{"product_id":"al-plastino-last-superman-standing-2","title":"AL PLASTINO Last Superman Standing","description":"\u003cp\u003eLaboring uncredited on \u003cem\u003eSuperman\u003c\/em\u003e for two decades (1948-1968), he co-created Supergirl, Brainiac, and the Legion of Super-Heroes, drawing those characters’ first appearances, as well as the first story to feature Kryptonite. Insights are shared by Al, his family, and (Timely artist) \u003cstrong\u003eAllen Bellman, Nick Cardy, Joe Giella\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eCarmine Infantino, \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJon Bogdanove, Jerry Ordway,\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eMark Waid\u003c\/strong\u003e—paint a layered portrait of Plastino’s life and career. A wealth of illustrations show just how influential a figure he is in the history of comics.\n\nWith a comics career dating back to 1941, \u003cstrong\u003eAl Plastino\u003c\/strong\u003e was one of the last surviving penciler\/inkers of his era. His career even included working on classic daily and Sunday newspaper strips like \u003cem\u003eNancy\u003c\/em\u003e (emulating Bushmiller's style), \u003cem\u003eFerd'nand, Joe Palooka, Batman\u003c\/em\u003e (from 1968-71), and others.\n\nHe was called upon to help maintain the DC Comics house-style by redrawing other artists’ Superman heads, most notoriously on Jack Kirby’s Jimmy Olsen series, much to his chagrin. But Al is truly the unsung comics artist of the title. He started out inking \u003cem\u003eCaptain America\u003c\/em\u003e and drawing \u003cem\u003eThe Sub-Mariner\u003c\/em\u003e at Timely; his Dynamic Man and Rocketman for Chesler are some of the best-drawn stories from this early publisher; he also did important covers for \u003cem\u003eBlue Bolt\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003e4Most\u003c\/em\u003e, including a classic Hitler piece.\n\nHis long career allowed him to meet the fans and create some wonderful specialty pieces, drawings of Superman, Superboy, Aquaman, Batman, even Captain America, which all appear here for the first time. Also here are many of his finest covers--ones, as a collector myself, I thought up until now had been done by others. We've scanned one of my favorites here, a rare pin-up theme on a classic \u003cem\u003eSuperman\u003c\/em\u003e.\n\nThis book (by \u003cstrong\u003eEddy Zeno\u003c\/strong\u003e, author of \u003cem\u003eCurt Swan: A Life In Comics\u003c\/em\u003e) was completed just weeks before Al’s recent passing. In these pages, the artist remembers both his struggles and triumphs in the world of comics, cartooning and beyond.\n\nThis is a modest book, lacking any color work, but it's profusely illustrated in black and white. And it truly reveals the depth and quality of a rare comics artist, one who was highly successful his entire career, mixing work for advertising, comics and comic strips as necessary to provide him a long and rewarding career.\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eOut Of Print. Condition: Fine Plus. \u003c\/strong\u003eTipped top corner.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"DC Comics","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":59641360154910,"sku":"RB5261","price":60.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0999\/0684\/7006\/files\/RB5261-al-plastino-last-superman-standing.jpg?v=1784503568","url":"https:\/\/shop.budsartbooks.com\/products\/al-plastino-last-superman-standing-2","provider":"Bud's Art Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}