Recently, I was privileged to speak to Dick Giordano, the inker/artist behind many of my favourite comic stories of all time. We had started the interview process some time before, but his real passion, creating comics ‘interfered’. True to his word, he delivered as promised. And the resulting interview follows.

Tim: You have had a long career in the comic book industry. How did you get your start in the 'funnies'?

Dick Giordano: I started by tracing The Little King, a silent humor strip that appeared in many Hearst papers in the thirties and forties.My parents thought I was a genius when they saw these scribblings, so I continued to draw comic characters so I could continue to bask in their effusive praise. By the time I was seven or eight years old I had made my career choice.

Tim: Mr Giordano, who do you count among your artistic influences? Did you ever have a mentor as you worked?

Dick Giordano: I was influenced by a legion of cartoonists...different ones at different times and too numerous to list here. The A list would include Alex Raymond, Alex Toth, Frank Robbins and, of course, Neal Adams,

I'm afraid there were no real mentors who made the passage easier for me. Remember, I spent the first 15 years of my career working at Charlton in Connecticut. There were no professionals nearby for mentoring...except the rest of the Charlton staff and I don't believe they had the qualifications. We were all pretty equal.

Tim: From your perspective, how has the comic industry changed?

Dick Girodano: I entered the comics industry in 1951,and I can say however that the creative process from the fifties up to today changed considerably. Most important changes were the move away from several stories in an issue to stand alone single story issues, which morphed into story arcs spanning multiple issues, and a move to storylines aimed at an older audience. This in turn led to the emergence of the editor as an important figure in the creative mix... someone who could do the long-term planning for titles that were steeped in continuity and soap-opera like storylines. Writers and artists didn't always stay with titles forever. The editor then became the glue.

Tim: On a personal note, I am writing a book on western creators, and would like to know your thoughts on western comics during their peak. Were you involved with any of the western titles in your early years?

Dick Giordano: I know that I enjoyed drawing westerns. While I was at Charlton I drew for a number of their western titles, all of which were essentially anthologies. Among the titles that I did stories for were Rocky Lane Western; Lash Larue; Tex Ritter; Cheyenne Kid; Kid Montana and Outlaws of the West. I'm sure I'm forgetting others...that was nearly forty years ago. After I left Charlton in 1967, I've regrettably never drawn another western.

Tim: With the various roles that you have filled during your career as Editor, artist (penciller and inker), advertising executive, and comic book professional, and the individuals that you worked with, which ones do you think were the most influential on the industry over time? What kind of look back can you share over the development of the industry and individual contributions?

Dick Giordano:: Stan lee, Neal Adams, Jack Kirby and Steranko were unquestionably the creators who moved the bar the most and created new standards for others to aspire to. Because of their efforts, readers and professionals alike started to see comics in a different light...one in which the creators cared about their work and their audience and were willing to take chances and face challenges in order to try to elevate comics to an art form. Earlier, the entire E.C. crew started that ball rolling and were responsible for encouraging at least this individual to stay in the industry because he saw what comics could be!

Tim: As an artist, you have worked on some of my favourite characters. Neal Adams and yourself helped re-create the Batman in the late 1960's and early 70's. Your Wonderwoman work was great! The Green Lantern/Green Arrow series stands out for me as a classic, as does the Rhas Al Ghul storyline. You must have pencilled thousands of pages over the last 50 years. Gene Colan and Dick Ayers are both close to the 52,000 page count and you must be too.

Dick Giordano:: Thank you for your kind words...and yes, I've penciled or inked or penciled and Inked a lotta pages in the 50+ years that I've been a comics professional. How many pages? I haven't the fuzziest idea!! Nearly half of my time in the business has been spent as an executive, serving in various capacities for several different companies, some of which I was a principal of. Even though I always found time to spend at my drawing board, I clearly didn't do as many pages in the years that I had other responsibilities as those years when I was only free-lancing. I am very fast and very disciplined so the total in my "executive" years was not that much less. There were nevertheless fewer pages drawn in those years. Additionally, the advertising work that I did cannot be classified as "pages". They weren't.

Tim: As an artist, which job do you prefer? Inking or pencilling? Which one is more satisfying to you as a creator?

Dick Giordano: I have no preferences regarding penciling or inking. They each require that I use a different part of my skill level to perform and therefore I find them equally rewarding.

Tim: What is your philosophy of comic book art? Do you have a methodology if you are presented with a script? Gene Colan said that he only read a couple of pages ahead in the script so he was just as surprised as the reader. Writers like Stan Lee prefer to have the artist know the whole story before putting pencil to paper. What do you prefer?

Dick Giordano: My philosophy of comic book art is simple. The art must tell the story. Every thing else is secondary and therefore less important. We are in the service of the story.

My methodology is one I've used for years because it works for me! If you want a graphic demonstration, you'll find one in a biography of me that TwoMorrows has just released, written by Michael Eury. First I read the entire script, line up the necessary reference and sometimes draw character sketches of those characters that have not appeared before. Then I start with printed page size thumbnails in which I concentrate on page composition and storytelling. I then enlarge the thumbnails to finished art size on my photocopier, tape it in position to the back of my artboard and trace thru on a light box. My focus at this stage is correct drawing. Then I ink...adding lighting, rendering and textures. If I've done all three steps properly, I will end up with a page that I will be happy with...in three or four months!! ( I usually don't like my work when it's hot off my drawing board...I avoid looking at it. It always look so much better 3 or 4 months later when the publisher returns the art to me )

Tim: You obviously have worked with some incredible artists over the years. Carmine Infantino, Neal Adams, Marshall Rogers, Ross Andru, Jim Aparo, Pat Boyette, Mike Sekowsky, were all talents. Were your relationships all business, or more enourager-inker?

Dick Giordano: Of the talents you mentioned, I only had a real personal relationship with Neal Adams because Neal and I were in the same office or studio for much of the time we worked together. I rarely saw the others so a although we were friendly we weren't socially interactive

Neal and I met when I became an editor at DC. He was the only artist to have an office at DC and did all of his work for us there. WE became very friendly and when I left my position as editor he suggested that we go into business together. This took place about a year after I left DC. Neal understood that my leaving was an emotional one and waited until I'd finished licking my wounds at home before making his pitch.

Tim: Has the story to art process changed for you over the years?

Dick Giordano: The story to art process has changed for me only by making me more reflective and less reactive in my approach which has had the effect of slowing me down...or maybe it's just my age that slows me down?

Tim: As an editor, you worked at Charlton during a very busy time. The Phantom was being produced, love stories were hot, there were the car comics, and even ghost stories. What led you to the point where you accepted the post of editor-in-chief at Charlton?

Dick Giordano: Actually, I lobbied for the job. I needed to do too many pages to earn a living for my family and I was getting burned out. I knew that Charlton needed a comics editor before they did ( Pat Masulli, my predecessor, was editing comics part time .His main responsibilities were to Charlton's magazine line. This at a time when the Marvel age of comics was exploding upon the comic scene ) !

As I mentioned earlier, I always found time to draw ( or ink ). Working as Charlton's Managing Editor was no exception. In addition to the free-lance work I did on my own time, I also layed out all of Charlton's covers with the exception of the animated titles and the teen-age stuff.

My pet projects while I was there were Aquaman, House of Secrets and The Witching Hour. And I id have a bit of fun with the original Teen Titans from time to time.

Tim: Were you involved in artwork at that time? Or were you activities mainly editorial? Is that when Denny O'Neil and you began to work together?

Dick Giordano: Yes, this period is when I started working with Denny O'Neil as well as Steve Skeates, Jim Aparo, Pat Boyette and others who were talented and available.

Tim: What were some of the highlights of your time at Charlton?

Dick Giordano: The high point of my time at Charlton was the creation of the Action Hero line...the low point was its sales failure because Charlton wouldn't promote it or spend any money on marketing. The mail was tremendous, the sales horrendous.

Tim: Why did you get back into editing at DC? Did you have a philosophy about art that was different than anyone elses, coming from an art background? What were some of your favourite books that you did? What prompted you to leave DC?

Dick Giordano: DC offered me a job on the strength of my work on Charlton's Action Hero line. I saw it as an opportunity to try my hand working at company that cared about its output as much as I did and would back it up with money to spend on its titles. Carmine Infantino, first as art director and later as editorial director surrounded himself with artist-editors in an attempt to change the company's stodgy image. Besides myself, Joe Orlando, Joe Kubert and Mike Sekowsky soon took on editorial duties as well as Carmine layed out most, if not all of the covers.

Tim: The field of advertising art seems to be a natural extension of comic books. Gene Colan, in our chat, said that he hated doing ad art. He wanted to create a story, not just a vignette. He eventually left the field and has not looked back. What drew you to advertising, and what possessed you to create Continuity Associates with Neal, and later Dick Art Inc? Did you find much crossover in terms of art style?

Dick Giordano: Both Continuity and later Dik-Art were designed to take advantage of our backgrounds in comics. Not only were some of our projects actual comic pages that sold a product or a promotion, but the nuts and bolts stuff that paid the bills were story boards and animatics ( sort of a story board with some movement and a sound track that was presented on film ) so that we were utilizing our story-telling skills. We also did regular comic stuff as a hedge to the boredom that would inevitably set in if we did just advertising art.

The up side was the money was GREAT!

Tim: With all of the characters you have done from Valiant Comics, Dell, Marvel, DC, and Treasure Chest, which stand out as your favourite? What titles did you work on at Dell during your freelancing period ?

Dick Giordano: WHOA! Picking one favorite character is near impossible. But if you put a gun to my head I'd have to say...BATMAN. The material I worked on for Dell were mostly TV or movie adaptations. TV: Ben Casey, Dr Kildare, Get Smart, Hogan's Heroes stand out in my mind. I'm sure there were others. Movies: Beach Blanket Bingo, Two on a Guillotine, D-Day, 10 O'Clock High and probably many others who's titles I can't recall.

Tim: You obviously have diversified your talents. Other than editing, pencilling and inking, advertising, and comic company owner (see next question), what have you done? Have you entered the field of fine art as others have?

Dick Giordano: Fine art holds no appeal for me. Like Gene Colan I'm a story- teller, not a painter. I have enough to do in my own field without looking for new "challenges".

Tim: Let's talk about Future Comics. Obviously, you still have the urge to create, what is your mandate as co-owner, editor, and creator of Future Comics? Your stablemates from Future Comics are well respected also. You must have enough confidence in the industry to start anew. What is up your collective sleeves?

Dick Giordano: Since Future Comics is in a transition period right now ( we're planning a move to mass market distribution ) and were not entirely sure where we'll be in the coming months as we set up for a different way to sell our books, I'd rather pass on talking about what Future Comics will be when the dust clears. The current atmosphere in the direct market isn't encouraging to new material and forced our hand to find different ways to distribute. You'll know as soon as our new direction is clear to us!

Tim: Looking back on a long, illustrious career, can you think of a defining moment? What do you want people to think of when they hear the name Dick Giordano?

Dick Giordano: I guess there must have been defining moments...but I can't think of any. And I'd like my tombstone to read " Dickie got the job done!"

Tim: Thanks for your time.

Dick Giordano: You’re welcome.

Dick Giordano Links

http://www.futurecomicsonline.com/

http://www.twomorrows.com/ For news on his Biography, Changing Comics One Day at a Time.

Don't forget the home page, http://www.penguincomics.net/ and of course your mom and dad without whom you would never have gotten any comics as kids.

Be good.

Tim Lasiuta

All contents copyright Tim Lasiuta 2003

For comments, loose change, and a place in your will tlasiuta@telusplanet.net