Al Plastino

Al Plastino (1921- ) is an American comic book artist. Before gaining noteriety as the most prolific Superman artist of the 1950's, he seems to have worked for just about every publisher during the 30's and 40's. It has been said that Plastino is the comic artist whose work has been seen by the largest number of people on the planet.

Plastino was considered an unusual artist in that he did "all of his own work". In other words, he could often replace three artists. Generally a comic book team consists of: Editor, Writer, Penciller, Inker, Letterer, and Colorist. On Plastino's books, he was the Penciller, Inker, and Letterer.

Art Career During World War II

Interested in art since "grade school", he won several prizes hosted by Youth Today magazine. The art director was so impressed that he hired Plastino. Only 17 at the time, he was a published artist doing "little pen drawings" in black and white - Reader's Digest style.

He did some comic strip artwork for Funnies Inc., "helped out" with Sub-Mariner, and was the Inker on Captain America for the company that would eventually become Marvel Comics.

In 1941, Plastino finished designing a plane that was well beyond its time, and looked like the space shuttle. After several dead-ends, he was able to show his model and blueprints to Grummond executives. Several days later, he received a telegram saying "Report for Duty." Throughout much of the rest of the war, he was assigned to the graphic arts office in the Pentagon, drawing war posters and producing them in silkscreen. Next, he was assigned to the Adjutant General's Office, working on illustrations for Army training manuals (TM's). Later, while working with Steinberg Studios, he continued work on the TM's, as well as taking on some comic book art and other commercial graphics. He is particulary proud of the cover of Blue Bolt Comics Vol. 4, #1, June, 1943.

Comics

While working out of a studio in New York with two other Cartoonists in 1948, Mr Steinberg suggested that Plastino should try to get work on "Superman." Upon learning that other artists were getting as much as $55 a page from DC Comics, he did some samples, which DC liked.

They offered me $35.00 a page. Of course I said, "No, no. I can't do that. You're paying fifty-five." They said, "We can't pay you fifty-five. You're just a beginner." So we compromised on fifty a page.

Now settled in the comic book field, he largly dropped other commercial work for two decades. Early on at DC, Plastino was forced to copy Wayne Boring's style, until the editors got comfortable with his own style. He ended up doing forty-eight Superman covers as well as countless stories during his career there.

He worked on Superman (DC's flagship feature) and several of its related books, like Supergirl, Superboy and Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane. With writer Otto Binder, he co-created Supergirl (Action Comics #252, 05/1959) and one other important "Super" book. Late in 1957 he was called upon to draw a particular Superboy story that would eventually become Adventure Comics #247, 04/1958. This was to be the first appearance of The Legion of Super-Heroes, DC's first Superhero team since the Golden Age of Comic Books. Although this is the only "Legion" issue he drew, it is significant, because he is the co-creator of this Science fiction team that is still being published today. On several occasions, sales of "The Legion" have eclipsed even DC's flagship titles.

Al Plastino drew the syndicated Batman comic strip from 1966-72 and the Superman strip in the late 1960's. In 1968, when he left DC proper (he was still working on their strips), he had already taken over the syndicated strip, Ferd'nand, which he drew until his retirement in 1989. Since retiring, he has focused on painting, something he doubtless had no time for during the Golden and Silver age of comics.

References

• Cadigan, Glen. The Legion Companion. TwoMorrows Publishing. 2003.