J. David Spurlock
Author of Famous Monster Movie Art of Basil Gogos
About the Author
Image credit: J. David Spurlock photo Copyright Brian M. Kane 2005
Works by J. David Spurlock
Art of the Dragon: The Definitive Collection of Contemporary Dragon Paintings (2012) — Editor — 8 copies
Tales from the Edge #5 2 copies
Tales from the Edge #12 1 copy
Associated Works
Steranko arte noir : [del 5 al 14 de julio, 2002, Semana Negra, Gijón, España — Contributor, Publisher — 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1959
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Occupations
- author
artist
editor - Awards and honors
- Eisner Awards (2006, 2007, etc), Rondo Award (2006), LOCUS Best Reading list (2006, 2007), Hugo Award nominee (2006, 2007)
- Short biography
- This Award-winning author, artist, and editor has collaborated with Star Wars artist Al Williamson, Indiana Jones designer Jim Steranko, Matrix artist Bill Sienkiewicz, Batman artist Neal Adams, Time magazine illustrator Barron Storey, Mars Attacks co-creator Wally Wood, MAD magazine associate publisher Joe Orlando and Flash co-creator Carmine Infantino. A champion for artist's rights, this influential renaissance man also represents many top comics industry personalities. As well as serving as President of the Society of Illustrators in Dallas and Publisher of Vanguard Productions, Spurlock's career includes work for Disney, Sony, Dark Horse Comics, Beckett Publications and MTV, in addition to teaching at NYC's School of Visual Arts where he also founded the Wally Wood Scholarship Fund. His recent projects include the Eisner Award recognized, RGK: The Art of Roy G. Krenkel, his comic-book creation, the Space Cowboy and the Eisner Award recognized biography, WALLY's WORLD: The Life and Death of Wally Wood and the Rondo Award winning Famous Monster Movie Art of Basil Gogos. Current projects include books with Joe Kubert, and Mark Texeira.
Members
Reviews
In The Amazing World of Carmine Infantino: An Autobiography, Carmine Infantino and J. David Spurlock explore Infantino’s biography from youth, through his Golden Age comics work, the changes of the Silver Age and the 1960s, and his freelancing later on. Infantino, one of the giants of the field, worked for both Marvel and DC as well as smaller companies and animation, so his insights will both entertain and inform comic book aficionados. Further, this volume forefronts the art, both Infantino’s own work and work indicative of the periods he describes, using its unique size to better showcase artistic samples. Most interestingly for fans are some examples of never-before-published work and preliminary sketches.
Discussing the postwar state of the industry after the comic book moral panic, Infantino writes, “The business was wounded pretty badly by the Kefauver hearings and Wertham, really doing a number on us. DC called everyone in and told us we had to take a two- or three-dollar page rate reduction. We were naturally upset, but they said it was either that or no work” (pg. 38). He continues, “DC became a closed shop for years. New artists came by looking for work, including Neal Adams, but no new talent was hired for years. Those of use who were there were lucky to be getting work” (pg. 39).
Infantino writes of the Silver Age revival, “One day in 1956, I brought a job in – I think it was a romance – and, without fanfare, Julie said to me, ‘You’re going to draw a super-hero again.’ I was surprised because they hadn’t been selling. Of the hundreds of costumed characters created in the ’40s, only Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman survived in their own titles. Julie [Julius Schwartz] said, ‘You’re going to be doing The Flash’” (pg. 50). He continues, “The Flash jump-started the whole super-hero business again and went a long way in saving the comic book business from extinction” (pg. 54). Not only did Infantino help revive superheroes, he played a key role in re-designing Batman for the 1960s with a look that influenced the ABC television series. Infantino writes, “Batman became the most popular comic book character in the world. We were getting an unheard of 95% sell-through with print-runs up to 900,000 copies per issue!” (pg. 67).
The book also features several testimonials from Infantino’s compatriots in the business. Arnold Drake discusses his difficulty creating Deadman for DC and the way Infantino helped him: “I told [DC editor Jack] Miller about my idea for a new character named Deadman and even produced a rough sketch of what he might look like. Well, Jack let me know in no uncertain terms that the Comics Code censors would never allow a character named ‘Dead-man.’ Fully rejected and with all the wind out of my sails, I prepared for my exit. At that point I noticed Carmine behind and out of Miller’s view. He was gesturing with his fist up in the air, that I should not give up but really give it to Miller… Following Carmine’s instigation, I proceeded to lay into Miller; that we couldn’t run around paralyzed in constant fear of what the Code might do. I told him the company had to proceed with every good idea and leave the Code’s business to the Code. Well, it worked” (pgs. 70-71).
Spurlock writes, “One of Carmine’s most notable mandates as Editorial Director was the infuse relevancy into the comics line. The most recognized series of its day was the lauded Green Lantern/Green Arrow” (pg. 99). Discussing the business side of things, Infantino writes, “With rare exceptions, like the super-hero boom of the early ’40s and the Batman boom of the mid-’60s, the comic book business tends to make more money on licensing of characters for film, TV, toys, etc., than it does in publishing” (pg. 125). Overall, the book will appeal to fans of Golden- and Silver-Age comic books, particularly with its emphasis on Infantino’s art. Some of the remembrances may be contradicted by other sources, but it’s still a lovely memoir intended more for the fans than cultural historians.… (more)
Discussing the postwar state of the industry after the comic book moral panic, Infantino writes, “The business was wounded pretty badly by the Kefauver hearings and Wertham, really doing a number on us. DC called everyone in and told us we had to take a two- or three-dollar page rate reduction. We were naturally upset, but they said it was either that or no work” (pg. 38). He continues, “DC became a closed shop for years. New artists came by looking for work, including Neal Adams, but no new talent was hired for years. Those of use who were there were lucky to be getting work” (pg. 39).
Infantino writes of the Silver Age revival, “One day in 1956, I brought a job in – I think it was a romance – and, without fanfare, Julie said to me, ‘You’re going to draw a super-hero again.’ I was surprised because they hadn’t been selling. Of the hundreds of costumed characters created in the ’40s, only Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman survived in their own titles. Julie [Julius Schwartz] said, ‘You’re going to be doing The Flash’” (pg. 50). He continues, “The Flash jump-started the whole super-hero business again and went a long way in saving the comic book business from extinction” (pg. 54). Not only did Infantino help revive superheroes, he played a key role in re-designing Batman for the 1960s with a look that influenced the ABC television series. Infantino writes, “Batman became the most popular comic book character in the world. We were getting an unheard of 95% sell-through with print-runs up to 900,000 copies per issue!” (pg. 67).
The book also features several testimonials from Infantino’s compatriots in the business. Arnold Drake discusses his difficulty creating Deadman for DC and the way Infantino helped him: “I told [DC editor Jack] Miller about my idea for a new character named Deadman and even produced a rough sketch of what he might look like. Well, Jack let me know in no uncertain terms that the Comics Code censors would never allow a character named ‘Dead-man.’ Fully rejected and with all the wind out of my sails, I prepared for my exit. At that point I noticed Carmine behind and out of Miller’s view. He was gesturing with his fist up in the air, that I should not give up but really give it to Miller… Following Carmine’s instigation, I proceeded to lay into Miller; that we couldn’t run around paralyzed in constant fear of what the Code might do. I told him the company had to proceed with every good idea and leave the Code’s business to the Code. Well, it worked” (pgs. 70-71).
Spurlock writes, “One of Carmine’s most notable mandates as Editorial Director was the infuse relevancy into the comics line. The most recognized series of its day was the lauded Green Lantern/Green Arrow” (pg. 99). Discussing the business side of things, Infantino writes, “With rare exceptions, like the super-hero boom of the early ’40s and the Batman boom of the mid-’60s, the comic book business tends to make more money on licensing of characters for film, TV, toys, etc., than it does in publishing” (pg. 125). Overall, the book will appeal to fans of Golden- and Silver-Age comic books, particularly with its emphasis on Infantino’s art. Some of the remembrances may be contradicted by other sources, but it’s still a lovely memoir intended more for the fans than cultural historians.… (more)
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Statistics
- Works
- 34
- Also by
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- Members
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- Popularity
- #48,806
- Rating
- 4.2
- Reviews
- 2
- ISBNs
- 55
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A gorgeous book.