Carmine Infantino
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{{Infobox Comics creator
| image = Replace this image male.svg
| imagesize = 150
| caption =
| birthname =
| birthdate = {{birth date and age|1925|05|24}}
| location = [[Brooklyn]], [[New York City]]
| deathdate =
| deathplace =
| nationality = American
| area = Penciller, Editor
| alias =
| notable works = Flash (Barry Allen)
| awards = National Cartoonists Society Award, various Alley Awards. [[#Awards|Expanded list.]]
}}
'''Carmine Infantino''' (born [[May 24]], [[1925]]) is an American [[comic book]] [[artist]] and [[editing|editor]] who was a major force in the [[Silver Age of Comic Books]]. He was inducted into the [[Eisner Award#The Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame|Comic Book Hall of Fame]] in 2000.
==Biography==
===Early life and career===
Carmine Infantino was born via [[midwife]] in his family's apartment in [[Brooklyn]], [[New York City]]. His father, Pasquale "Patrick" Infantino, born in New York City, was originally a musician who played [[saxophone]], [[clarinet]], and [[violin]], and had a band with composer [[Harry Warren]], but in the poverty of the [[Great Depression]] he turned instead to a career as a licensed [[plumber]]. Carmine Infantino's mother, Angela Rosa DellaBadia, emigrated from [[Calitri]], a hill town northeast of [[Naples, Italy]].<ref>Infantino, Carmine, with David J. Spurlock, ''The Amazing World of Carmine Infantino: An Autobiography'' (Vanguard Productions, 2000; ISBN 1-887591-11-7), pp. 12-13</ref>
He attended Public Schools 75 and 85 in Brooklyn before going on to the [[School of Industrial Art]] (later the [[High School of Art and Design]]) in [[Manhattan]]. <!--Infantino does not reference the following in his Comics Journal interview -- the only reference for this piece, which needs more citations: He started his comics career in the 1940s, after [[DC Comics]] editor [[Sheldon Mayer]] advised him to continue studying and practicing, then give DC another try later.--> During his freshman year of high school, Infantino began working for [[Harry "A" Chesler]], whose studio was one of a handful of comic-book "packagers" who created complete comics for publishers looking to enter the emerging field in the 1930s-1940s [[Golden Age of Comic Books]]. As Infantino recalled:
{{cquote|I used to go around as a youngster into companies, go in and try to meet people — nothing ever happened. One day I went to this place on 23rd Street, this old broken-down warehouse, and I met [[Harry Chesler]]. Now, I was told he was a mean guy and he used people and he took artists. But he was very sweet to me. He said, 'Look, kid. You come up here, I'll give you a dollar a day, just study art, learn, and grow.' That was damn nice of him, I thought. He did that for me for a whole summer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tcj.com/2_archives/i_infantino.html|title=Carmine Infantino|accessdate=2007-06-24|author=Gary Groth|publisher=The Comics Journal}}</ref>}}
Infantino, who also attended night classes at the [[Art Students League]], became an art assistant at [[Quality Comics]] the following summer. Later, at [[Timely Comics]], the Golden Age precursor of [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]], Infantino got his first job drawing comics. With friend and high-school classmate [[Frank Giacoia]] [[penciler|penciling]], Infanto [[inker|inked]] the feature "[[Jack Frost (Marvel Comics)|Jack Frost]]" in ''[[USA Comics]]'' #3 (Jan. 1942). He wrote in his autobiography that
{{cquote|...Frank Giacoia and I were in constant contact. One day in '40 we decided to go up to Timely Comics, which later became Marvel, to see if we could get some work. They gave us a script called 'Jack Frost' and that story became our first published work. Frank did the pencils and I did the inking. [[Joe Simon]] was the editor and he offered us both a staff job. Frank quit school and took the job. I wanted desperately to quit school and I told my father that it was a great opportunity. He said, 'No way! You're gonna finish school.' Things were very bad, he was desperate for money, but he wouldn't let me quit school. He said, 'School comes first. If you're that good, the job will be there later.' I can't love the man enough for that. So Frank took the job and I didn't. I was 15 or 16 and I just kept making my rounds in the early '40s, looking for freelance work while continuing my studies.<ref>Infantino, Spurlock, p. 19</ref>}}
Infantino would eventually work for several publishers during the decade, drawing [[Airboy]] and the [[The Heap (comics)|Heap]] for [[Hillman Periodicals]]; working for packager Jack Binder, who supplied [[Fawcett Comics]]; briefly at [[Holyoke]]; then landing at [[DC Comics]], where he became a regular artist of the Golden Age [[Flash (comics)|Flash]], [[Black Canary]], [[Green Lantern]] and [[Justice Society of America]].
During the 1950s, Infantino freelanced for [[Joe Simon]] and [[Jack Kirby]]'s company, [[Prize Comics]], drawing the series ''[[Charlie Chan]]'', which in particular shows the influence both of Kirby's and [[Milton Caniff]]'s art styles. Back at DC, during a lull in the popularity of [[superhero]]es, Infantino drew [[Western (genre)|Westerns]], [[mystery fiction|mysteries]], [[science fiction]] comics. As his style evolved, he began to shed both the Kirbyisms and the gritty shading of Caniff, and develop a clean, linear style.
===The Silver Age===
In 1956, DC editor [[Julius Schwartz]] assigned writer [[Robert Kanigher]] and artist Infantino to the company's first attempt at reviving superheroes: an updated version of the Flash that would appear in issue #4 (Oct. 1956) of the try-out series ''[[Showcase]]''. Infantino designed the now-classic red uniform with yellow detail, striving to keep the costume as streamlined as possible, and he drew on his design abilities to create a new visual language to depict the Flash's speed, making the figure a red and yellow blur. The eventual success of the new, science-fiction oriented Flash heralded the wholesale return of superheroes, and the beginning of what fans and historians call the [[Silver Age (comics)|Silver Age]] of comics.
[[Image:Showcase4.JPG|thumb|left|''Showcase'' #4 (Oct. 1956): The Silver Age starts. Cover art by Carmine Infantino and [[Joe Kubert]].]]
Infantino continued to work for Schwartz in his other features and titles, most notably "[[Adam Strange]]" in ''[[Mystery in Space]]'', replacing [[Mike Sekowsky]] who did the penciling in Showcase 17-19. <!--This paraphrase of what Infantino said needs a citation -- as well as, preferably, the actual quote: With his design sensibilities (he once said he tried to take all the 'drawing' out of his pages, but frequent inker [[Murphy Anderson]] kept putting it back in) he soon made the strip his own.--> In 1964, Schwartz was made responsible for reviving the faded [[Batman]] titles. Writer [[John Broome (writer)|John Broome]] and artist Infantino jettisoned the sillier aspects that had crept into the series (such as ([[Ace the Bathound]], and [[Bat-Mite]]) and gave the "New Look" Batman and Robin a more detective-oriented direction and sleeker draftsmanship that proved a hit combination. Other features and characters Infantino drew at DC include "The Space Museum", and [[Elongated Man]]
After [[Wilson McCoy]], the artist of ''[[The Phantom]]'' comic strip, died, Infantino finished one of his last stories. Infantino was a candidate for taking over the Phantom Sunday strip after McCoy's death, but the job was instead given to [[Sy Barry]].
===DC Comics editorial director===
In late 1966/early 1967, Infantino was tasked by [[Irwin Donenfeld]] with designing covers for the entire DC line. [[Stan Lee]] learned this and approached Infantino with a $22,000 offer to move to Marvel. Publisher [[Jack Liebowitz]] confirmed that DC could not match the offer, but could promote Infantino to the position of art director. Initially reluctant, Liebowitz turned it into a challenge, and Infantino stayed with DC.<ref>Ro, Ronin. ''Tales to Astonish: Jack Kirby, Stan Lee and the American Comic Book Revolution'', p. 117-118 (Bloomsbury, 2004)</ref> When DC was sold to [[Kinney National Company]], Infantino was promoted to editorial director. He started by hiring new talent, and promoting artists to editorial positions. He hired [[Dick Giordano]] away from [[Charlton Comics]], and made artists [[Joe Orlando]], [[Joe Kubert]] and Mike Sekowsky editors. New talents such as [[Neal Adams]] and [[Denny O'Neil]] were injected into the company.
Infantino was made [[publisher]] in 1971, during a time of declining circulation for DC's comics. <!--The following needs citation: Complicating matters, the newly merged company's owner, [[Warner Communications]], and newsstand distributor IDN [NOTE: Is this meant to be Independent News, IND, which DC owned?] had little faith in the company beyond the marketability of its characters and newsstand and grocery stores didn't want to handle a magazine with such low profit margins.--> Infantino attempted a number of changes, including the launch of starting several new titles. Older characters including Green Lantern, [[Green Arrow]], [[Superman]], [[Wonder Woman]] and, again, Batman were revamped to mixed results.
The same year he was made publisher, Infantino scored a major coup in signing on Marvel Comics' star artist, Jack Kirby. Beginning with ''[[Jimmy Olsen]]'', Kirby created his [[Fourth World]] saga that wove through that existing title and three new series he created. With sales of his comics landing below expectations, however, the titles were eventually canceled and a few years later Kirby went back to working at Marvel Comics.
In an effort to raise revenue, Infantino raised the cover price of DC's comics from 15 to 25 cents, simultaneously raising the page count by adding reprints and new backup features. Marvel met the price increase, then dropped back to 20 cents; Infantino stayed at 25 cents, a decision that ultimately proved bad for over-all sales.
After working with writer [[Mario Puzo]] on the ''[[Superman (film)|Superman]]'' movie, Infantino collaborated with Marvel on the historic company-crossover publication ''Superman vs. Spider-Man''. Yet before sales on that hit book had been recorded, [[Warner Communications]] replaced Infantino with [[Jenette Kahn]], a person new to the comics field. Mr. Infantino returned to drawing freelance.
===Later career===
[[Image:Spwm108.jpg|thumb|''Spider-Woman'' #8 (Nov. 1978). Cover art by Infantino and [[Steve Leialoha]].]]
Infantino later drew for a number of titles for [[Warren Publishing]] and Marvel, including the latter's ''[[Star Wars]]'', ''[[Spider-Woman]]'', and ''[[Nova (comics)|Nova]]''. In the 1980s, he again drew the Flash for DC Comics. In 2004, he sued DC for rights to characters he alleges to have created while he was a [[freelancer]] for the company. These include several ''Flash'' characters including [[Wally West]], [[Iris West]], the [[Elongated Man]], [[Captain Cold]], [[Captain Boomerang]], [[Mirror Master]], and [[Gorilla Grodd]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=14262
|title=Looking at Infantino's Complaint|accessdate=2007-06-24|date=2004-06-14|publisher=Newsarama}}</ref> [[As of 2005]], Infantino is retired, although he is often a guest at comic book conventions. Vanguard Productions published his autobiography ''The Amazing World of Carmine Infantino'' (ISBN 1-887591-12-5).
Infantino is the uncle of [[Massachusetts]] musician [[Jim Infantino]], of the band [[Jim's Big Ego]].{{Fact|date=August 2007}} He contributed the [[cover art]] to the group's album ''They're Everywhere'', which features a song about [[Flash (Barry Allen)|Barry Allen]].
==Awards==
Infantino's awards include:
* 1958 [[National Cartoonists Society]] Award, Best Comic Book
* 1961 [[Alley Award]], Best Single Issue:'' [[The Flash]]'' #123 (with [[Gardner Fox]])
* 1961 Alley Award, Best Story: "Flash of Two Worlds", ''[[The Flash]]'' #123 (with [[Gardner Fox]])
* 1961 Alley Award, Best Artist
* 1962 Alley Award, Best Book-Length Story: "The Planet that Came to a Standstill!", ''[[Mystery in Space]]'' #75 (with [[Gardner Fox]])
* 1962 Alley Award, Best Pencil Artist
* 1963 Alley Award, Best Artist
* 1964 Alley Award, Best Short Story: "Doorway to the Unknown", [[The Flash]] #148 (with [[John Broome (writer)|John Broome]])
* 1964 Alley Award, Best Pencil Artist
* 1964 Alley Award, Best Comic Book Cover (''[[Detective Comics]]'' #329 with [[Murphy Anderson]])
* 1967 Alley Award, Best Full-Length Story: "Who's Been Lying in My Grave?", ''[[Strange Adventures]]'' #205 (with [[Arnold Drake]])
* 1967 Alley Award, Best New Strip: "[[Deadman]]" in'' [[Strange Adventures]]'' (with [[Arnold Drake]])
* 1969 special Alley Award for being the person "who exemplifies the spirit of innovation and inventiveness in the field of comic art"
==Quotes==
'''Nick Cardy''' on the popular but [[apocryphal]] [[anecdote]], told by [[Julius Schwartz]], about [[Carmine Infantino]] firing Cardy over not following a cover layout, only to rehire him moments later when Schwartz praised the errant cover art:
{{cquote|[A]t one of the conventions ... I said, 'You know, Carmine, Julie Schwartz wrote something in [his autobiography] that I don't remember at all and it doesn't sound like you at all'. And I told him the incident ... and he said, 'That's crazy. You know I always loved your work. Gee, you were one of the best artists in the business. The guy's crazy'. So I said, 'Okay, come on'. We went over to Julie Schwartz's table and we told him what our problem was. And Carmine and I said, 'We don't remember the incident'. So Julie said, 'Well, it's a good story, anyway'. [laughs] And that was it. He let it go at that. [laughs] He just made it up".<ref>''Back Issue'' #13 (Dec. 2005), p. 6</ref>}}
==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}
==References==
* [http://www.carmineinfantino.com Carmine Infantino.com]
* [http://www.tcj.com/2_archives/i_infantino.html ''The Comics Journal'' #191: Carmine Infantino interview excerpt]
* [http://www.comics.org The Grand Comics Database]
* [http://www.reuben.org/ncs/awards.asp NCS Awards]
* [http://www.carmineinfantino.com Carmine Infantino .com]
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[[Category:1925 births]]
[[Category:American comics artists]]
[[Category:Comic book editors]]
[[Category:Italian-Americans]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Brooklyn]]
[[Category:School of Visual Arts faculty]]
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