More about Gil Kane
Bill Warren
From the L.A. TIMES.
Gil Kane; Innovative Comic Book Artist
By MYRNA OLIVER, Times Staff Writer
Gil Kane, the comic book artist who spent more than half a century
sketching such memorable characters as the Atom, Green Lantern, the Hulk,
Captain Marvel and Spider-Man, has died. He was 73.
Kane, whose range extended to decorating stage sets and illustrating a
comic book version of Richard Wagner's opera cycle "Der Ring Des Nibelungen,"
died Monday in Miami of cancer, said his Los Angeles representative, Harris M.
Miller.
A self-taught artist who said it took him 25 years to grasp the artistic
principles of perspective and figure drawing, Kane became known for his dynamic
yet elegant figures, innovative fight scenes of superheroes and imaginative
space drawings.
He worked steadily from the age of 16 until he was recently overtaken by
his illness, and in his later years Kane became a thoughtful spokesman for the
comic book industry.
In the 1980s, Kane spent about five years in Los Angeles, working on
animation concepts for Hanna-Barbera and Ruby-Spears. But he soon returned to
comics, illustrating the "Ring" for writer Roy Thomas in 1990 and drawing new
versions of Superman and illustrating "The Edge" for frequent collaborator
Steven Grant.
Ever the self-critic, Kane scoffed at a 1998 anniversary issue of his
initial Green Lantern revival from 1959: "That crappy old stuff!"
But fans and collectors revered the work Kane did in that "Silver Age" of
comics from 1956 to 1969. During that period, he redesigned the costumes of
Green Lantern and, later, Captain Marvel and helped make the old superheroes
familiar to new generations of readers.
In his eclectic career, Kane designed what LA Weekly termed "a delightful
set," plastered with broken plates, shoes and doorknobs for a 1997 production
of the play "Lovely!" at the Santa Monica Playhouse. His comic artistry was
displayed locally in 1995 as part of the exhibit "KAPOW: A Showcase of
Superheroes" at the Muckenthaler Cultural Center in Fullerton.
Fittingly in his industry, Kane became a character in writer Alan Moore's
"Awesome's Judgment Day: Aftermath," which Kane illustrated.
Moore cast the artist as himself, a freelance "imagineer," and scripted:
"Once long ago, a tale processed had portrayed him as a prisoner of this
imaginary realm. If so, no freedom was ever so sweet, for he is master of the
mind-skies, mariner of epic tides. His name is Kane!"
The real Kane, who rated Moore "a remarkable writer . . . quite
wonderful," said after reading the script: "I was really surprised at the
opening and closing pages that cast me as a character."
Born Eli Katz in Latvia on April 6, 1926, Kane immigrated to New York with
his family when he was 3. He grew up to be an avid reader of comics and pulp
novels, so gravitated naturally into the business, beginning as a teenage
inker. He served in the Army toward the end of World War II.
Kane worked extensively for DC Comics and Marvel but also freelanced for
virtually every producer of the genre. He illustrated DC's panoply of lines
from mysteries and westerns to Rex the Wonder Dog and science fiction.
But he neither hit his artistic stride nor became famous until the late
1950s when DC revived Green Lantern and Kane took over its illustration. He
soon added a revival of the Atom as well.
Moving to Marvel, Kane drew the Hulk, Conan the Barbarian, Captain Marvel,
Spider-Man, Captain America, the Avengers and others and became a model for new
comic artists who studied his style. Despite his prolific output, he liked to
ink his own work, instead of leaving the details to assistants.
The innovative Kane also created a one-shot black and white comic in 1968
called "His Name Is Savage." Bleak, and for its time, shockingly violent, the
spy story for adults was considered by many to be the first graphic novel.
Others point to Kane's 1971 sword-and-sorcery "Blackmark" as the first of the
genre. Kane wrote as well as illustrated both books.
Kane also drew the "Starhawks" comic strip for newspapers for five years.
The artist is survived by his wife, Elaine; son, Scott, and two
stepchildren, Eric and Beverly.
Times staff writer Geoff Boucher contributed to this story.
John Gross
Bob Kane died in either 1998 or 1988 IIRC,
JG
"David Carson" <da...@neosoft.com> wrote in message
news:B90F17895AB9587D.E3634643...@lp.airnews.net...
> > But he neither hit his artistic stride nor became famous until the late
> >1950s when DC revived Green Lantern and Kane took over its illustration.
He
> >soon added a revival of the Atom as well.
> > Moving to Marvel, [snip]
>
> Traitor.
>
> David "DC" Carson
> --
> Why do you seek the living among the dead? -- Luke 24:5
> Who's Alive and Who's Dead
> http://www.neosoft.com/~davo/livedead/
Bill Warren
>Am wondering if he was related to Bob Kane, the creator of Batman comix?
Did you read the obituary?
Brad Ferguson
<B90F17895AB9587D.E3634643...@lp.airnews.net>,
David Carson <da...@neosoft.com> wrote:
> > But he neither hit his artistic stride nor became famous until the
> >late
> >1950s when DC revived Green Lantern and Kane took over its illustration. He
> >soon added a revival of the Atom as well.
> > Moving to Marvel, [snip]
>
> Traitor.
>
> David "DC" Carson
Was this around the time DC fired a number of writers and artists (e.g.
Gardner Fox) who asked for group health insurance? I think I remember
that Kane's work on Marvel's Captain Marvel began around then.
Matthew Hubbard
>
> > But he neither hit his artistic stride nor became famous until
> >the late 1950s when DC revived Green Lantern and Kane took over its
> >illustration. He soon added a revival of the Atom as well.
> > Moving to Marvel, [snip]
>
> Traitor.
Another questionable alternative lifestyle choice for Mr. Carson; in
the 1960's, Marvel kicked DC's butt early and often.
MattH
John Gross
"Bill Warren" <bill...@aol.com.exx> wrote in message
news:20000203143015...@ng-fr1.aol.com...
> >From: "John Gross" jfg...@ev1.net
>
> >Am wondering if he was related to Bob Kane, the creator of Batman comix?
>
> Did you read the obituary?
>
Yes, I did read the obit, twice. There is no mention of Batman or Bob Kane
being related. So I guess I don't understand your question.
JG
>
John Gross
John Gross
John Gross
Bill Warren
>Yes, I did read the obit, twice. There is no mention of Batman or Bob Kane
>being related. So I guess I don't understand your question.
Then I guess you missed the mention that Kane's original last name was Katz.
He wasn't related to Bob Kane (or Jack Kirby, for that matter).
Bill Warren
>
>Yes, I did read the obit, twice. There is no mention of Batman or Bob Kane
>being related. So I guess I don't understand your question.
You're probably not aware that your message appeared here four times.
Louis Epstein
My comic-collecting days were the mid-70s,but DC almost without
exception!!
Louis Epstein
: >From: "John Gross" jfg...@ev1.net
: >Yes, I did read the obit, twice. There is no mention of Batman or Bob Kane
: >being related. So I guess I don't understand your question.
: Then I guess you missed the mention that Kane's original last name was Katz.
Doesn't say Bob Kane WASN'T a Katz...so one can only infer,
not be assured,of non-relation.
John Gross
"Bill Warren" <bill...@aol.com.exx> wrote in message
news:20000203143015...@ng-fr1.aol.com...
> >From: "John Gross" jfg...@ev1.net
>
> >Am wondering if he was related to Bob Kane, the creator of Batman comix?
>
> Did you read the obituary?
>
Yes, I did read the obit, twice. There is no mention of Batman or Bob Kane
being related. So I guess I don't understand your question.
JG
>
Bill Warren
>Yes, I did read the obit, twice. There is no mention of Batman or Bob Kane
>being related. So I guess I don't understand your question.
Five times.
John Gross
post.
JG
"Bill Warren" <bill...@aol.com.exx> wrote in message
news:20000204110700...@ng-fk1.aol.com...
Matthew Hubbard
> : >
> : > Traitor.
> :
> : Another questionable alternative lifestyle choice for Mr.
> : Carson; in the 1960's, Marvel kicked DC's butt early and often.
>
> exception!!
See, David; you're in agreement with Louis Epstein. If that doesn't
prove the error of your younger days, I don't know what would.
MattH
Brad Ferguson
<ACA67689E51CB8F3.B55D3906...@lp.airnews.net>,
David Carson <da...@neosoft.com> wrote:
> On Thu, 03 Feb 2000 20:35:09 -0800, Matthew Hubbard <leof...@crl.com>
> wrote:
>
> >David Carson wrote:
> >>
> >> > But he neither hit his artistic stride nor became famous until
> >> >the late 1950s when DC revived Green Lantern and Kane took over its
> >> >illustration. He soon added a revival of the Atom as well.
> >> > Moving to Marvel, [snip]
> >>
> >> Traitor.
> >
> > Another questionable alternative lifestyle choice for Mr. Carson; in
> >the 1960's, Marvel kicked DC's butt early and often.
>
> I should have known MattH was a Marvel reader. I never understood those
> wackos.
I, on the other hand, was bicomical.
Matthew Hubbard
>
> I should have known MattH was a Marvel reader. I never understood
> those wackos.
What's to understand? If you are old enough, you'll remember what
dreck DC was putting out in the `60s; imaginary stories, Bizarro world,
BatMite, etc.; I especially remember "The Death of Superman! Not a
drea! Not a hoax! Not an imaginary story!" (One of those statements
turned out to be a lie.) Even when I was nine, I knew it was crap.
Marvel had Ditko, Kirby, Buscema, Romita, Barry (Windsor) Smith in the
late sixties; of the DC artists, I only cared for Neal Adams - who moved
to marvel later - and a little bit of Berni Wrightson.
MattL
P.S. Back on topic: Kane looked great when inked by Tom Palmer, but
then again, Don Heck was almost good when inked by Palmer.
Xx Red Rider xX
>Sorry about the repeats. My ISP went a >little nuts and sent repeats of the
>post.
>
>JG
FWIW, I read approx. 10 different newsgroups and _every one _ has been a victim
of multiple posts, all different ISP's. It's almost like all of usenet
hiccuped.
>"Bill Warren" <bill...@aol.com.exx> wrote in message
>news:20000204110700...@ng-fk1.aol.com...
>> >From: "John Gross" jfg...@ev1.net
>>
>> >
>> >Yes, I did read the obit, twice. There is no mention of Batman or Bob
>Kane
>> >being related. So I guess I don't understand your question.
>>
>> You're probably not aware that your message appeared here four times.
-----------------------
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