Op art, also known as optical art, is a genre of visual Art, especially Painting, that makes use of Optical illusions Op art is also known as The term graphic design can refer to a number of artistic and professional disciplines which focus on visual communication and presentation His work has been published in many countries and his influence on the field has remained strong since his comics heyday. He was inducted into the Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2006. The Will Eisner Comic Industry Award is a prize given for creative achievement in American Comic books It is named in honor of the pioneering writer and artist Will Eisner

Contents

Biography

Early life and career

Steranko's first published comic-book art: Inset of George Tuska cover, Harvey Comics' Spyman #1 (Sept. 1966)
Steranko's first published comic-book art: Inset of George Tuska cover, Harvey Comics' Spyman #1 (Sept. George Tuska (born April 26, 1916 in Hartford Connecticut) also known as Carl Larson, is an American Comic book and Harvey Comics (also known as Harvey Publications) was an American Comic book Publisher, founded by Alfred Harvey in 1941 after buying Spyman was a short-lived Comic book superhero published by Harvey Comics 's Harvey Thriller line in the late 1960s 1966)

According to his authorized biography, Jim Steranko's grandparents emigrated from the Ukraine to settle in the anthracite coal-mining region of eastern Pennsylvania. Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. Anthracite ( Greek Ανθρακίτης literally "a type of coal" from Anthrax, coal is a hard compact variety of mineral Coal that has a high The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern Steranko's father, one of nine siblings, began working in the mines at age 10, and as an adult became a tinsmith. A tinsmith, or tinner or tinplate worker, is a person who makes and repairs things made of light-coloured Metal, particularly tinware. Steranko's early childhood, during the American Great Depression, was spent in a three-room house with a tar-paper roof and outhouse toilet facilities. An outhouse, usually refers to a type of Toilet in a small structure separate from the main building which does not have a flush or sewer attached He slept on a couch in the nominal living room until he was more than 10 years old. [2] Steranko's father and five uncles showed musical inclination, performing in a band that played on Reading radio in the 1930s, Steranko has said. The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression. [3]

Steranko began drawing while very young, opening and flattening envelopes from the mail to use as sketch paper. Despite his father's denigration of Steranko's artistic talent and the boy's ambition to become an architect, Steranko paid for his art supplies by collecting discarded soda bottles for the bottle deposit and bundled old newspapers to sell to scrap-paper dealers. An architect is a licensed individual who leads a design team in the Planning and Design of buildings and participates in oversight of Building Construction Soft drink is a beverage that does not contain Alcohol. Carbonated soft drinks are commonly known as soda soda pop pop, or He studied the Sunday comic strip art of Milton Caniff, Alex Raymond, Hal Foster, and Chester Gould, as well as the characters of Walt Disney and Superman, provided in "boxes of comics" brought to him by an uncle. A comic strip is a sequence of drawings that tells a story Currently in the Western world, most comic strips are written and drawn by a Comics artist Milton Arthur Paul Caniff ( February 28, 1907 - April 3, 1988) was an American Cartoonist famous for the Terry Alexander Gillespie Raymond ( October 2, 1909 – September 6, 1956) was an American Comic strip artist best known for creating the Harold ("Hal" Rudolf Foster ( August 18, 1892 in Halifax, Nova Scotia &ndash July 25, 1982) was a Canadian Chester Gould ( November 20, 1900 &ndash May 11, 1985) was a U Walter Elias Disney (December 5 1901 – December 15 1966 was a multiple Academy Award -winning American Film producer, director, Screenwriter Superman is a fictional Comic book Superhero widely considered to be one of the most recognized of such characters and an American Cultural icon Radio programs, Saturday movie matinées and serials, and other popular culture of the time also influenced him. Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials or Film serials, were Short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a Feature Popular culture (or pop culture) is the Culture — patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance — [4][5]

He learned stage magic using paraphernalia from his father's stage magician act, and in his teens spent several summers working with circuses and carnivals, working his way up to sideshow performer as a fire-eater and in acts involving a bed of nails and sleight-of-hand. A circus is most commonly a traveling company of performers that may include acrobats, Clowns trained animals trapeze acts Hoopers, tightrope walkers Carnival is a festival season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February and March In America a sideshow is an extra secondary production associated with a circus, carnival fair or other such attraction A fire eater is an Entertainer, often a Street artist or part of a Sideshow. A bed of nails is typically an Oblong piece of wood the size of a bed with nails pointing upwards out of it Sleight of hand, also known as prestidigitation ("quick fingers" or léger de main (from the French for "lightness of hand" At school, he competed on the gymnastics team, on the rings and parallel bars, and later took up boxing and, under swordmaster Dan Phillips in New York City, fencing. Gymnastics is a Sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength agility and coordination The rings, also known as the still rings in contrast to the Flying rings, is an Artistic gymnastics apparatus and the event that uses it Boxing (sometimes also known as English boxing or pugilism) is a Combat sport in which two participants generally of similar weight, Swordsman redirects here For the comic book characters see Swordsman (comics. The City of New York Fencing is the art of armed Combat involving Cutting, Stabbing, or slapping bludgeoning Weapons directly manipulated by hand [6] At 17, Steranko and another teenage boy were arrested for a string of burglaries and car thefts in Pennsylvania. [7]

Up through his early 20s, Steranko performed as an illusionist, escape artist, close-up magician in nightclubs, and musician, having played in drum and bugle corps in his teens before forming his own bands during the early days of rock and roll. Escapology is the practice of escaping from restraints or other traps A nightclub (or "night club" or "club" is a drinking, dancing, and entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African [8] Steranko, whose first band, in 1956, was called The Lancers, did not perform under his own name, claiming he used pseudonyms to help protect himself from enemies[9] He also claims to have put the first go-go girls onstage. A pseudonym is a fictitious alternative to a person's legal name (see Alias) Go-Go dancers are Dancers who are employed to entertain at a Discotheque. [10] The seminal rock and roll group Bill Haley and his Comets was based in nearby Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Steranko, who played a Jazzmaster guitar, often performed in the same same local venues, sometimes on the same bill, and became friendly with Haley guitarist Frank Beecher, who became a musical influence. Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African This article is specifically about the rock and roll band See Bill Haley for biographical information regarding Haley himself Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə The Fender Jazzmaster is an Electric guitar that was first introduced at the 1958 NAMM Show and was designed as a more upmarket instrument than the The guitar is a Musical instrument with ancient roots that is used in a wide variety of musical styles Franny Beecher (b 1921 Norristown Pennsylvania) also known as Frank or Francis Beecher was lead guitarist for Bill Haley & His Comets from 1954 to 1962 [11]

During the day, Steranko made his living as an artist for a printing company in his hometown of Reading, designing and drawing pamphlets and flyers for local dance clubs and the like. A pamphlet is an unbound Booklet (that is without a hard cover or binding) FlyEr is the Belarusian Rap writer and performerThough his Rap started from the American hip-hop tradition music of FlyEr is closer than He moved on after five years to join an advertising agency, where he designed ads and drew products ranging from "baby carriages to beer cans". An advertising agency or ad agency is a service Business dedicated to creating planning and handling Advertising (and sometimes other forms of promotion [5]

Breaking into comics

After first attempting to find work at Marvel Comics in 1965, Steranko instead entered the comics industry with Harvey Comics, landing assignments under editor Joe Simon, who was "trying to create a line of super heroes within a publishing company that had specialized in anthropomorphic animals. Harvey Comics (also known as Harvey Publications) was an American Comic book Publisher, founded by Alfred Harvey in 1941 after buying Editing Language, Images or Sound through correction condensation organization and other modifications in various media Joseph H Simon (born October 11, 1913) is a Jewish-American Comic book Writer, Artist, editor, and publisher Anthropomorphism is the attribution of uniquely Human characteristics to non-human creatures and beings natural and supernatural phenomena material states and objects Funny animal is a Cartooning term for the Genre of Comics and Animated cartoons in which the main characters are Humanoid or "[5] For Simon and Harvey Comics, Steranko created (or helped create) and wrote the characters Spyman, Magicmaster and the Gladiator for the company's short-lived superhero line, Harvey Thriller. Spyman was a short-lived Comic book superhero published by Harvey Comics 's Harvey Thriller line in the late 1960s Harvey Thriller was a Comic book imprint used by Harvey Comics for their brief foray into publishing super heroes and other non-'kiddie' comics in the mid 1960s Shortly afterward, he showed his "Secret Agent X" proposal to Paramount Television's animation unit in New York City (nothing became of it), and met with Marvel editor Stan Lee. Paramount Television was an American Television production / distribution Company that was active from December 1967 to January The City of New York Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber; December 28, 1922) is an American Writer, editor, creator of comic book characters Steranko inked a two-page Jack Kirby sample of typical "Nick Fury" scenes (first published in 1970 by Supergraphics in the extremely limited edition "Steranko Portfolio One" and then again thirty years later in slightly altered form in the 2000 trade-paperback collection Nick Fury, Agent of S. Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg, August 28, 1917 &ndash February 6, 1994) was an American Comic book H. I. E. L. D. ; see "Collected works", below), leading to Lee's assigning him the "Nick Fury" feature in Strange Tales, a "split book" shared each issue with another feature. James Steranko (born 5 November, 1938, Reading Pennsylvania, United States) is an American Graphic artist, Comic Strange Tales was the name of several Comic book Anthology series that have been published by Marvel Comics.

Future Marvel editor-in-chief Roy Thomas, then a staff writer, recalled Steranko's arrival at Marvel:

“ I met Jim [in 1965]; he brought his work up to Marvel then, I think, but it wasn't considered quite pro quality yet. Roy Thomas (born November 22 1940, Missouri, United States) is a Comic book Writer and editor, and The next year . . . he came up to the office again — I presume he had an appointment — and I was sent out by Sol [Brodsky] to look at his work and basically brush him off. Sol Brodsky (born April 22, 1923, Brooklyn, New York City New York, United States; died June 4, 1984) was an Stan was busy and didn't want to be bothered that day. But when I saw Jim's work, which was even better than what I'd seen the previous year, on an impulse I took it in to Sol and said, 'I think Stan should see this'. Sol agreed, and took it in to Stan. Stan brought Steranko into his office, and Jim left with the 'S. H. I. E. L. D. ' assignment. . . . I think Jim's legacy to Marvel was demonstrating that there were ways in which the Kirby style could be mutated, and many artists went off increasingly in their own directions after that. [12] ”

Silver Age Steranko

A rare quiet moment for Nick Fury: Strange Tales #168 (May 1968). Art by Steranko and Joe Sinnott.
A rare quiet moment for Nick Fury: Strange Tales #168 (May 1968). Art by Steranko and Joe Sinnott. Joe Sinnott (born October 16, 1926, Saugerties New York, United States) is an American Comic book artist

The 12-page "Fury" strip was initially by Lee and Jack Kirby, with the latter supplying such inventive and enduring gadgets and hardware as the Helicarrier — an airborne aircraft carrier — as well as LMDs (Life Model Decoys) and even automobile airbags. Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg, August 28, 1917 &ndash February 6, 1994) was an American Comic book The Helicarrier, a Fictional flying Aircraft carrier specifically designed to be itself capable of independent powered flight in addition to the conventional functions An aircraft carrier is a Warship designed with In publications from Marvel Comics, a Life Model Decoy (frequently known by the abbreviation LMD) is fictional Android designed to function as an exact An airbag is part of a vehicle's safety restraint system a flexible envelope designed for rapid inflation in an automobile Collision, to prevent vehicle occupants Marvel's all-purpose terrorist organization HYDRA was introduced here as well. HYDRA is a fictional terrorist organization in the Marvel Universe.

Steranko, hired as an unknown commodity with "little experience in comics" began his stint on the feature by penciling and inking "finishes" over Kirby layouts in Strange Tales #151 (Dec. A penciller (or penciler) is one of a number of types of Artists working within the Comic book industry The inker is one of the two line artists in a traditional Comic book, or Graphic novel. 1966), just as fellow new Marvel artist John Buscema had done on the issue prior. John Buscema, born Giovanni Natale Buscema (December 11 1927&ndashJanuary 10 2002 was an American Comic-book Artist and one of the mainstays [13] Steranko also began drawing the every-other-issue "Nick Fury" cover art two issues later (also initially over Kirby layouts), and, in a rarity for comics artists, took over the series' writing with #155, after Lee was initially replaced by Roy Thomas. Roy Thomas (born November 22 1940, Missouri, United States) is a Comic book Writer and editor, and He additionally became the uncredited colorist along the way. In Comics, a colorist is responsible for adding color to black and white line art

"Nick Fury, Agent of S. H. I. E. L. D. " soon became one of the creative zeniths of the Silver Age, and one of comics' most groundbreaking, innovative and acclaimed features. Ron Goulart, in his Comix: A History of Comic Books in America, wrote, "[E]ven the dullest of readers could sense that something new was happening. Ron Goulart (born January 13, 1933) is an American Pop-culture historian and mystery, Fantasy, and Science fiction . . . Which each passing issue Steranko's efforts became more and more innovative. Entire pages would be devoted to photocollages of drawings [that] ignored panel boundaries and instead worked together on planes of depth. Photomontage is the process (and result of making a composite photograph by cutting and joining a number of other photographs The first pages . . . became incredible production numbers similar in design to the San Francisco rock concert poster of the period". The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city The term rock concert refers to a musical performance in the style of any one of many Genres inspired by " Rock and roll " Music. A poster is any piece of printed Paper designed to be attached to a wall or vertical surface [14]

Steranko introduced or popularized in comics such art movements of the day as psychedelia and op art, drawing specifically on the "aesthetic of Dali," with inspiration from Richard Powers, ultimately synthesizing a style he termed "Zap Art. Psychedelic music is a term that refers to a broad set of popular music styles genres and scenes that may include Psychedelic rock, psychedelic folk, Psychedelic Op art, also known as optical art, is a genre of visual Art, especially Painting, that makes use of Optical illusions Op art is also known as Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech 1st Marquis of Púbol (May 11 1904 &ndash January 23 1989 was a Spanish Catalan Surrealist Richard Powers (born June 18, 1957) is an American Novelist whose works explore the effects of modern science and technology "[15][5] He absorbed, adapted and built upon the groundbreaking work of Jack Kirby, both in the use of photomontage (particularly for cityscapes), and in the use of full- and double-page-spreads. Photomontage is the process (and result of making a composite photograph by cutting and joining a number of other photographs Indeed, in Strange Tales #167 (Jan. 1968), Steranko created comics' first four-page spread, upon which panorama he noted that:

"to get the full effect, of course, requires a second ish [copy of the issue] placed side-by-side, but we think you'll find it to be well worth the price to have the wildest action scene ever in the history of comics!"[16][17]

All the while, Steranko spun outlandishly action-filled plots of intrigue, barely sublimated sensuality, and a cool-jazz hi-fi hipness. And he created his own version of Bond girls, pushing what was allowable under the Comics Code at the time. only be added to pages which discuss the film or character depicted in the image The Comics Code Authority ( CCA) is part of the Comics Magazine Association of America (CMAA and was created to regulate the content of comic books in the United [18]

Steranko's Bond girl-like Contessa Valentina Allegra di Fontaine, from same issue as above left.
Steranko's Bond girl-like Contessa Valentina Allegra di Fontaine, from same issue as above left. only be added to pages which discuss the film or character depicted in the image

Steranko "combined the figurative dynamism of Jack Kirby with modern design concepts", wrote Larry Hama. Larry Hama (born 7 June 1949 is a Japanese American writer artist actor and musician who has worked in the fields of entertainment and publishing since the 1960s When Steranko took over the series, he recostumed Fury from suits and ties to "a form-fitting bodysuit with numerous zippers and pockets, like a Wally Wood spacesuit revamped by Pierre Cardin. Wallace Allan Wood ( June 17, 1927, Menahga Minnesota – November 2, 1981, Los Angeles California) was an American Pierre Cardin is an Italian -born French Fashion designer, who was born on July 7, 1922, near Treviso. The women were clad in form-fitting black leather a la Emma Peel in the Avengers TV show. Emma Peel was a fictional Television Spy played by Diana Rigg in the British 1960s adventure series The Avengers. The Avengers was a British Television series featuring Secret agents in 1960s Britain. The graphic influences of Peter Max, Op Art and Andy Warhol were embedded into the design of the pages — and the pages were designed as a whole, not just as a series of panels. The term graphic design can refer to a number of artistic and professional disciplines which focus on visual communication and presentation Peter Max (born Peter Max Finkelstein, October 19, 1937) is a German -born American artist best known for his iconic posters in For the song by David Bowie, see Andy Warhol (song. Andrew Warhola (August 6 1928 &ndash February 22 1987 known as Andy Warhol All this, executed in a crisp, hard-edged style, seething with drama and anatomical tension". [19]

Fury's adventures continued in his own series, for which Steranko contributed four much-reprinted 20-page stories: "Who is Scorpio?" (issue #1); "So Shall Ye Reap. . . Death" (#2), inspired by Shakespeare's The Tempest; "Dark Moon Rise, Hell Hound Kill" (#3), a Hound of the Baskervilles homage, replete with a Peter Cushing manqué; and the spy-fi sequel "What Ever Happened to Scorpio?" (#5). William Shakespeare ( baptised The Tempest is a comedy written by William Shakespeare. It is generally dated to 1610-11 and accepted as the last play written solely by him although The Hound of the Baskervilles is a crime novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Peter Wilton Cushing, OBE (26 May 1913—11 August 1994 was an English actor known for his many appearances in Hammer Films, in which he played Baron Frankenstein Yet after deadline pressures forced a fill-in "origin" story by another team in issue #4 (and the aforementioned Comics Code-derived censorship), Steranko produced merely a handful of additional covers, then dropped the book. The Comics Code Authority ( CCA) is part of the Comics Magazine Association of America (CMAA and was created to regulate the content of comic books in the United Decades afterward, however, their images are among comics' best known, and homages to his art have abounded — from updates of classic covers with different heroes in place of Fury, to recreations of famous pages and layouts. (See "Homages", below. James Steranko (born 5 November, 1938, Reading Pennsylvania, United States) is an American Graphic artist, Comic )

Steranko also had short runs on Captain America (three issues out of four, missing a deadline that required Kirby to draw an issue over a weekend) and X-Men, for which he designed a new cover logo. The X-Men is a team of fictional Superhero characters in Comic books published by Marvel Comics. Steranko also dabbled with a romance story, as well as a horror story — "At the Stroke of Midnight", published in Tower of Shadows #1 (Sept. Romance comics are a Genre of US Comic books that were most popular during the Golden Age of Comics. Horror fiction is broadly Fiction in any medium intended to scare unsettle or horrify the audience Tower of Shadows was a horror / Fantasy Anthology Comic book published by Marvel Comics under this and a subsequent 1969) — that precipitated a breakup with Marvel. Though that seven-page story would go on to win a 1969 Alley Award, editor Lee, who had already rejected Steranko's cover for that issue, clashed with Steranko over panel design, dialog, and the story title, initially "The Lurking Fear at Shadow House". The Alley Award was an American series of Comic-book fan awards first presented in 1962 for comics published in 1961 According to Steranko at a 2006 panel[20] and elsewhere, Lee disliked or did not understand the homage to horror author H. P. Lovecraft, and devised his own title for the story. Howard Phillips Lovecraft ( August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American author of horror, fantasy After much conflict, Steranko either quit or was fired. Lee phoned him about a month later, after the two had cooled down, and Steranko would return as a cover artist for Marvel from 1972-73 and also created a new fan club magazine (FOOM) for Marvel which he produced in its first year.

Steranko gradually withdrew from comics between 1969 and 1974. Projects such as the history of comics and his own publishing efforts took up more and more of his time.

Publisher and paperback-artist

Writing, penciling, inking and coloring his own work, Steranko was unable to meet the monthly publication deadlines of the comics business of the time. For these and other reasons, he gravitated away from the rigours of producing full monthly comics in favour of covers and special projects. Never thinking of himself exclusively as a comics artist, he branched into other areas of publishing, including most notably bookcover illustration. Lacking any experience as a painter, his decision to effectively quit comics in 1969 led him to "an artist friend who earned his living as a painter," from whom Steranko obtained an "hour-long lecture," and the suggestion that he work in acrylics rather than oils, for the sake of speed. Acrylic paint is fast-drying Paint containing pigment suspended in an acrylic polymer Emulsion. Oil paint is a type of slow-drying Paint consisting of small Pigment particles suspended in a Drying oil. [5] From these inauspicious beginnings, he compiled a portfolio of half-a-dozen paintings ("two Westerns, two pin-up girls, two gothic horror and one sword-and-sorcery"[5]) and met with Lancer Books' art director Howard Winters, to whom he immediately sold his fantasy piece. Western fiction is a genre of literature set in the American Old West between the years of 1860 and 1900 A pin-up girl or pin-up model is a model whose mass-produced pictures see wide appeal as Pop culture. Gothic fiction (sometimes referred to as Gothic horror) is a genre of literature that combines elements of both horror and romance. Sword and sorcery ( S&S) is a fantasy subgenre generally characterized by swashbuckling heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts Lancer Books was a line of paperback books published in the 1960s and 1970s by Irwin Stein and Walter Zacharius The term art director is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in Advertising, Publishing, film and Television, the Internet Fantasy is a Genre that uses magic and other Supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting This led to a career illustrating dozens of paperback covers, popularly including those of Pyramid Books' reissues of the 1930s pulp novels of The Shadow. Paperback, softback, or softcover describe and refer to a Book by the nature of its binding. Harcourt Trade Publishers is a US Publishing firm with a long history of publishing fiction and nonfiction for children and adults Pulp magazines (or pulp fiction; often referred to as "the pulps" were inexpensive Fiction magazines

The artist-historian's wraparound covers on the two-volume Steranko History of Comics
The artist-historian's wraparound covers on the two-volume Steranko History of Comics

Steranko also formed his own publishing company, Supergraphics, in 1969, and the following year worked with writer-entrepreneur Byron Preiss on an anti-drug comic book, The Block, distributed to elementary schools nationwide. An entrepreneur is a person who has possession over a company enterprise, or Venture, and assumes significant accountability for the inherent risks and the outcome Byron Preiss (1953 Brooklyn, New York City – July 9, 2005, East Hampton New York) was an American Writer See also Primary education An elementary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of Compulsory education known as elementary In 1970 and 1972, Supergraphics published two tabloid-sized volumes entitled The (Steranko) History of Comics, a planned six-volume history of the American comics industry, though no subsequent volumes have appeared. A tabloid is a Newspaper industry term which refers to a smaller newspaper format per spread to a weekly or semi-weekly alternative newspaper that focuses on local-interest An American comic book is a small Magazine originating in the United States and containing a Narrative in the Comics form Written by Steranko, with hundreds of black-and-white cover reproductions as well as a complete reprint of one The Spirit story by Will Eisner, it included some of the first and in some cases only interviews with numerous creators from the 1930s and 1940s Golden Age of Comic Books. William Erwin Eisner ( March 6, 1917 – January 3, 2005) was an acclaimed American Comics Writer, Artist and The Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books generally thought as lasting from the 1930s until late 1940s during which Comic books

Other ideas for Supergraphics work included the proposed Talon the Timeless (which ultimately "ended up in a portfolio published in WIZARD magazine #5"[5]), and a calendar of pin ups. Career portfolios are used to plan organize and document Education, work samples and Skills People use career portfolios to apply to College or Training Wizard or Wizard The Magazine of Comics Entertainment and Pop Culture (originally titled Wizard The Guide to Comics and

“ Initially unsure as to how to make the project unique and innovative but also commercially viable, he found an answer in the form of The Supergirls, which unified his two favorite subjects. The twelve illustrations were comprised of feminine versions of some of the most famous super heroes (among them Captain America and Green Lantern) posing in pin-up style. [5] ”

Through Supergraphics he also published the magazine Comixscene (retitled Mediascene and finally Prevue), which began as a folded-tabloid periodical on stiff, non-glossy paper, reporting on the comics field. Magazines, periodicals or serials are Publications generally published on a regular schedule containing a variety of articles, generally It evolved in stages into a general-interest, standard format, popular culture magazine, running from 1972 through 1994. Popular culture (or pop culture) is the Culture — patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance — Magazines, periodicals or serials are Publications generally published on a regular schedule containing a variety of articles, generally In its later years, it was criticized for doing double duty as a catalog for Steranko's retailing business, particularly its erotica. Erotica (from the Greek Eros —"desire" or "curiosa" works of art including literature, photography film sculpture

Steranko's association with Marvel did not cease entirely during this period. He produced a small number of covers, including Shanna the She-Devil #1 and #2 (Dec 1972 and Feb 1973), Tex Dawson, Gunslinger#1 (Jan 1973) and Creatures on the Loose #21 and 22 (January and March 1973). Shanna the She-Devil is a fictional jungle adventuress in the Marvel Comics universe. The Western Kid is a fictional Old West character in Marvel Comics ' Shared universe, the Marvel Universe, and the star of Western Tower of Shadows was a horror / Fantasy Anthology Comic book published by Marvel Comics under this and a subsequent [5][21]

In 1973, Steranko became founding editor of Marvel's official fan magazine, FOOM, which superseded previous fan clubs (including the Merry Marvel Marching Society). FOOM was Marvel Comics ' self-produced fan magazine of the mid-1970s following the canceled Marvelmania and preceding Marvel Merry Marvel Marching Society (often referred to by the abbreviation "M Steranko served as editor and also produced the covers for the magazine's inaugural four issues before being succeeded editorially by Tony Isabella. Tony Isabella (born December 22, 1951) is an American Comic book writer and commentator best known as the creator and writer of Marvel [22] (He had previously been associated with similar Marvel endeavours, producing two (of twelve) posters for the company's earlier in-house fanzine Marvelmania. In-house refers to the production of some Commodity or service, such as a Television program, using a Company 's own funds staff or resources A fanzine (see also Zine) is a nonprofessional publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon (such as a literary or musical genre for the pleasure )

Occasionally returning to the full-blown narrative form, Steranko wrote, drew, and produced the illustrated novel Chandler: Red Tide (1976) for Byron Preiss Visual Publications/Pyramid Books. Chandler Red Tide is a 1976 illustrated novel, an early form of Graphic novel, by former Marvel Comics Writer - Artist

Film work

For the movie industry, Steranko has produced a number of posters for various films, and was a conceptual artist on Steven Spielberg's Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), doing production designs for the film and designing the character of Indiana Jones. Steven Allan Spielberg, KBE (Hon (born December 18 1946 is an American Film director, Screenwriter and producer. Raiders of the Lost Ark (also known as Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark) is a 1981 Adventure film directed by Steven Dr (also Col Henry Walton Jones Jr, better known as Indiana Jones or Indy after his pet dog is a fictional Adventurer, Soldier [23] He also served in a similar capacity as project conceptualist on Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) and wrote the episode "The Ties That Bind" of the DC Comics animated TV series Justice League Unlimited. Francis Ford "Frank" Coppola (born April 7, 1939) is a five-time Academy Award -winning American Film director, Bram Stoker's Dracula (aka Dracula) is a 1992 horror - Romance film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company The bouncing ball animation (below consists of these 6 frames A television program (US television programme (UK or television show (U Justice League Unlimited (or JLU) is the name of an American animated television series that was produced by and aired on

He has "amassed an enormous portfolio of more than sixty projects (which he called the "Theater of Concepts") designed to be seen in multimedia form[5], drew the comic-book adaptation of the 1981 film Outland, which was serialized in Heavy Metal magazine. Outland is a British 1981 Science fiction movie written and directed by Peter Hyams. Heavy Metal is an American Science fiction and fantasy Comics Magazine, known primarily for its blend of dark fantasy/science The lighthearted spy movie If Looks Could Kill (1991) features Roger Rees as the villain, Augustus Steranko, and director Brad Bird has stated that Steranko's work was his main comic-book influence on Pixar's The Incredibles. Roger Rees (born May 5, 1944) is a Welsh - American actor Biography Rees was born in Aberystwyth, Wales, Phillip Bradley "Brad" Bird (born on September 11, 1957) is the two-time Academy Award -winning American director of Pixar Animation Studios is a CGI animation production company based in Emeryville California. The Incredibles is a 2004 Computer-animated feature Film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures,

Recent work

Steranko's book covers continue to adorn such titles as the 2007-present Baen Books pulp-reprints of The Spider, for which he also provides interior illustration(s). Baen Books is an American Publishing company established in 1983 by long time Science Fiction publisher and editor Jim Baen. Pulp magazines (or pulp fiction; often referred to as "the pulps" were inexpensive Fiction magazines The Spider was the violent relentless Hero of a Pulp magazine series produced by Popular Publications from 1933 to 1943 The press release for The Spider: Robot Titans of Gotham drew particular note to his history as "comics legend and Pulpcon Guest of Honor, who has previously done covers for revivals of G8, The Shadow and Doc Savage. Doc Savage is a Fictional character, one of the Pulp heroes of the 1930s and 1940s "[24] Further volumes with Steranko-involvement are planned. [25]

His forays back into the world of comics are rarer - a reported 1997 attempt to negotiate Steranko's return to S. H. I. E. L. D. did not bear fruit[5] - and are limited almost entirely to occasional covers and pin-ups. Among them are a notable variant cover to David Mack's Image (later Icon Comics) series Kabuki #1 (Oct, 1997). David Mack may refer to David W Mack, American comic book artist and writer David Alan Mack, American television scriptwriter and novelist Image Comics is an American Comic book publisher It was founded in 1992 by seven high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their Icon Comics is an Imprint of Marvel Comics for creator-owned titles Kabuki is a Comic book series by artist and writer David Mack, first published in 1994 by Caliber Press and later by Image [26]

Awards and honors

Awards

Steranko has won awards in fields as varied as magic, comics and graphic design. A partial list includes:

Exhibitions

Steranko's work has been exhibited internationally in more than 160 shows. Dragon Con (also Dragon*Con) is a North America multigenre convention, held annually in Atlanta Georgia. [5] Among others, his work has been shown in the following locations:

Homages

Quotes

Steven Ringgenberg: "Steranko's Marvel work became a benchmark of '60s pop culture, combining the traditional comic book art styles of Wally Wood and Jack Kirby with the surrealism of Richard Powers and Salvador Dalí. Wallace Allan Wood ( June 17, 1927, Menahga Minnesota – November 2, 1981, Los Angeles California) was an American Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg, August 28, 1917 &ndash February 6, 1994) was an American Comic book Richard M Powers ( February 24 1921 &ndash March 9 1996) was a science fiction illustrator Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech 1st Marquis of Púbol (May 11 1904 &ndash January 23 1989 was a Spanish Catalan Surrealist Steeped in cinematic techniques picked up from that medium's masters, Jim synthesized a style he christened 'Zap Art' — an approach different from anything being done in mainstream comics, though it did include one standard attraction: lots of females in skintight, sexy costumes. Countess Valentina (Val) Allegro De Fontaine (sic) made her debut in Strange Tales #159 (Aug. Contessa Valentina Allegra de la Fontaine is a fictional, Comic book Espionage agent in the Marvel Comics universe. Sic is a Latin word meaning "thus" "so" "as such" or "just as that" Strange Tales was the name of several Comic book Anthology series that have been published by Marvel Comics. 1967) by flooring Nick Fury during a training session, proving that she could take care of herself! She looked like a character who had just stepped out of a James Bond poster". [30]

Mark Evanier: "Jack based some of his characters (not all) on people in his life or in the news. Mark Stephen Evanier (born March 2 1952) is an American Comic book and Television Writer, particularly known for his . . . Big Barda's roots are not in doubt. Big Barda is a fictional Superhero and New God in the DC Comics universe. The visual came about shortly after songstress Lainie Kazan posed for Playboy. Lainie Kazan (born May 15, 1940) is an American actress and Singer. Playboy is an American Men's magazine, founded in Chicago Illinois, by Hugh Hefner and his associates which has grown into Playboy . . and the characterization between Scott 'Mr. Miracle' Free and Barda was based largely — though with tongue in cheek — on the interplay betwixt Jack and his wife Roz. Mister Miracle ( Scott Free) is fictional Superhero published by DC Comics. Of course, the whole 'escape artist' theme was inspired by an earlier career of writer-artist Jim Steranko". Escapology is the practice of escaping from restraints or other traps [28]

Bibliography: Comic books

Chronological order. Artwork for Marvel Comics unless otherwise noted. Marvel Comics is an American comic book company owned by Marvel Publishing Inc

Bibliography: Author

Bibliography

Books about

Collected works

Book covers

Pyramid Books

The Shadow (reprints of pulp-magazine stories)
By Maxwell Grant (pseudonym of Walter Gibson)

Other

Footnotes

  1. ^ Comics Buyers Guide #1636 (December 2007) p. Comics Buyer's Guide ( (CBG is the second longest-running Periodical reporting on the Comic book industry 135
  2. ^ Steranko Arte Noir by Jim Steranko, J. David Spurlock, Angel de la Calle (Vanguard Productions/Semana Negra, 2002), pp. 11-12
  3. ^ Steranko Arte Noir, p. 18
  4. ^ Steranko Arte Noir, pp. 12-15
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Lafuente, Eduardo Lopez. "Jim Steranko" (bio), Nick Fury, Agent of S. H. I. E. L. D. trade-paperback collection (Marvel Enterprises, 2000) ISBN 0-7851-0747-9
  6. ^ Steranko Arte Noir, p. 5
  7. ^ Stroudsburg Daily Record, Feb. 4, 1956. "Escape Artist One of Youths Under Arrest"
  8. ^ a b Metro (Silicon Valley), Dec. 12-18, 2002: "Escape Artist", by Richard von Busack
  9. ^ Steranko Arte Noir, pp. 20
  10. ^ Steranko Arte Noir, pp. 21: "I was the first to put a female dancer — I christened her Miss Twist — on stage. Other bands copies the bit, so I topped them by putting two girls side by side simultaneously! Then I topped that by having the girls do a discreet strip routine. Two years later, the go-go girl craze swept America".
  11. ^ Steranko Arte Noir, pp. 16-18
  12. ^ Roy Thomas interview, Alter Ego #50, July 2005, p. 23. Another hyperbolic account appears in Steranko Arte Noir, pp. 24 & 26, in which author Spurlock claims Steranko had not gone to Marvel the previous year, had dealt only with receptionist Flo Steinberg, never did the sample-pages inking, and was supposedly given his choice of drawing any comic in Marvel's line, including replacing Jack Kirby on Fantastic Four or Thor or John Romita Sr. on The Amazing Spider-Man. Florence "Flo" Steinberg Month date, Year, City, State, United States)--> is an American Publisher Jack Kirby (born Jacob Kurtzberg, August 28, 1917 &ndash February 6, 1994) was an American Comic book The Fantastic Four is a fictional Superhero team appearing in Comic books published by Marvel Comics. Thor is a Fictional character that appears in Comic books published by Marvel Comics. John Romita Sr (better known as simply John Romita) (born January 24, 1930) is an Italian-American Comic-book artist best known The Amazing Spider-Man is the name of several media Presentations which feature the Marvel Comics Superhero Spider-Man, Eduardo Lopez Fuento's biographical portrait in the 2000 Nick Fury, Agent of S. H. I. E. L. D. collection also quotes Stan Lee as asking Steranko "What do you want to draw?"
  13. ^ However, "according to legend, John [Buscema] was surprised and annoyed at this, and erased Kirby's pencils and drew the story in his own style. " It is suggested that this played a part in the decusion that "with the next issue, Stan Lee decided to change the artist [to Steranko]. " Viturtia, A. M. "Introduction", Nick Fury, Agent of S. H. I. E. L. D. trade-paperback collection (Marvel Enterprises, 2000) ISBN 0-7851-0747-9
  14. ^ Goulart, Ron. Ron Goulart (born January 13, 1933) is an American Pop-culture historian and mystery, Fantasy, and Science fiction Comix: A History of Comic Books in America (Bonanza Books, New York, 1971; Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 75-169-104)
  15. ^ Viturtia, A. M. "Introduction", Nick Fury, Agent of S. H. I. E. L. D. trade-paperback collection (Marvel Enterprises, 2000) ISBN 0-7851-0747-9
    Viturtia also notes that Steranko drew on the James Bond novels, and writes that the influence went both ways - "[a]lthough Steranko was primarily influenced by spy movies, after Nick Fury came on the comics scene, the directors of those same movies began to borrow heavily from Steranko himself!" Viturtia also notes that Steranko influenced the pop artists he drew from, too. James Bond 007 is a Fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve Novels and two Short story
  16. ^ Steranko, Jim Strange Tales #167 (Marvel, April 1967), pp 2-5
  17. ^ Advances in printing allowed the four-page spread to be included in it's fully-realised form in the 2000 TPB collection. Multi-page spreads have since appeared infrequently in other titles down the years.
  18. ^ One notable example is a silent, one-page seduction sequence in Nick Fury, Agent of S. H. I. E. L. D. #2 that had two panels changed at the behest of the Comics Code Authority. In the third-to-last panel, de facto Marvel art director John Romita Sr. redrew a telephone that had been taken off the hook for privacy, placing the receiver back in the cradle; in the last panel, an image was removed and replaced with a closeup of an item from earlier in the page — a phallic long-barreled gun in a holster. The term art director is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in Advertising, Publishing, film and Television, the Internet John Romita Sr (better known as simply John Romita) (born January 24, 1930) is an Italian-American Comic-book artist best known Journalist Robin Green described the event in "Face Front! Clap Your Hands, You're on the Winning Team!" Rolling Stone Vol. 1, #91 (Sept. 16, 1971):
    “ So one panel had the stereo in Fury's apartment to show there was music playing, cigarettes in the ash tray in one, there was a sequence of intercut shots where she moved closer to him, much more intimately, there was a kiss, there was a rose, and then there was one panel with the telephone off the hook, which the comic book code [sic; "Comics Code"] made him put back on. Sic is a Latin word meaning "thus" "so" "as such" or "just as that" . . . [T]he last panel on that page had Nick and his old lady kneeling, with their arms around each other, and that was entirely too much for the Code, so the panel was replaced with a picture of a gun its holster. ”
    The story was reprinted as published in Nick Fury Special Edition #1 (Dec. 1983). When reprinted again, in Nick Fury, Agent of S. H. I. E. L. D. : Who Is Scorpio? (Marvel Enterprises, 2001; ISBN 0-7851-0766-5), however, Steranko's original final panel was reinserted. In a black-and-white long shot with screentone shading, the couple is beginning to embrace, with Fury standing and the Contessa on one knee, getting up. Screentone is a technique for applying textures and Shades to Drawings used as an alternative to Hatching.
  19. ^ Hama, Larry. Introduction, Nick Fury, Agent of S. H. I. E. L. D. : Who Is Scorpio?
  20. ^ Publishers Weekly PW Comics Week (March 7, 2006): "Steranko and Simon: Back to Back", by Peter Sanderson
  21. ^ ComicBookDB: Steranko. Accessed April 16, 2008
  22. ^ FOOM #1-4 (Feb. -Summer 1973)
  23. ^ "Raiders Of The Lost Ark", Empire, 2006-09-29, pp. Empire is a British Film Magazine published Monthly by Bauer Consumer Media. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 522 BC - Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire.  72–82.  
  24. ^ "Baen Books: First book in stores now! Cover and design by Jim Steranko". Accessed April 15, 2008
  25. ^ The Spider: City of Doom post at Comic Related, April 13, 2008. Accessed April 16, 2008
  26. ^ Steranko's Kabuki #1 cover at the ComicBookDb. Accessed April 16, 2008
  27. ^ The Drawings of Steranko: "Steranko Recognizes the Power of Kindness in Julie Award Speech"
  28. ^ a b P. O. V. Online (column), by Mark Evanier: "Frequently Asked Questions About Jack Kirby
  29. ^ The Amazing Website of Kavalier & Clay: Real Kavaliers & Clays
  30. ^ Betty Pages Magazine #4 (Spring 1989)
  31. ^ Grand Comics Database: Spyman #1
  32. ^ Grand Comics Database: Spyman #2
  33. ^ Grand Comics Database: Double-Dare Adventures #1
  34. ^ Comics Buyer's Guide #1347 (Sept. Mark Stephen Evanier (born March 2 1952) is an American Comic book and Television Writer, particularly known for his 1999): "Changes: Jim Steranko's Brushes with the Boundaries", by Jim Steranko (Krause Publications), pp. 38-39
  35. ^ The Drawings of Steranko: "Hulk Annual #1 Steranko Commentary"
  36. ^ Arte Noir, Limited to 3000 copies. Accessed April 16, 2008

References

External links

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