Irving Novick (; April 11, 1916 – October 15, 2004) was an
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
comics artist
A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary and g ...
who worked almost continuously from 1939 until the 1990s.
Career
A graduate of the
National Academy of Design
The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samuel Morse, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, and others "to promote the ...
, Irv Novick got his start in the workshop of
Harry "A" Chesler
Harry Chesler (January 12, 1897, or January 12, 1898 (sources differ) – December 1981),Harr ...
. From about 1939 to 1946, Novick was working for
MLJ Comics
Archie Comic Publications, Inc., is an American comic book publisher headquartered in Pelham, New York.Archie Comics
Archie Comic Publications, Inc., is an American comic book publisher headquartered in Pelham, New York. He became the primary artist for their superhero comics, including the characters the
Shield
A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry or projectiles such as arrows, by means of ...
(the first patriotic superhero), Bob Phantom, the Hangman, and Steel Sterling, until MLJ cut back on these titles to focus more on their
Archie
Archie is a masculine given name, a diminutive of Archibald. It may refer to:
People Given name or nickname
*Archie Alexander (1888–1958), African-American mathematician, engineer and governor of the US Virgin Islands
* Archie Blake (mathemati ...
comics.
He joined the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...
on April 17, 1943.
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
DC Comics, Inc. ( doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.
DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with the ...
began when he was hired by editor
Robert Kanigher
Robert "Bob" Kanigher (; June 18, 1915 – May 7, 2002)Social Security Death Index, social security #116-07-5117. was an American comic book writer and editor whose career spanned five decades. He was involved with the Wonder Woman franchise for ...
, who had previously written Novick-illustrated comics for MLJ. Novick and Kanigher would be friends and colleagues for many years. Initially, Novick was primarily an artist on
war comics
War comics is a genre of comic books that gained popularity in English-speaking countries following World War II.
History American war comics
Shortly after the birth of the modern comic book in the mid- to late 1930s, comics publishers began incl ...
romance comics
Romance comics is a comics genre depicting strong and close romantic love and its attendant complications such as jealousy, marriage, divorce, betrayal, and heartache. The term is generally associated with an American comic books genre published t ...
. Kanigher and Novick introduced the
Silent Knight
The Silent Knight (Brian Kent, cy, Marchog Tewi) is a fictional medieval hero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #1 (August 1955) and was created by Robert Kanigher and I ...
character in ''
The Brave and the Bold
''The Brave and the Bold'' is a comic book series published by DC Comics as an ongoing series from 1955 to 1983. It was followed by two mini-series in 1991 and 1999, and was revived as an ongoing title in 2007. The focus of the series has varie ...
advertising agency
An advertising agency, often referred to as a creative agency or an ad agency, is a business dedicated to creating, planning, and handling advertising and sometimes other forms of promotion and marketing for its clients. An ad agency is generally ...
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 such as ''
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...
'', ''
Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane
''Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane'' is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics. The series focusing on the adventures of Lois Lane began publication with a March/April 1958 cover date and ended its run in September/October 1 ...
'', and ''
The Flash
The Flash (or simply Flash) is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date ...
''. Novick and writer
Frank Robbins
Franklin Robbins (September 9, 1917 – November 28, 1994) was an American comic book and comic strip artist and writer, as well as a prominent painter whose work appeared in museums including the Whitney Museum of American Art, where one of his p ...
crafted the story which revealed the last name of
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...
's butler
Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth is a fictional Character (arts), character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman.
Pennyworth is depicted as Bruce Wayne's loyal and tire ...
in ''Batman'' #216 (Nov. 1969). The Robbins and Novick team was instrumental in returning Batman to the character's gothic roots, such as in the story "One Bullet Too Many". Robbins and Novick created the
Ten-Eyed Man
The Ten-Eyed Man is a fictional character in DC Comics. He first appeared in '' Batman'' #226 (Nov. 1970) and was created by Frank Robbins, Irv Novick, and Dick Giordano.
Fictional character biography Pre-''Crisis''
Philip Reardon served as a sold ...
in ''Batman'' #226 (Nov. 1970) and the
Spook
Spook is a synonym for ghost. Spook or spooks may also refer to:
People
* Spook (nickname), shared by several notable people
* Per Spook (born 1939), Norwegian fashion designer
* a ghostwriter
* a racial slur referring to a black person
* an unde ...
in ''
Detective Comics
''Detective Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing the superhero Batman i ...
'' #434 (April 1973). He and
Dennis O'Neil
Dennis Joseph O'Neil (May 3, 1939 – June 11, 2020) was an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics from the 1960s through the 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of titles until his retir ...
launched ''
The Joker
The Joker is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, and first appeared in the debut issue of the comic book '' Batman'' on April 25, 1 ...
'' series in May 1975. Novick drew the introductions of Duela Dent in ''
Batman Family
A collective of fictional characters appear in American comic books published by DC Comics featuring the superhero Batman as the main protagonist.
Since Batman's introduction in 1939, the character has accumulated a number of recognizable suppo ...
'' #6 (July–Aug. 1976) and the
Electrocutioner
The Electrocutioner is an alias used by three fictional characters in the DC Universe, all minor enemies of the superhero Batman.
Publication history
The first Electrocutioner (known only as Buchinsky) appeared in ''Batman'' #331 (January 1981) ...
in ''Batman'' #331 (Jan. 1981). Novick continued to work, still under contract, until failing eyesight prompted his retirement in the 1990s.
U.S. Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...
plane shooting down an enemy plane with the
onomatopoeia
Onomatopoeia is the process of creating a word that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes. Such a word itself is also called an onomatopoeia. Common onomatopoeias include animal noises such as ''oink'', ''m ...
"WHAAM!" was later appropriated for
Roy Lichtenstein
Roy Fox Lichtenstein (; October 27, 1923 – September 29, 1997) was an American pop artist. During the 1960s, along with Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, and James Rosenquist among others, he became a leading figure in the new art movement. ...
Inkpot Award
The Inkpot Award is an honor bestowed annually since 1974 by Comic-Con International. It is given to professionals in the fields of comic books, comic strips, animation, science fiction, and related areas of popular culture, at CCI's annual conv ...
in 1995.
Bibliography
DC Comics
*''
Action Comics
''Action Comics'' is an American comic book/ magazine series that introduced Superman, one of the first major superhero characters. The publisher was originally known as National Allied Publications, and later as National Comics Publications ...
'' (Superman) #537–538, 569 (1982–1985)
*''
Adventure Comics
''Adventure Comics'' is an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1938 to 1983 and revived from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues (472 of those after the title changed from ''New Adventure Comics''), ...
'' (
The Flash
The Flash (or simply Flash) is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date ...
) #459–461 (1978–1979)
*'' All-American Men of War'' #127–128 (1952)
*''All-American Men of War'' vol. 2 #4–10, 16, 19, 21–23, 25, 33, 35, 40, 45–46, 50, 54, 56, 61, 70, 77, 81–89, 92–111, 115, 117 (1953–1966)
*''
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...
Batman Family
A collective of fictional characters appear in American comic books published by DC Comics featuring the superhero Batman as the main protagonist.
Since Batman's introduction in 1939, the character has accumulated a number of recognizable suppo ...
'' (
Robin
Robin may refer to:
Animals
* Australasian robins, red-breasted songbirds of the family Petroicidae
* Many members of the subfamily Saxicolinae (Old World chats), including:
**European robin (''Erithacus rubecula'')
** Bush-robin
**Forest r ...
) #6, 8, 12; (Robin and
Batgirl
Batgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts and allies to the superhero Batman. Although the character Betty Kane was introduced into publication in ...
) #9 (1976–1977)
*''
The Brave and the Bold
''The Brave and the Bold'' is a comic book series published by DC Comics as an ongoing series from 1955 to 1983. It was followed by two mini-series in 1991 and 1999, and was revived as an ongoing title in 2007. The focus of the series has varie ...
'' #1–21, 88 (1955–1970)
*''Captain Storm'' #1–11, 14, 17–18 (1964–1967)
*'' DC Comics Presents'' #40, 42, 44, 48, 60, 62, 69, 83 (1981–1985)
*'' DC Special Series'' (The Flash) #1, 11 (1977–1978)
*''
Detective Comics
''Detective Comics'' is an American comic book series published by Detective Comics, later shortened to DC Comics. The first volume, published from 1937 to 2011 (and later continued in 2016), is best known for introducing the superhero Batman i ...
'' (
Elongated Man
Elongated Man (Randolph "Ralph" Dibny) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He first appeared in ''Flash (comics), The Flash'' #112 (February 25, 1960).
The character made his live-action debut in the The Fl ...
) #364 (1967); (
Batman
Batman is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on March 30, 1939. I ...
Green Arrow
Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in '' More Fun Comics'' #73 in November 1941. His real name is Oliver Jonas Quee ...
) #523–525 (1983)
*''Falling In Love'' #1 (1955)
*''
The Flash
The Flash (or simply Flash) is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date ...
Girls' Love Stories
''Girls' Love Stories'' was an American romance comic book magazine published by DC Comics in the United States. Started in 1949 as DC's first romance title, it ran for 180 issues, ending with the Nov-Dec 1973 issue. The stories covered such topic ...
'' #27 (1954)
*''
Green Lantern
Green Lantern is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. They fight evil with the aid of rings that grant them a variety of extraordinary powers, all of which come from imagination, fearlessness, ...
'' (
Green Lantern Corps
Green Lantern Corps is the name of a fictional intergalactic law enforcement organization 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 ...
) #157–158 (1982)
*''
The Joker
The Joker is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, and first appeared in the debut issue of the comic book '' Batman'' on April 25, 1 ...
Our Fighting Forces
''Our Fighting Forces'' is a war comics anthology series published by DC Comics for 181 issues from 1954–1978.
Publication history
''Our Fighting Forces'' began with an October–November 1954 cover date. Writer-editor Robert Kanigher's wo ...
Secret Origins
''Secret Origins'' is the title of several comic book series published by DC Comics which featured the Origin story, origin stories of the publisher's various characters.
Publication history
''Secret Origins'' was first published as a One-shot ( ...
'', vol. 2, (
Rocket Red
Rocket Red (russian: Ракетно-Красный, Raketno-Krasnyy) is a fictional character and comic book superhero from the DC Comics universe. Created by Steve Englehart and Joe Staton, he first appeared in ''Green Lantern Corps '' #208 ...
) #34; (
Teen Titans
The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to ...
) ''Annual'' #3 (1988–1989)
*''
Star Spangled War Stories
''Star Spangled War Stories'' was the title of a comics anthology published by DC Comics that featured war-themed characters and stories. Among the features published in this series were writer-editor Robert Kanigher and artist Jerry Grandenetti ...
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book '' Action Comics'' #1 ( cover-dated June 1938 and pu ...
Mr.
''Mister'', usually written in its contracted form ''Mr.'' or ''Mr'', is a commonly used English honorific for men without a higher honorific, or professional title, or any of various designations of office. The title 'Mr' derived from earlier ...
and
Mrs.
Mrs. (American English) or Mrs (British English; standard English pronunciation: ) is a commonly used English honorific for women, usually for those who are married and who do not instead use another title (or rank), such as ''Doctor'', ''Profe ...
Superman) #213–215, 221 (1981–1982)
*''
Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane
''Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane'' is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics. The series focusing on the adventures of Lois Lane began publication with a March/April 1958 cover date and ended its run in September/October 1 ...
'' #82–85, 87–88, 90, 93, 96–103 (1968–1970)
*''
Teen Titans
The Teen Titans are a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, frequently in eponymous monthly series. As the group's name indicates, the members are teenage superheroes, many of whom have acted as sidekicks to ...
'' #8–10, 12, 45–46 (1967–1977)
*''
Tomahawk
A tomahawk is a type of single-handed axe used by the many Indigenous peoples and nations of North America. It traditionally resembles a hatchet with a straight shaft. In pre-colonial times the head was made of stone, bone, or antler, and Eur ...
'' #113 (1967)
*''
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byrne, are credited as bein ...
'' #173–176, 213, 318 (1967–1984)
*''
World's Finest Comics
''World'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 (Summer 1941) switched to the more familiar name. Michael ...
'' (Superman and Batman) #281–282; (The
Atom
Every atom is composed of a nucleus and one or more electrons bound to the nucleus. The nucleus is made of one or more protons and a number of neutrons. Only the most common variety of hydrogen has no neutrons.
Every solid, liquid, gas, a ...
) #283 (1982)
References
Further reading
*Interview, ''Comic Book Marketplace'' #77 (April 2000), pp. 46–52.
Gemstone Publishing
Gemstone Publishing is an American company that publishes comic book price guides. The company was formed by Diamond Comic Distributors President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Geppi in 1994 when he bought Overstreet.
Gemstone published licen ...
. Reprinted in ''
Alter Ego
An alter ego (Latin for "other I", "doppelgänger") means an alternate self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other self, one with a different ...
'' #82 (December 2008).
TwoMorrows Publishing
TwoMorrows Publishing is a publisher of magazines about comic books, founded in 1994 by John and Pam Morrow out of their small advertising agency in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Its products also include books and DVDs.
List of magaz ...