| Paul Reinman | |
|---|---|
| Born | 2 September 1910 Germany |
| Died | 27 September 1988 |
| Nationality | Naturalized American (immigrated German) |
| Area(s) | Inker |
Paul J. Reinman (2 September 1910, Germany—27 September 1988)[1][2] was an American comic book artist best known as one of industry legend's Jack Kirby's frequent inkers during what comics fans and historians call the Silver Age of comic books. This included such landmarks as the first issues of The Incredible Hulk and The X-Men.
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Paul Reinman entered the comic book field circa 1940, with his earliest confirmed work being at Timely Comics, the precursor of Marvel Comics, where he penciled and iked a seven-page story starring the superhero the Falcon (no relation to the Marvel superhero introduced in 1969) in The Human Torch #2 (Fall 1940). His earliest known signed story is the 12-page "Plague of the Poisoned Jewelry", starring super-speedster the Whizzer, in Timely's All Winners Comics #2 (Fall 1941).[3]
Also during this time, Reinman created or co-created (the writer is unknown) the superhero the Fireball in Pep Comics #12 (Feb. 1941), from publisher MLJ, the precursor of Archie Comics. It was the first of many characters and stories he would draw for that company throughout the 1940s period known as the Golden Age of Comic Books, in such titles as Blue Ribbon Comics, Hangman Comics, Jackpot Comics, Shield-Wizard Comics, Top-Notch Comics, and Zip Comics, on such characters as the Black Hood, the Hangman, and the Wizard.[3]
Reinman then began a long stint drawing for All-American Publications, one of the companies that later merged into DC Comics. He became one of the primary artists on the Golden Age Green Lantern (signing some of many covers and stories "P.R.") before succeeding series creators Ben Flinton and Jon Kozlak on the Atom from 1947 to 1949. In the flagship title All-American Comics and in All-Star Comics, Comic Cavalcade, Sensation Comics and others series, Reinman drew stories featuring those character and others, including Starman, Wildcat, and Wonder Woman.[3]
His sporadic work for Timely included Human Torch and Sub-Mariner stories in Captain America Comics and elsewhere. Reinman went on to pencil horror, science fiction, Bible stories, war fiction and other genres for Marvel's 1950s predecessor, Atlas Comics, starting with a seven-page horror comics story in Strange Tales #1 (June 1951).[3]
With the late-1950s return of comics legend Jack Kirby to Atlas Comics, on the cusp of it becoming Marvel, Reinman became a frequent Kirby inker in such "pre-superhero Marvel" science-fiction/fantasy anthologies as Strange Tales and Journey into Mystery, as well as on the espionage series Yellow Claw.[3]
Reinman would eventually ink Kirby on numerous landmark Marvel books, including The Incredible Hulk #1 (May 1962), The X-Men #1-5 (Sept. 1963 - May 1964), and The Avengers #2, 3 & 5 (Nov. 1963, Jan. & May 1964), giving a dark, scratchy moodiness distinct from the full, fleshy ink of Dick Ayers, the bold, blocky thickness of George Roussos, or the arid, tapestry-like flatness of Vince Colletta, three other Kirby inkers of the era.
In 1965, Reinman and Jerry Siegel created The Mighty Crusaders for Archie Comics' short-lived superhero line. Reinman also worked with Siegel on that company's version of the |Shadow, based on the 1930s radio and pulp magazine character.[3]
The prolific Reinman's other work includes numerous issues of Adventures into the Unknown and Forbidden Worlds for the small American Comics Group (AGC) in the 1950s and 1960s. He and writer-editor Richard E. Hughes co-created the spy character John Force in ACG's Magic Agent #1 (Feb. 1962).[3]
Reinman remained active through at least the mid-1970s, penciling Ka-Zar #1 (Jan. 1974) and assisting John Romita on the pencils of The Amazing Spider-Man #132 (May 1974).[3]
Reinman was living in West Palm Beach, Florida at the time of his death.[1]
Outside comic books, Reinman drew the Tarzan syndicated comic strip in 1949 and 1950, and the comic strip Merrie Chase in 1950 and 1951.[4]