Posted By Dan Greenfield on May 24, 2015 | 2 comments

Carmine Infantino was born May 24, 1925 — 90 years ago today. He died two years ago but he left an extraordinary legacy.

If I were to pick a Mount Rushmore of Batman artists it would look something like this: Adams, Infantino, Rogers and a fourth one depending on my mood on a given day.

I can’t say enough, really, just how much Carmine Infantino‘s art affected me growing up. It was clean and cartoony and bright and wonderful, especially when inked by men like Murphy Anderson and Joe Giella (which I didn’t really understand at the time.)

An Infantino pin-up from Batman #181 — the first appearance of Poison Ivy. Those images of Batman and Robin became iconic, together and separately.

I have two Infantino prints on my wall (included below). He, as much as Adam West, defined the Batman of the ’60s in my mind. By the time I discovered comics, Infantino had already stopped drawing on a regular basis. But I collected those back issues and spent hours reading them and re-reading them, over and over and over.

Glorious work that to this day gives me a thrill.

I have a red-background version of this.

Again, iconic versions that were used on DC merchandise. Mego boxes used versions of these.

Funny thing is, there are probably just as many Flash fans out there who feel the same way. So when it came time to do what’s become our traditional 13 COVERS birthday salute, I had to break it up: 13 Batman covers, 13 Flash covers (which you can find here) and, because these are hardly the only characters he worked on or helped define, 13 covers featuring the likes of Adam Strange and other assorted heroes (which you can find here).

But for me, it starts with Batman.

I love the work of Carmine Infantino. Picking 13 Batman covers wasn’t easy, because you could just as easily pick 13 other covers. Or more. (In fact, two of them can be found in our 13 COVERS salute to Gardner Fox instead.)

I went with a selection that combines historic significance with personal taste — with some sentimental choices thrown in for good measure.

I shook his hand once. I wish I’d gotten to talk to him more.

Inks by Anderson. Originally a pin-up, probably the best known Batman and Robin image by Infantino.

Giella inks. On my wall.

Anderson inks. Also on my wall.

Giella inks

Giella inks

Anderson inks

Anderson inks

Giella inks

Giella inks

Anderson inks

Giella inks

Giella inks

Giella inks

Have your own choices? Feel free to add them in the comments below or in whatever social media thread you found this!

Credits and images from the Grand Comics Database.