Al Gordon (comics)

Infobox Comics creator
name = Al Gordon


imagesize =
caption =
birthname = Alan Gordon
birthdate = birth date and age|1953|06|22
location = San Francisco, California
deathdate =
deathplace =
nationality = American
area = Inker
alias =
notable works = "Fantastic Four", "Justice League Of America", "Legion of Super Heroes", "WildStar"
awards = * Eisner Award, 2000

Alan Gordon (b. June 22, 1953, in San Francisco, California) is a comic book artist primarily known as an inker. He is best known for his 1990s work on DC Comics' "Legion of Super Heroes" and the "Justice League Of America", Marvel Comics' "Fantastic Four", and Image Comics' creator-owned "WildStar".

Biography

Early career

Gordon's career began in the mid-1970s as as penciler and inker of the story "A Christmas Carol", starring Michael T. Gilbert's funny-animal detective the Wraith, in "Quack" #6 (Dec. 1977), from the early independent comics publisher Star Reach. The following year, Gordon began freelance inking for Marvel Comics, working with pencilers Bob Budiansky and Steve Leialoha, respectively, on a backup story each in "Captain America" #220-221 (April-May 1978). He was the regular inker on "Spider-Woman", with penciler Carmine Infantino from #7-16 (Oct. 1978 - July 1979), and worked as well on at least one issue each of "The Avengers", "Ghost Rider", "Iron Man", "Marvel Premiere", "Marvel Team-Up", "Marvel Two-in-One", "Master of Kung Fu", "Power Man and Iron Fist", "The Spectacular Spider-Man" and "Thor Annual" through 1982.

DC and "DNAagents"

That year Gordon left Marvel for DC Comics to ink writer-penciler-co-creator Scott Shaw and fill-in penciler Stan Goldberg on the funny-animal superhero series "Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew". In 1983, Gordon did a year-and-a-half-long run at the independent Eclipse Comics, inking Will Meugniot on Will and Mark Evanier's "The DNAgents", as well as inking Rick Hoberg for the company's spin-off series "Surge" and its anthology "Eclipse Monthly".

Afterward, he returned to Marvel to become the regular inker on both a run of company's flagship series "Fantastic Four", and on the science-fiction adventure limited series "Rocket Raccoon" (with Mike Mignola penciling). Other work around this time includes issues of "The Eternals" and "Power Pack", and Marvel's licensed series "Thundercats" and "Transformers".

Freelancing once again for DC, Gordon in 1987 began inking Kevin Maguire while also working with plotter/thumbnail artist Keith Giffen on two of that era's most critically lauded seriesFact|date=May 2007, "Justice League" and "Justice League International". Two years later, Gordon, this time inking Giffen, also began cowriting with Giffen and Tom and Mary Bierbaum for DC's revived "Legion of Super Heroes". Gordon took over the writing and scripting chores for issues #21 though 24 (Aug. 1991), while continuing to ink Giffen.

Other late 1980s and 1990s work includes DC's "Valor" and "Timber Wolf" (the latter of which he also wrote and thumbnailed); writer Alan Moore's "Tom Strong" for DC’s imprint America's Best Comics; Awesome Entertainment's "Supreme" series, "Judgment Day Alpha"; Hero Comics' "Champions"; Image Comics' "Freak Force" and others.

In 1992 he began adapting a childhood creation, "WildStar," with Jerry Ordway for creator-owned company Image Comics. "WildStar: Sky Zero" was the title of the miniseries that was written, inked, edited and produced by Al, and penciled by Jerry Ordway.

He continued his working relationship with Ordway, inking Marvel's "The Avengers" vol. 2. Other 2000s work for Marvel includess "Captain Marvel" #25 (Sept. 2004) and "Marvel Holiday Special" #1 (Jan. 2006).

Awards

* Eisner Award (2000): Best Single Issue/Single Story - "Tom Strong" #1 (ABC Comics): "How Tom Strong Got Started," by Alan Moore, Chris Sprouse, and Al Gordon
* Eisner Award (2000): Best Serialized Story - "Tom Strong" #4–7 (ABC Comics), by Alan Moore, Chris Sprouse, Al Gordon, and guest artists

References

* [http://www.comics.org/ Grand Comics Database]
* [http://www.comicon.com/gordon/gordon.htm Gordon's homepage at Comicon.com]