On Saturday, March 27, we lost an artist, editor, friend, and inspiration.
Dick Giordano was one of those guys who seemed to be able to do everything--and be able to do it better than most everyone else. When I think of Giordano, quality and innovation are two of the first adjectives that spring to mind. His vision as an editor changed the comicbook landscape forever (the Charlton Action Hero line, the
Watchmen, and many of DC's innovations in the 1980s), but it is his art, as penciler and/or inker, that puts Ol' Groove in awe. His penciling was always top notch; great storytelling, near perfect anatomy, beautiful faces. His inking, especially over Neal Adams, was truly mind-boggling. He brought a sense of realism, of weight and motion, to every job he inked. He was a true master and will be sorely missed. For an example of Dick's artistic prowess, here's a well-loved classic written by Denny O'Neil. It's Dick Giordano at his best, drawing his favorite superhero
The Batman in "There Is No Hope in Crime Alley!" from
Detective Comics #457 (December 1975).
Ol' Groove's posted about Mr. Giordano, or at least mentioned him in a post,well over a dozen times here on DotGK, but I still can't say enough about how important he was to the Groovy Age. I can only quote the man himself, from his wonderful MEANWHILE editorials of the 1980s. Thank
you, Dick. Thank you and Good Afternoon.
