AL PLASTINOPLASTINO His Era, Plastino Was the Last Surviving Penciler/Inker of Superman Comic Books
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LAST SUPERMAN STANDING: THE STANDING: SUPERMAN LAST LAST SUPERMAN STANDING Alfred John Plastino might not be as famous as the creators of Nancy, Joe Palooka, Batman, and other classic daily and THE STORY Sunday newspaper strips, but he worked on many of them. And of ALAL PLASTINOPLASTINO his era, Plastino was the last surviving penciler/inker of Superman comic books. In these pages, the artist remembers both his struggles and triumphs in the world of cartooning and beyond. A near-century of history and insights shared by Al, his family, and contemporaries Allen Bellman, Nick Cardy, Joe Giella, and Carmine Infantino— along with successors Jon Bogdanove, Jerry Ordway, and Mark Waid —paint a layered portrait of Plastino’s life and career. From the author and designer team of Curt Swan: A Life In Comics. PLASTINO AL Foreword by Paul Levitz. STORY EDDY ZENO EDDY An illustrated biography EDDY ZENO Plastino cover.indd 1 8/19/14 2:26 PM LAST SUPERMAN STANDING THE STORY AL PLASTINO EDDY ZENO Plastino.indd 1 9/3/14 1:52 PM Contents Foreword By Paul Levitz .................................................................................................. 4 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 6 Globs Of Clay, Flecks Of Paint ...................................................................................... 8 Harry “A” ............................................................................................................................ 16 The War Years ................................................................................................................... 24 Ten Cents For Toilet Paper .............................................................................................. 28 The Big Three .................................................................................................................... 32 The “Most Plastino” Hero ................................................................................................ 44 Man Of Action .................................................................................................................. 50 Painting, Punching, And Pirates…Peanuts, Precision, And Pantomime ................. 54 Special Projects ................................................................................................................. 64 The Artist’s Super Power .................................................................................................. 70 Paint Over The Pump – Draw Around The Balloons .................................................. 72 Legacy ................................................................................................................................ 76 Last Superman Standing .................................................................................................. 84 Appendix ........................................................................................................................... 90 My Pal, Al .......................................................................................................................... 106 Plastino.indd 3 9/3/14 1:52 PM Al Plastino: Last Superman Standing • 5 Plastino.indd 5 9/3/14 1:52 PM 8 • Al Plastino: Last Superman Standing Globs of Clay, Flecks of Paint Frank man artist developed the habit of way up to a $100-a-week job as lfred “Al” Plastino’s father, racing between United Feature the floor manager for Long’s Hat AFrancisco (Frank) Plastino, Syndicate and National Periodi- Company. A century note every was born on December 3, 1890. cal Publications (the company seven days was a lot of money He died in 1985 with a full head today known as DC Comics) to during the Depression. of hair. Growing up in Calabria, garner assignments. To this day Alfred’s dad always had a car. Italy (in the southern boot), it is impossible for him to walk One in particular was the first ’36 he came to the United States slowly. Ford with a V-8 engine. When he between the ages of 12 and 14 Growing up, father and first drove down the street in it, Al atop “Tony” while on vacation. He years of age. Frank learned to son went hunting and fishing everyone stopped to cheer—au- was 17 years old, the year was 1938, read and write in English when together. Al continued to enjoy tos of any kind were rare in the and he was already working in the Al was around 3 years old. The those endeavors as an adult – neighborhood at that time. nascent comic book industry. son didn’t grow up speaking Ital- each brought welcome breaks Long’s Hat Company even- ian, but he could speak in broken from the grind of the drawing tually closed due to the Great English whenever he wished to board. To them he would add the Depression, but Frank did not mimic the family dialect. sport of golf, but not until turn- hesitate. He immediately began Frank was a really nice guy ing nearly 30. his own small business, F & J, (the same way Al describes his Like many, the elder Plastino on Alton Avenue near Fordham own son today). He was 5’3”, well went through Ellis Island upon Road in the Upper Bronx. This dressed, meticulously clean, and arriving in America. He settled in was in roughly 1934 or 1935. He full of energy. Always scurrying, Danbury, Connecticut before mi- bought out his partner a couple Alfred had to run to keep up grating to the Bronx. From a stint of years later and opened a fac- with him. That is how the Super- shining shoes, Frank worked his tory in Manhattan. It was then that the elder Plastino mastered the business of making custom hats. Everyone wore one in those days, and he eventually became known as “The Hatter of Manhattan.” From detectives in the NYPD to Mayor Fierello La Guardia, Frank would soon be fashioning hats for the nation’s leaders, beginning with President Harry S. Truman, followed by Dwight D. Eisenhower. Another U.S. President, however, almost put Al’s dad out of business. In 1960 Frank had the honor of crafting the Alfred wrote: “Here is a [1944] pencil sketch top hat John F. Kennedy was to of my father at work in his hat factory in wear to his January 20, 1961, NYC —I was working for Steinberg Studio on inauguration. Preferring no head Army field manuals for the Pentagon USG covering, however, the president- part time — and working for United Feature elect kept if off for much of the Syndicate free lance.” ceremony. Plastino.indd 8 9/3/14 1:52 PM 16 • Al Plastino: Last Superman Standing Harry “A” Enter the Comic Book Trade In 1939, as high school architecture. But there was a esides Al Plastino, Nick graduation approached, Al was decision to make. Though he BCardy, and Paul Winchell, preparing to attend college really wanted to go to Cooper many well-known comic book at Cooper Union on East 8th Union for its prestigious art Al noted that he penciled this self-portrait in creators and other celebrities Street: “Lincoln made a speech program, Al made the fateful pencil when he was “about 20 years old.” attended the School of Industri- there. You’d walk in and smell decision not to attend college. al Art. Alumni graduating be- the paint and hear the pianos. After deciding to stay with tween 1937 and 1947 included It’s so artistic, it makes you his part-time job at Youth First two pages from the Rocketman story female comic book pioneering cry.” Five hundred applicants Today, Alfred saw a newspaper in Scoop Comics No. 3 (March 1942). Note artist Violet Barclay, along with took the entrance exam and ad: “Black and White Artist how Alfred snuck his art credit onto the Chic Stone; Carmine Infantino; young Plastino was one of 50 Wanted.” Since he was learning splash page by showing the diminutive bad Joe Orlando; Joe Giella; Sy Bar- who passed. Separate tests took to render without color for the guy handling stolen bills with “Al” and ry; Alex Toth; John Romita, Sr.; one and a half days and includ- magazine, he traveled to 23rd “Pla” on opposite ends. In addition, and singer Tony Bennett, who ed design, sculpting with clay, Street and 7th Avenue where he “Harry A. Chesler Features Syndicate N.Y.” is also a well-known painter. drawing from a live model, and “saw all of these guys drawing is captioned at lower right. Plastino.indd 16 9/3/14 1:52 PM Al Plastino: Last Superman Standing • 17 comics.” At first he was less he was given the most basic There are two ways to look than impressed, but then a large of tasks, including ruling the at the “cheap as hell” comment man sporting an unlit cigar in pages and erasing pencil marks by the often-humorous artist. his mouth came out to greet after they were inked. Alfred First, when fellow comic- young Al. It was Harry Chesler, was extremely excited to be book creators Joe Kubert and owner and head of the Chesler working in the shop and learn- Carmine Infantino spoke about Studio. Scanning Alfred’s port- ing from professionals: “[At Chesler generously giving them folio (which mostly showcased first] I didn’t mind how much $1.00 a day or $5.00 a week, his Youth Today magazine I was making because I started they were a few years younger work), Chesler said, “Hey kid. to get interested in it all.” than Plastino. He was think- Throw that stuff away and come make money with me.” After talking to a few guys in the stu- dio, Plastino decided to work there while simultaneously con- tinuing with the magazine. It was the beginning of a lifelong philosophy: “Always have at least two accounts.” That guar- anteed a fallback plan if laid off at one place. But perhaps most important