| Comics Legend Ross Andru |
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Born in 1925, Andru attended the Music and Arts High School in New
York City, and the Cartoonists and Illustrators School, before embarking
on his career in comics in the 1950s.
His most revered work at DC Comics was his many issues as penciller
for Mike Esposito's inks on Wonder Woman. These stories were
steeped in mythology and centered on the super-heroine's years on Paradise
Island as a child and teenager. At the time, Wonder Woman comics
targeted young girls as their potential audience, and were full of a
whimsy and simple joy rare in comic books and reminiscent of children's
novels.
Whatever his subject, Ross Andru's pencils were clean, bold and
technically beyond criticism. Based on a realistic depiction of the world,
his style was instantly recognizable. No superfluous line was added to a
panel, and his internal logic and visual storytelling were flawless,
dramatic and entertaining. Among his comic book credits are: Wonder
Woman, G. I. Joe, Suicide Squad, Metal Men, Sea Devils, Rip Hunter,
Superman-Batman, Trigger Twins, Losers (DC Comics, '58--?); X-Men,
Spiderman, Defenders, Kull, Gullivar
Jones, Shanna, Doc Savage (Marvel, '67--?); and pencils for the
publishers Ziff-Davis ('51), Pines (c'52-'54), Hillman ('52) and Skywalk
('71-72).
Andru died in 1993. The work of Ross Andru is highly recommended. Some older comics are expensive or difficult to locate. Price guides or comics dealers help. Comics shops, conventions, mail order companies and trade journals are good sources. Prices vary; shop around. |
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Light's
End Audio Series
Michael Vance has teamed with William Windom to present an incredible collection of SF and fantasy stories. Set in the eerie town of Light’s End, Maine, these stories have been called “[a] meshing of myth and reality, [of] stack details of place, an...unromantic vision of horror...” Light’s End is a gathering place for the worst in human nature. Mr. Windom's impressive experience has prepared him well for the telling of these scary tales. He is well known for his TV roles on Murder, She Wrote, Star Trek, The Twilight Zone, All In The Family, and Barney Miller. He also won an Emmy for his TV series My World…and Welcome to It. His movie roles in To Kill a Mockingbird and True Crime won him additional acclaim. His stage performances as James Thurber and Ernie Pyle have entertained thousands. He's performed in eighteen Broadway plays, countless radio shows, and several books-on-tape. Michael Vance's work is published in numerous magazines. He has appeared as a syndicated columnist and cartoonist in over 500 newspapers. His history book, Forbidden Adventure has been called a "benchmark in comics history”. Vance, best known for his Suspended Animation columns, briefly wrote the comic strip Alley Oop and his own strip for five years, Holiday Out. He also wrote comic books including Straw Men, Angel of Death, The Adventures of Captain Nemo, and Bloodtide. His work has appeared in comics anthologies, and he is listed in the Who's Who of American Comic Books. With novelists Mel Odom and R.A. Jones, he co-wrote Global Star, a world where babies born with bowling balls in their stomachs are common, and the New York Times is “trash journalism”. Special Offer! Suspended Animation readers will be able to order a copy of Lights End Volume 1 personally autographed by both William Windom and Michael Vance. Volume 1 contains the stories "A Change of Heart" and "Cross Purposed." What are you waiting for? It's just $19.95 signed or $11.95 not, plus shipping. |
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