Ross Andru facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ross Andru |
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Andru in 1977
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| Born | Rostislav Androuchkevitch June 15, 1927 Highland Park, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | November 9, 1993 (aged 66) Long Island, New York, U.S. |
| Area(s) | Penciller, Inker, Editor |
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Notable works
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The Amazing Spider-Man The Flash Metal Men Superman vs. Spider-Man Wonder Woman |
Ross Andru (born Rostislav Androuchkevitch, June 15, 1927 – November 9, 1993) was a talented American comics artist and editor. He worked in the comics world for over 40 years. He is most famous for his art on popular comics like The Amazing Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and The Metal Men. He also helped create the character called The Punisher.
Ross Andru often worked with Mike Esposito, who was an inker. They worked together for four decades! They even started a few small comic book companies together, including Mr. Publications and MikeRoss.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Ross Andru was born in Highland Park, Michigan, on June 15, 1927. His parents were from Russia and moved to the U.S. in 1926. Ross grew up in Cleveland, Ohio.
Later, he moved to New York City. There, he went to The High School of Music & Art. A good friend and classmate there was Mike Esposito, who would become his long-time partner. They even made flip-book animations together as students. Ross joined the U.S. Army in 1945 and left in 1946.
In 1947, Ross went to the Cartoonists and Illustrators School. He studied under a famous artist named Burne Hogarth. Mike Esposito was also in his class again.
Comic Book Career
Starting Out
In 1946, Ross Andru worked for an animation studio. He drew pictures for Chiclets chewing gum commercials.
His first professional comic work was in 1948. He drew layouts for the Tarzan newspaper strip. His friend Mike Esposito remembered that their teacher, Burne Hogarth, saw Ross's talent. Hogarth asked Ross to help him with the Tarzan strip. Ross would draw the basic layouts, and Hogarth would finish the art. This helped Ross learn a lot about visual storytelling.
Working with Mike Esposito
Ross Andru, who drew the pencils, and Mike Esposito, who did the inking, started working together around 1949. Their first confirmed comic book work together was in 1950.
They soon decided to start their own comic book companies. One was called Mr. Publications, which released a comic called Mister Universe. They also co-founded Mikeross Publications in 1953. This company published romance comics and a humor comic called Get Lost.
Working for DC Comics
In 1953, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito began a long career at DC Comics. They became one of the main art teams for DC's war comics. They drew many exciting combat stories for titles like All-American Men of War and Our Army at War.
Ross Andru started drawing Wonder Woman in 1958. He worked on the comic for nine years. With writer Robert Kanigher, he helped create the look of Wonder Woman for the Silver Age of Comic Books. This was a very important time for comics.
Ross Andru also helped create the robot superheroes called The Metal Men. They first appeared in Showcase #37 in 1962. He drew the first 29 issues of their own comic book series.
Andru and Kanigher also created other cool features. They introduced "Gunner and Sarge" in a war comic. They also helped bring the Suicide Squad to life in The Brave and the Bold #25 in 1959.
Another unique idea they had was "The War that Time Forgot". This was a war comic that mixed in science-fiction. It was set on a mysterious island full of living dinosaurs during World War II!
In 1967, Ross Andru started drawing The Flash. He and Mike Esposito drew the super-speedy hero's adventures for several years.
Other Projects
In 1968, Ross Andru drew a Spider-Man story. It was meant to be a fill-in issue for The Amazing Spider-Man. But it ended up in Marvel Super-Heroes #14 instead.
In the early 1970s, Ross Andru and Mike Esposito worked for a publisher called Skywald. They drew many stories for horror and Western comics. They also created a motorcycle-riding superhero called Hell-Rider.
Andru and Esposito also formed their own publishing company, Klevart Enterprises, in 1970. They published a humor magazine called Up Your Nose (and Out Your Ear).
Working for Marvel Comics
In the early 1970s, Ross Andru moved to Marvel Comics. He drew the first issue of Marvel Feature, which introduced the superhero team the Defenders. He also worked on Marvel Team-Up, where Spider-Man teamed up with other Marvel heroes.
In 1973, he became the main artist for The Amazing Spider-Man. This was Marvel's best-selling comic at the time. Ross Andru and writer Gerry Conway introduced the Punisher. The Punisher became one of Marvel Comics' most popular characters.
In 1976, Ross Andru drew a very special comic book. It was the first big Intercompany crossover between Marvel and DC Comics. It was called Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man. This comic was a huge moment in comic book history!
Back to DC Comics
In 1978, Ross Andru went back to DC Comics. He worked as an editor until 1986. During this time, his art mostly appeared on the covers of comics like Action Comics and Superman. He and inker Dick Giordano drew many covers for DC's comics.
In the 1980s, Andru started drawing inside the comics again. He drew a special Superman treasury edition. He also drew some issues of Wonder Woman and World's Finest Comics. He contributed to the DC Challenge series and drew for Vigilante and Blue Beetle.
Ross Andru also helped create a cookbook for kids! In 1981, he drew various Justice League characters. They explained food recipes to kids aged 9-11 in the DC Super Heroes Super Healthy Cookbook.
Later Career
In 1990, Ross Andru drew a story for Valiant Comics' Captain N: The Game Master. He also worked with writer Gerry Conway and inker Mike Esposito again for a story in Web of Spider-Man Annual #6. In 1992, they all worked on a graphic novel called Spider-Man: Fear Itself.
Ross Andru's last published work was for Archie Comics' Zen, Intergalactic Ninja in 1992. He worked with Mike Esposito on that project too.
Art Style
Gerry Conway, a writer who worked with Ross Andru, said that Ross was amazing at drawing characters in space. He could draw battles across rooftops easily. He was great at showing characters moving through a scene while the background stayed the same. Ross even took pictures of New York City buildings to make sure his drawings of Spider-Man's city were accurate.
Death
Ross Andru passed away on November 9, 1993, in New York. He was 66 years old.
Awards and Tributes
Ross Andru was honored for his work in 2007. He was added to the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame. This is a special place for very important comic book creators.
In a comic called Ultimate Spider-Man issue #87 (published in 2006), a character named "Ross Andru" appears as the principal of Peter Parker's high school. This was a way to honor the artist.
