Irv Novick 1916-2004

Irv Novick, R.I.P. 09:55 AM

Another great comic book artist of the medium's first generation has died. Irv Novick, seen in this 2002 photo with his loving wife Sylvia, passed away this morning following a long illness and a recent fall. He was 88 years old and had been drawing comics, pretty much without stopping, from 1939 until his retirement more than fifty years later. He was a graduate of the National Academy of Design. In '39, he worked briefly in the studio of Harry "A" Chesler, who paid low rates to young illustrators who cranked out pages in what Novick later called a "sweat shop atmosphere." Everyone told Novick he was good enough to get work on his own...and after a few months, he did. He went to work for MLJ (the company now known as Archie Comics) and his first-known work there was in Blue Ribbon Comics #2 (December, 1939) where his art introduced a new character, Bob Phantom, who stuck around for many years. The very next month, he did the cover and lead story of Pep Comics #1, which debuted The Shield, the first "patriotic" super-hero. Written by Harry Shorten, The Shield predated Captain America by a year, offering a similar premise and -- because both heroes wore the American flag -- similar costume.

Thereafter, Novick was MLJ's lead superhero artist, drawing all their major costumed characters at one time or another, including The Hangman and Steel Sterling, until they began cutting back on heroes and increasing their Archie titles around 1946. From '46 to '51, he worked on two syndicated strips -- Cynthia and The Scarlet Avenger -- neither of which achieved wide circulation. He also began working intermittently in advertising but that wasn't steady so he started drawing for DC, hired by editor Robert Kanigher, who had written many of the stories he'd drawn for MLJ. Kanigher was the DC war editor so Novick became a war artist, his work appearing in Our Army at War and all the DC combat titles, and occasionally in the romance books during the occasional periods when Kanigher worked on them. Kanigher had a reputation for being rough on artists but he loved Novick's work and, according to Irv, they never had a cross word in all their years of working together.

For many years, Novick drew for DC and also freelanced for Boys' Life magazine and for the Johnstone-Cushing advertising agency. In the mid-sixties, the agency offered him a full-time position and he briefly left comics. Novick was unhappy in the job and Kanigher was unhappy to lose one of his two favorite artists, Joe Kubert being the other. With Kanigher's intervention, Novick landed a then-unprecedented freelance contract with DC. It included many perks not available to other artists and guaranteed him the company's highest rate and steady work. When he finished one job, he had to immediately be given another. Kanigher had no trouble keeping him busy, though other artists complained that assignments promised to them would sometimes be suddenly diverted to Irv. After 1968 when Novick began working for other DC editors, there was sometimes a wild panic in the company's office: "We have to find a script to give Irv tomorrow!" The one story I wrote that Novick drew came about in part because editor Julius Schwartz needed something to keep Novick busy. (By that time, many artists had such contracts but for years, Novick was the only one.)

1968 was when artist Carmine Infantino was promoted into management at DC and charged with improving the look of the company's line. One of his first decisions was to rotate artists around, breaking up old editorial holds on certain talent. Novick stopped pencilling and inking war titles and became a full-time superhero penciller. His immediate tasks were Batman and Lois Lane but he eventually drew most of the top DC titles, including a long stint on The Flash. He only cut back as his eyes failed him in the late nineties.

I was honored and frustrated to interview Irv on several convention panels over the years -- an impossible task, for in front of an audience and microphone, he claimed to remember very little of his career and to have absolutely no fondness for any job or character over any other. Apart from a mild preference for working with his friend and neighbor, Bob Kanigher, he insisted it didn't matter. "I just drew what they gave me to draw," he'd say. "If it was Batman or Captain Storm or Flash...I didn't care." Some of his contemporaries would chide him for saying such things, for they'd seen the care and effort that went into Novick's pages...and in private, talking one-on-one with the man, you wouldn't get quite such a noncommittal attitude. And of course, you'd know it wasn't true when you looked at his art. I'm going to miss seeing him at conventions and trying with no success to get a decent answer out of the guy. He leaves behind an amazing body of top-notch comic illustration.

October 15, 2004

Irv Novick dead at 88

Mark Evanier is reporting that Golden Age artist Irv Novick has passed away at the age of 88.
As reported in The Pulse, Novick had been ailing for some time after a fall.

Novick had a long career that spanned from Archie to Robert Kanigher's DC war comics, to a stint redesigning Batman and other superheroes in the '60s. He is also known for creating The Shield.

(Link via Thought Baloons)

Posted by THE BEAT at October 15, 2004 02:44 PM

Comments

Aw, geez. That's a shame.

Irv Novick drew a run (ho-ho) of FLASH comics in the early 1970s—the first comics I ever remember reading, when I was a wee sprat. There was a full-page spread of the Flash running a gantlet of his united Rogue's Gallery, using their powers and weapons one against the other—just a model of dynamic storytelling. I can see it now, if I close my eyes; i's imprinted on my brain, not just my earliest comics-reading memory, but one of my earliest and clearest childhood memories, period.

Rest in peace, Irv. And thanks.

Posted by: Jack Fear at October 15, 2004 02:49 PM

Ah, darn.

Irv Novick drew some of my favorite issues of Batman and Flash over the years. He had the thankless task of taking over Batman after Neal Adams had left his powerful mark on the title, and Irv managed to keep the momentum going with his dynamic and charming pencils (most ably inked by Dick Giordano).

You know, Novick had a small but pleasant run on the Superman feature in Action Comics in the mid-Eighties, and I just happened to be rereading them last week as a direct result of Chris Reeve passing away, and now Irv goes too.

Darn.

Just darn.

But 88 years is a good run. Thanks for all the smiles and inspiration Irv, the world was made a better place by your being in it.

Ty Templeton

Posted by: Ty Templeton at October 15, 2004 09:27 PM

Man how sad...the first Batman comic I ever purchased was a beautiful IRV NOVICK issue! I can't honestly remember the issue or who wrote it, but it still one of fondest memories of comics in the 1970's. His fluid lines, I loved the thinnest of his characters and have a soft spot for his take on GORDON.

Sadly, another giant has passed! Hopefully if any good comes of this, like finally having him get the recognization he deserves. A craftsman in the comic book genre. Thank you Mr. Novick, I will fondly remember your art for many years to come.

Bklynartist

Posted by: Neil at October 15, 2004 10:04 PM

We've lost so many of my heros this year and last.
Irv and Gill Fox had so much in common. Both true PROS.
May Irv rest in peace. May all God's grace comfort his family.

Posted by: Guy Gilchrist at October 15, 2004 11:12 PM

I had the pleasure to interview Mr. Novick for COMICS BOOK MARKETPLACE a few years back.

As a child of the 1970s Novick *THE* Flash artist in my eyes, as well as his stunning and under-rated Batman.

Rest in peace...

Posted by: John Coates at October 16, 2004 09:39 PM

I was hitting my comic-book reading prime when Novick was drawing Batman and Flash--it was truly, for me, the Golden Age. Rest in peace, Mr Novick.

Posted by: john austin at October 16, 2004 10:50 PM

Lines: 38 X-Admin: news@aol.com From: rudypan@aol.com (RudyPAN) Newsgroups: alt.toys.gi-joe Date: 15 Oct 2004 20:38:57 GMT Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com Subject: Irv Novick RIP Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Message-ID: <20041015163857.22480.00000819@mb-m06.aol.com> The longtime artist of The Flash, Batman, and countless war stories for DC Comics and other publishers, and of special note to us GI Joe fans for his illustrations of the "Andy and George" ads for GI Joe, has passed away. Heres's the obituary from Newsarama, you should also check out Evanier's site: IRV NOVICK DIES Comics legend Irv Novik died this morning following a long illness. He was 88 years old. Novick began his career in comics in 1939 at MLJ (now Archie), drawing many of the company’s superhero characters. Novick’s art graced the debut of Pep Comics #1, which also served as the first appearance of The Shield. Years after, Novick moved to DC thanks to Robert Kanigher, and illustrated several of the publisher’s war comics. Novick moved in and out of comics throughout the years, but eventually returned to DC, where he worked freelance. Novick became known for his distinctive style on nearly all of DC’s superheroes, only stopping work – reluctantly – in the late ‘90s as his eyesight deteriorated. Most recently, Novick had suffered a fall in 2001 and had been confined to a wheelchair. Despite this, Novick and his wife Sylvia attended the 2002 San Diego Comic Con. In 2003, Novick entered a physical rehabilitation facility. DC Publisher and President said of Novick: "Irv was one of the stalwart heroes of the DC universe for decades, moving his deft pencil from title to title, and genre to genre. I'll miss his crisp wit and intelligence as much as his sharp lines, which I (among so many others) had the pleasure of watching bring my stories to life." Mark Evanier has written a tribute to Novick that can be found here. http://www.newsfromme.com/

Just heard. Just damn. I know he's an unknown guy to most of you but when almost ANYONE thinks about The Joker the image they see is Irv's. His was the definitive Joker... Great artist, great facial expressions, very fluid poses, top talent. We still have his work, at least and he lived a long life... Joe

one of the highlights of my joe career was spending a lot of time talking to Irv about his career, and spacifically his "Andy and George" work for Hasbro in DC comics. Lanny and I did a conferance call panel with him at the national con a few years back, and Irv was gracious and patient with us. The father of Andy and George rests...

My close friend lost his dad this morning in Dobbs Ferry New York. I will never forget being 18 and dating one of the Novick boys and sitting and watching Irv draw Batman and thinking "this is the coolest thing ever" And Irv Novick was the coolest guy ever. --

just ruth wrote: > My close friend lost his dad this morning in Dobbs Ferry New York. > > I will never forget being 18 and dating one of the Novick boys and > sitting and watching Irv draw Batman and thinking "this is the coolest > thing ever" > > And Irv Novick was the coolest guy ever. My sympathies to your friend, I was reading one of Irv's old Batman comics just last night, the man drew a VERY cool Batman and Robin.

On Fri, 15 Oct 2004 16:48:54 GMT, just ruth <irving@clownsrevil.net> wrote: >My close friend lost his dad this morning in Dobbs Ferry New York. > >I will never forget being 18 and dating one of the Novick boys and >sitting and watching Irv draw Batman and thinking "this is the coolest >thing ever" > >And Irv Novick was the coolest guy ever. > >-- Please pass along my sympathies to his family as well. Irv was a true talent and even though my comic reading days are (mostly) long behind me, I can still recall panels of Novick's Batman, and I'm sure those images will be with me for many years to come. --just another sad fan

"just ruth" <> wrote in message > Any long time old Batman comics readers might recognize the above name. > Novick drew Batman and The Flash and had a long career with DC comics. > He was also the father of a very good and very old friend of mine. I > remember being 18 and hanging at the Novick household watching Irv draw > Batman and thinking "This is the coolest thing ever". > > Irv died this morning in Dobbs Ferry New York. He was the coolest guy > ever. Ah, Ruth -- I'm so sorry. Prayers for the family.... offered The BEAST

I'm sitting here looking at an old page of original artwork, drawn by Irv and inked by Dick Giordano, from Detective Comics, back in 1967, one of the prizes of my collection. Irv did beautiful work. His pencils marked the transition of Batman from a cartoony, kitschy character into a creature of mystery and psychological drama, a precursor to Neal Adams' and, finally, Frank Miller's Dark Night. I didn't know Irv, but I knew his work, and he'll be missed. Rick

Another of comics' first artists has left us. I have some information up at my website, www.newsfromme.com ---------------------------------------------------- www.newsfromme.com (Mark Evanier's daily weblog) www.POVonline.com (Mark Evanier's not-daily website)

Mark Evanier wrote: > Another of comics' first artists has left us. > > I have some information up at my website, www.newsfromme.com Damn, I was just reading one of the old Batman's he drew last night, damn good stuff. Another sad loss, but he's left a rich body of work to remember him by...