Today brought the sad news that comic book artist, inker, editor and legend Dick Giordano has died at the age of 77.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that Giordano was one of the godfathers of the Bronze Age style of art. His style, and later his role as mentor to an upcoming wave of artists, helped define a generation of comics. Giordano's influence was felt again when as an editor he paved the way for books including Watchmen, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns and the beginning of the Vertigo imprint. Giordano's name was — and still is — perhaps one of the most recognized in the field, and it's with good reason.
On his Web site, Giordano began an introduction to himself and his work with this:
Welcome to my world ...
... a world I entered enthusiastically more years ago than I care to remember. It has served as the means to earn my keep as well as allowing me to leave the real world behind and explore the realm of my fantasies. In my world, I am always the wide-eyed child!
My world is The World of Comics.
Thank you, Mr. Giordano, for giving us all a glimpse at that realm of fantasies, and for letting us — for a while, at least — remember what it's like to be the wide-eyed child.
Memorials for Dick Giordano have been pouring in, including from:
Blog@Newsarama
Forces of Geek
Mark Evanier
The Beat
and one of the most comprehensive from Tom Spurgeon at The Comics Reporter
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2 comments:
He really was one of the most influential people in comics, ever. The people he brought to DC in the 1980's, and the chances he took to make sure the art form actually grew up can't be overstated.
I'm very sad to see him go.
Well said, and exactly right. Giordano, whether on the page or behind the scenes, was in many ways the face of DC Comics, and in all ways that matter he was the spirit guiding a new era.
Who knows how many milestone stories he had a hand in? I'd suspect more than even we would guess.
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