Paul Reinman is an American comic book artist (born 1910, Germany) best known as one of Jack Kirby's Silver Age inkers, including on the first issues of The Incredible Hulk and The Uncanny X-Men.
Reinman broke into comics in the 1940s for the company that would evolve into DC Comics, working on such characters as the original Green Lantern and Wildcat before succeeding series creators Ben Flinton and Jon Kozlak on The Atom from 1947-49. Other Golden Age DC characters he drew include Starman and Wonder Woman. Reinman also worked for MLJ, the company that would become Archie Comics, on characters including the Black Hood, the Hangman and the Wizard. His Golden Age work for Timely, the 1940s predecessor of Marvel Comics, included Human Torch and Sub-Mariner stories in Captain America Comics and elsewhere.
He went on to pencil horror, science fiction, Bible stories, war fiction and other genres for Marvel's 1950s predecessor, Atlas Comics. With the late-'50s return of comics legend Jack Kirby to the company, Reinman became a frequent inker of Kirby's work in "pre-superhero" monster comics such as Strange Tales and Journey Into Mystery, as well as on the espionage series The Yellow Claw. Reinman would eventually ink Kirby on numerous landmark Marvel books, including The Incredible Hulk #1 (May 1962), The Uncanny 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 inks of Dick Ayers, the bold, blocky thickness of George Roussos or the arid, tapestry-like flatness of Vince Colletta, to name three other frequent Kirby inkers of that era.
In 1965, Reinman and Jerry Siegel created The Mighty Crusaders for Archie Comics' short-lived, unintentionally campy superhero line. Reinman also worked with Siegel on the company's The Shadow, based on the famous radio and pulp magazine character.
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 '60s. He and Richard E. Hughes co-created the the spy character John Force in ACG's Magic Agent #1 (Jan-Feb 1962).
Outside comics, Reinman drew the syndicated Tarzan comic strip in 1949 and 1950.
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).
External Links
- Ask Art: The American Artists Bluebook - Paul Reinman
- Lambiek Comiclopedia: Paul Reinman
- The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
- The Grand Comic Book Database
- "Esoteric Atlas: Bible Tales for Young Folk" by Dr. Michael J. Vassallo
- ERBzin-e #621: "Bob Hyde's Odyssey of a Tarzan Fanatic, Chapter XIV"
- Captain Comics column, Jan. 18, 2004: "There's the good, the bad and the so-bad-it's-good"
References
- Alter-Ego #42, Nov. 2004 (offline)