Fri Oct 16, 2009 1:45PM6 comments ›
Fri Oct 16, 2009 — by Mike Gold
George Tuska, 1916 - 2009
One of the last of comics' first generation
Pioneer comic book and newspaper strip artist George Tuska died yesterday at the age of 93.
It’s hard to imagine an artist with a greater pedigree. Beginning in 1939, George worked on such features as The Avengers, Black Terror, Buck Rogers, Captain America, Captain Marvel (both Fawcett and Marvel), Challengers of the Unknown, Doc Savage, Green Lantern, The Hulk, Iron Man, Justice League of America (a.k.a. “The World’s Greatest Superheroes” newspaper stip), Luke Cage, Planet of the Apes, Scorchy Smith, Sub-Mariner, Superboy, Superman, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, Teen Titans, Uncle Sam… and that merely scratches the surface.
George was a gentle man who once had taken the extraordinary step of punching out well-known wiseass cartoonist Bob Powell while working in the Eisner-Iger shop. Will Eisner said Powell, as brilliant an artist as anybody in that hallowed shop, absolutely deserved it. The stuff of legend.
On a personal note, George was drawing the Buck Rogers newspaper strip during its final years, from 1959 to 1967. During that last year, I was an unpaid intern at the National Newspaper Syndicate and was allowed to contribute story concepts and ideas. As a 16 year-old, I was amazed and thrilled to be working anywhere near George Tuska.
Jump to comments (6) 
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Comments (6)
MARK WHEATLEY (2:18 PM on Fri Oct 16, 2009)
For my money Tuska was the best Buck Rogers artist and the best Iron Man artist. He could really tell a story.
mike weber (3:27 PM on Fri Oct 16, 2009)
"George was a gentle man who once had taken the extraordinary step of punching out well-known wiseass cartoonist Bob Powell while working in the Eisner-Iger shop."
Eisner's rendition of the incident in his semi-autobiographical-book-whose-title-i-have-forgot is wonderful.
John McCarthy (4:39 PM on Fri Oct 16, 2009)
Wow. This man contributed to making my childhood fun. One of the names I'd instantly recognize when I cracked open a comic book. I've got a saying that I've been using since shaking Stan Lee's hand at his MoCCA exhibit, it aptly describes how these creators have affected me.
Thank you, Mr. Tuska, your work has added to my life.
John McCarthy (4:38 PM on Fri Oct 16, 2009)
Wow. This man contributed to making my childhood fun. One of the names I'd instantly recognize when I cracked open a comic book. I've got a saying that I've been using since shaking Stan Lee's hand at his MoCCA exhibit, it aptly describes how these creators have affected me.
Thank you, Mr. Tuska,
Delmo Walters Jr. (3:53 PM on Fri Oct 16, 2009)
I'm still surprised that DC hasn't collected the whole run of "The World's Greatest Superheroes" strip. I doubt Tuska's passing will stir them to action. It was nice to see him still working, doing variant covers for Dynamite's "Project Superpowers" titles.
Anonymous (7:39 PM on Mon Dec 7, 2009)
George Tuska has been one of my favorite artists for the last 40 years. I've collected his original art for the past decade or so and I own every Marvel and DC comic he ever drew . His Iron Man, Luke Cage and Captain America runs are all incredible. And he illustrated a handful of the best Avengers comics ever. He drew fists and feet flying off the page better than anybody, even Jack Kirby, the greatest of them all.
He drew a full-size color commission of the Captain America #112 cover for me a few years ago. It is just as beautiful as the original cover by the King. George inked the inside of that book over Kirby pencils and it's still my favorite out of my 30,000 comics. I asked George's good friend Dewey Cassell to tell him how much I loved it. I've always hoped he passed that information on to Mr. Tuska.
These past few years I've spent countless hours trying to decide between four Iron Man covers and George's famous Avengers' Black Knight cover for my next big Tuska commission. I knew he was in his 90's but he looked so young and vibrant when I met him at an NYC show a few years back that I thought he's live forever. I really wish he had. I miss him very much and I really only knew him from his art and Dewey's excellent book on his life and work.
At the Wizard Philly show a couple of years ago, Jim Steranko went on and on about how wonderful George was and I can attest to that fact. God bless George Tuska and his family. May this gentle giant of the comic industry rest in peace. He has brought great joy to so many of us.