Ross Andru is one of the most significant artists in the history of the genre. With his longtime partner Mike Esposito, he launched some independent efforts such as Get Lost! to get comics onto the stands at times when comics were under assault from many quarters. The team found safe haven at DC, bringing a sleek more modern style to a creaky looking Wonder Woman and later in concert with the great Robert Kanigher creating the evocative Metal Men. I jumped onto The Flash at almost the same instant as Andru and Esposito took the reins from Carmine Infantino, and imprinted on their style relevant to that colorful hero. Later Andru traveled to Marvel and took over The Amazing Spider-Man from John Romita among others. He elevated the web-slinger into the heights of the skyscrapers, giving the readers dizzying images of the "Big Apple" as only Spidey could see it. He drew the first breakthrough Spider-Man and Superman team up. Andru was always a rock-steady talent and returned to his DC haunts as an editor where he produced some outstanding covers and oversaw some excellent comics. There was a time in the Bronze Age when DC was my favorite company, beating out Marvel by a hair and that time coincides with Andru's tenure. Ross Andru had a style which evoked the modernistic tastes of the 50's perhaps more than any regular comic artist.
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Robert Kanigher, of course, created the Metal Men with Andru (in a rush fill-in for Showcase over a couple of days, as the legend goes.) A sentimental favorite of mine is the Kanigher/Andru/Esposito Rose and Thorn stories that ran in Lois Lane.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the correction sir. I owe Mr. Kanigher an apology. I'd forgotten Rose and Thorn but you are right. Sexy series.
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