Today has been a really rough day for visionaries.
Carmine Infantino, one of the biggest architects of the Silver Age of comic books, has passed away today at age 87.
In the mid-1950’s comics were on a down turn, superhero comics especially so. Thanks to the end of WWII and the onset of the Comics Code Authority, comics just weren’t as big as they were during wartime. In comes the dynamic art of Infantino. In Showcase #4 (1956), came the debut of the sultan of speed, Barry Allen, better known as the Silver Age Flash!
Not only that, but during his career as an artist at DC, Infantino helped co-create Deadman, the Barbara Gordon Batgirl, and was the driving force behind the 60’s redesign of Batman & Robin, which was subsequently used for the famous TV show. Art wasn’t his only contribution to the world of comics. He was made DC’s editorial director in the mid-60’s, where he was responsible for some of the most famous comics work ever. Not only did he bring Neal Adams and Denny O’Neil to the comics audience, but he also was responsible for the masterwork that was bringing Jack Kirby over to DC from Marvel. If not for Mr. Infantino, we’d never have had the likes of Darkseid, Kamandi, Etrigan, or Mister Miracle. After his editorial stint, Infantino was promoted to DC’s publisher where he helped usher in one of the most famous inter-company crossovers ever with Superman Vs. The Amazing Spider-Man.
While his work tapered off, he was still working up through the 1990’s, and even after his official retirement, he could be seen often at conventions, and even helped contibute to not one but two books about his life and career, The Amazing World of Carmine Infantino and Carmine Infantino: Penciller, Publisher, Provocateur. I definitely recommend them both if you’re interested in learning more about one of the industry’s true greats. I can think of no better way to honor Mr. Infantino’s memory than sharing with you all some of my favorites pieces of his art. Rest in peace, sir.
