George Roussos

George Roussos(/ˈruːsoʊs/;August 20, 1915 – February 19, 2000),also known under thepseudonymGeorge Bell,was an Americancomic bookartistbest known as one ofJack Kirby'sSilver Ageinkers,including on landmark early issues ofMarvel Comics'Fantastic Four.Over five decades, he created artwork for numerous publishers, includingEC Comics,and he was a staff colorist for Marvel Comics.

George Roussos
Roussos at his drawing board in 1941
Born	(1915-08-20)August 20, 1915 Washington, D.C.,U.S.
Died	February 19, 2000(2000-02-19)(aged 84) Bay Shore,New York,U.S.
Area(s)	Inker,Colourist
Pseudonym(s)	George Bell

Biography

Early life and career

George Roussos was born inWashington, D.C.,the son ofGreek-AmericansWilliam and Helen Roussos.After he and his sisters Helen and Alice were orphaned as children, George was sent to live at theBrooklynOrphan Asylum inNew York City,and attended Public School 125 in the Woodside neighborhood ofQueens.Roussos was influenced by the art ofcartoonistFrank Millerin theaviationcomic stripBarney Baxter in the Air.Other influences includedChester Gould,Stan Kaye, Robert Fawcett andHal Foster."I had no schooling [in art] except the things I learned by myself," Roussos said.

Comic books and comic strips

Roussos entered comics in 1939 aslettererof theSpanish-language version of thenewspaperpanelRipley's Believe It or Not,despite not being able to read Spanish.

The following year,Bob KaneandBill Fingerhired him to assist inkerJerry RobinsononBatmanstories. Roussos' duties included drawing backgrounds,inking,and lettering,starting as early asBatman#2 (Summer 1940).At the same time, he did similar duties onTarget and the Targeteers.He and Robinson would eventually leave the Kane studio to work directly for National Comics (the futureDC Comics) on Batman and other characters. Roussos worked on features starring theVigilante,Johnny Quick,Superman,andStarman.His most notable DC work was as penciller, inker,colorist,and lettererof theDetective Comicsbackup feature "Air Wave",on which he experimented, on at least one story, with using only shades of gray for color.He also was the co-creator, along withJerry Siegel,ofSuperwoman(the character first appeared in "Lois Lane -- Superwoman",Action Comics#60).

Other companies for which Roussos drew during the 1940sGolden Age of comic booksincluded Marvel-precursorTimely Comics,as well asAvon Publications,Standard/Better/Nedor,Family,Fiction House,Hillman Periodicals,Lev Gleason Publications,and Spark. He also did 16 internationally distributed educational pamphlets forGeneral Electric,receiving aWorld War IIdraft defermentto do so.The survey "The 20 Greatest Inkers of American Comic Books" placed Roussos at #15, saying he "was so adept with a brush in his hand that his co-workers appointed the nickname 'Inky' to him. His style was often thick, heavy with blacks, and sported nice contrasts which complimented [sic] one of his prime collaborators in the '50s,Mort Meskin."

Nedor Comics'Adventures Into Darkness#5, cover art by Roussos

After a brief attempt to open an art school with colleague Mort Meskin, Roussos added comic strips to his repertoire, assisting artistDan Barry'sFlash Gordon,Charles Flanders'The Lone Ranger,Dan Heilman'sJudge ParkerandSy Barry'sThe Phantom,and succeedingFred Kidaas artist onJudge Wrightfrom 1947 until the strip's demise the following year. Roussos unsuccessfully pitched syndication companies his own comic strips, such as thescience fictionfeature2001 A.D.in 1945, thearcheologystripAzeenain 1967, andTransisto,with Batman creatorBill Finger,in the late 1960s.

Comic-book clients during the 1950s included that decade's Marvel precursor,Atlas Comics,along withCrestwood,EC ComicsandSt. John Publications.For EC he did stories inCrime SuspenStories,Tales from the Crypt,Weird ScienceandWeird Fantasy.

Silver Age Marvel

One of comics' most famous covers:The Avengers#4 (March 1964), penciled byJack Kirbyand inked by Roussos.

In the 1960s, during the period fans and historians call theSilver Age of Comic Books,Roussos gained prominence under thepseudonym"George Bell"when he became Jack Kirby's inker on landmark early issues ofMarvel Comics'superheroteam titleFantastic Four.These included #21–27 (Dec. 1963 – June 1964), which featured the firstHulkvs.Thingbattle. As well, Roussos had inked the Kirby covers of issues #11, 13, and 18–20. Roussos also inked the return ofCaptain AmericainThe Avengers#4 (March 1964) — the cover of which has become one of comics' most famous — as well as Kirby'sSgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos#3–7 (Sept. 1963 – March 1964).In addition, though Marvel Comics did not credit colorists at this time, Roussos later claimed that he always colored any comic that he inked.

Later life and career

After doing some work forWarren Publishing's black-and-whitehorror-comicsmagazinesin 1970 and 1971, Roussos in 1972 succeededMarie Severinas Marvel's full-time, in-house colorist.In the early 1980s, Roussos was Marvel's cover colorist.

Roussos was aRenaissance manwhose myriad interests includedarchitecture,astronomy,automobiles,gardening,natural medicine,philosophyandphotography.He took photographs of various Long Island estates, and his photographs at theBayard Cutting Arboretum State Parkwere collected in his book,TheBayard CuttingArboretum History.

Roussos died of a heart attack. He was married twice: to Viola Fink, followed by Florence Lacey (married 17 November 1980, died 1998). Roussos had three sons (William, Robert and Louis) and a daughter (Marie).

Books by Roussos

• Roussos, George.The Bayard Cutting Arboretum History: A History and Description of William Bayard Cutting and His Country House, Westbrook, Great River, L.I.Oakdale, New York:The Board of Trustees and theLong IslandState Park and Recreation Commission, 1984.

External links

• The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators