Irv Novick
Encyclopedia
Irv Novick was an American comic book
artist who worked almost continuously from 1939 until the late 1990s.
, Novick got his start in the workshop of Harry "A" Chesler. From about 1939 to 1946, Novick was working for MLJ Comics, the company that would later be known as Archie Comics
. He became the primary artist for their superhero comics, including the characters The Shield (the first patriotic superhero), Bob Phantom, The Hangman, and Steel Sterling, until MLJ cut back on these titles to focus more on their Archie comics.
From 1946 to 1951, Novick worked in advertising and for the largely unsuccessful comic strips Cynthia
and The Scarlet Avenger. His long association with DC Comics
began when he was hired by editor Robert Kanigher
, who had previously written Novick-illustrated comics for MLJ. Novick and Kanigher would be friends and colleagues for many years. Initially, Novick was primarily artist on war comics like Our Army at War
and occasionally romance titles.
Novick left DC for the Johnstone and Cushing
advertising agency
in the 1960s, but was unhappy in advertising and was lured back to DC by Kanigher with a freelance contract, a guarantee of steady work and certain perks (which was at the time unprecedented). After editorial and management changes in 1968, Novick began drawing superhero titles like Batman
, Lois Lane
, and The Flash. He continued to work, still under contract, until failing eyesight prompted his retirement in the late 1990s.
A panel Novick drew in All-American Men at War #89 of a U.S. Air Force plane shooting down an enemy plane with the onomatopoeia "WHAAM!" was the basis of Roy Lichtenstein
's painting of that name
.
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
artist who worked almost continuously from 1939 until the late 1990s.
Biography
A graduate of the National Academy of DesignNational Academy of Design
The National Academy Museum and School of Fine Arts, founded in New York City as the National Academy of Design – known simply as the "National Academy" – is an honorary association of American artists founded in 1825 by Samuel F. B. Morse, Asher B. Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E...
, Novick got his start in the workshop of Harry "A" Chesler. From about 1939 to 1946, Novick was working for MLJ Comics, the company that would later be known as Archie Comics
Archie Comics
Archie Comics is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck, New York, known for its many series featuring the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones. The characters were created by...
. He became the primary artist for their superhero comics, including the characters The Shield (the first patriotic superhero), Bob Phantom, The Hangman, and Steel Sterling, until MLJ cut back on these titles to focus more on their Archie comics.
From 1946 to 1951, Novick worked in advertising and for the largely unsuccessful comic strips Cynthia
Cynthia
Cynthia is a feminine given name of Greek origin: Κυνθία, Kynthía, "from Mount Cynthus" on Delos island. It can be abbreviated as Cindy. There are various spellings for this name....
and The Scarlet Avenger. His long association with DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
began when he was hired by editor Robert Kanigher
Robert Kanigher
Robert Kanigher was a prolific comic book writer and editor whose career spanned five decades. He was involved with the Wonder Woman franchise for over twenty years, taking over the scripting from creator William Moulton Marston. In addition, Kanigher spent many years in charge of DC Comics' war...
, who had previously written Novick-illustrated comics for MLJ. Novick and Kanigher would be friends and colleagues for many years. Initially, Novick was primarily artist on war comics like Our Army at War
Our Army at War
Our Army at War was the title for a comic book published by DC Comics that featured war themed stories and was the first appearance for popular heroes such like Sgt. Rock and Enemy Ace. The series started in August 1952 and ended in February 1977....
and occasionally romance titles.
Novick left DC for the Johnstone and Cushing
Johnstone and Cushing
Johnstone and Cushing was an American advertising agency that specialized in comic strip-style advertisements that used many prominent cartoonists and commercial artists of the time...
advertising agency
Advertising agency
An advertising agency or ad agency is a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients. An ad agency is independent from the client and provides an outside point of view to the effort of selling the client's products or services...
in the 1960s, but was unhappy in advertising and was lured back to DC by Kanigher with a freelance contract, a guarantee of steady work and certain perks (which was at the time unprecedented). After editorial and management changes in 1968, Novick began drawing superhero titles like Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
, and The Flash. He continued to work, still under contract, until failing eyesight prompted his retirement in the late 1990s.
A panel Novick drew in All-American Men at War #89 of a U.S. Air Force plane shooting down an enemy plane with the onomatopoeia "WHAAM!" was the basis of Roy Lichtenstein
Roy Lichtenstein
Roy Lichtenstein was a prominent American pop artist. During the 1960s his paintings were exhibited at the Leo Castelli Gallery in New York City and along with Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, James Rosenquist and others he became a leading figure in the new art movement...
's painting of that name
Whaam!
Whaam! by pop artist Roy Lichtenstein. It is widely regarded as one of his finest and notable works. It follows the comic strip-based themes of some of his past paintings....
.
DC
- Action ComicsAction ComicsAction Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
(Superman) #537-538, 569 (1982–85) - Adventure ComicsAdventure ComicsAdventure Comics was a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983 and then revamped from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues , making it the fifth-longest-running DC series, behind Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman, and Batman...
(The Flash) #459-461 (1978–79) - BatmanBatman (comic book)Batman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27, published in May 1939. Batman proved to be so popular that a self-titled ongoing comic book series began publication in the spring of 1940...
#204-207, 209-12, 214-217, 219-222, 224-231, 235-236, 239-242, 246, 249-250, 252-254, 256-261, 266, 268, 271, 286, 310-311, 313-320, 322-335, 338-339, 341-342 (1968–81) - Batman FamilyBatman FamilyThe Batman Family was a DC Comics comic book series which ran from 1975 to 1978, primarily featuring stories starring supporting characters in the Batman comics...
(RobinRobin (comics)Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
) #6, 8, 12; (Robin & BatgirlBatgirlBatgirl is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, frequently depicted as female counterparts to the superhero Batman...
) #9 (1976–77) - Brave and The BoldThe Brave and the BoldThe Brave and the Bold is the title shared by many comic book series published by DC Comics. The first of these was published as an ongoing series from 1955 to 1983...
(BatmanBatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
& WildcatWildcat (comics)Wildcat is the name of several fictional characters, all DC Comics superheroes. The first and most famous of these is Ted Grant, a long-time member of the Justice Society of America...
) #88 (1970) - DC Comics PresentsDC Comics PresentsDC Comics Presents was a comic book published by DC Comics from 1978 to 1986 featuring team-ups between Superman and a wide variety of other characters of the DC Universe...
#40, 42, 44, 48, 60, 62, 69, 83 (1981–85) - DC Special SeriesDC Special SeriesDC Special Series was an umbrella title for one-shots and special issues published by DC Comics between 1977 and 1981. Each issue featured a different character and was often in a different format than the issue before it. DC Special Series was published in four different formats: Dollar Comics, 48...
(The Flash) #1, 11 (1977–78) - Detective ComicsDetective ComicsDetective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
(BatmanBatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
) #414-415, 418-419, 425, 427, 431, 434-435 (1971–73), #595 (1989); (Green ArrowGreen ArrowGreen Arrow is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and George Papp, he first appeared in More Fun Comics #73 in November 1941. His secret identity is Oliver Queen, billionaire and former mayor of fictional Star City...
) #524-525 (1983) - FlashThe Flash (comic book)The Flash is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics superhero of the same name. The character's first incarnation, Jay Garrick, first appeared in Flash Comics #1...
#200-204, 206-212, 215-270 (1970–79) - Four-Star Battle Tales #1-2 (1973)
- Green LanternGreen Lantern (comic book)Green Lantern is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics heroes of the same name. The character's first incarnation, Alan Scott, appeared in All-American Comics #16, and was later spun off into the first volume of Green Lantern in 1941. That series was canceled in 1949 after 39 issues...
(Green Lantern CorpsGreen Lantern CorpsThe Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic military/police force appearing in comics published by DC Comics. They patrol the farthest reaches of the DC Universe at the behest of the Guardians, a race of immortals residing on the planet Oa...
) #157-158 (1982) - JokerJoker (comics)The Joker is a fictional character, a comic book supervillain published by DC Comics. He is the archenemy of Batman, having been directly responsible for numerous tragedies in Batman's life, including the paralysis of Barbara Gordon and the death of Jason Todd, the second Robin...
#1-2, 5-9 (1975–76) - Secret OriginsSecret OriginsSecret Origins is the title of three American comic book series published by DC Comics.The title began in 1961 and for one issue, all reprints. The title Secret Origins of Super Heroes went onto a second series, also reprints, which ran for seven issues from 1973-1974...
, vol. 2, (Rocket RedRocket RedThe Rocket Red Brigade is a DC Comics superhero team. They first appeared in Green Lantern Corps #208 , and were created by Steve Englehart and Joe Staton.-History:...
) #34; (Teen Titans) Annual #3 (1988–89) - Strange Sports Stories #2, 4, 6 (1973–74)
- SupermanSuperman (comic book)Superman is an ongoing comic book series featuring the DC Comics hero of the same name. The character Superman began as one of several anthology features in the National Periodical Publications comic book Action Comics #1 in June 1938...
#393, 406-407 (1984–85) - Superman FamilySuperman FamilySuperman Family was a DC Comics comic book series which ran from 1974 to 1982 featuring stories starring supporting characters in the Superman comics...
(Clark KentClark KentClark Kent is a fictional character created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Appearing regularly in stories published by DC Comics, he debuted in Action Comics #1 and serves as the civilian and secret identity of the superhero Superman....
) #213; (Mr.Kal-LThe Superman of Earth-Two is a fictional character, a comic book superhero published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Justice League of America #73 . He is a version of the Kryptonian superhero Superman from an alternate reality called Earth-Two...
& Mrs. Superman) #214 (1981–82) - Superman Special #3 (1985)
- Superman's Girl Friend, Lois LaneSuperman's Girl Friend, Lois LaneSuperman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane was a comic book series published monthly by DC Comics focusing on the adventures of supporting character Lois Lane. The series began publication March/April 1958 and ended its run September/October 1974 with 137 regular issues and 2 80-page Annuals...
#82-85, 87-88, 90, 93, 96-101 (1968–70) - Teen Titans, vol. 1, #8-12 (1967); #45-46 (1976–77)
- Wonder WomanWonder WomanWonder Woman is a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 . The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986....
#213 (1974) - World's Finest ComicsWorld's Finest ComicsWorld's Finest Comics was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986. The series was initially titled World's Best Comics for its first issue; issue #2 switched to the more familiar name...
(Superman & Batman) #281-282; (Atom) #283 (1982)
Further reading
- Interview, Comic Book Marketplace #77 (April 2000), pp. 46–52. Gemstone Publishing. Reprinted in Alter Ego #82 (December 2008). TwoMorrows Publishing.
External links
- Irv Novick at the Lambiek Comiclopedia
- Evanier, MarkMark EvanierMark Stephen Evanier is an American comic book and television writer, particularly known for his humor work. He is also known for his columns and blogs, and for his work as a historian and biographer of the comics industry, in particular his award-winning Jack Kirby biography, Kirby: King of...
. "Irv Novick, R.I.P.", "POV Online" (column of October 15, 2004)