Things don’t always fit the way you want them to.
See, Ross Andru — who was born June 15, 1927 (and died in 1993) — drew some of my all-time favorite Spider-Man comics in the ’70s and I wanted to feature them in our 13 COVERS birthday salute. Problem is, he didn’t do the covers.
For example, check out this magnificent John Romita cover:
But, hey, at least Andru eventually took over cover duties, so we have 13 below!
Enjoy.
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Carmine Infantino did roughs. Andru did the finished pencils. Neal Adams did alterations. Dick Giordano and Terry Austin inked it. Phew.
Mike Esposito inks
Romita inks
Romita inks
Joe Sinnott inks
Frank Giacoia inks
Giacoia inks
Giacoia inks
Sinnott inks
Giacoia inks
Giacoia inks
Esposito inks
Esposito inks
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Cover images and credits from the amazing Grand Comics Database.
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June 18, 2016
Now you’re talking, Dan!
Ross Andru,…THE man for me, to me. The very first comic book ever bought was Amazing Spider-Man 134 and this guy named Ross Andru really put the hook in me with his layouts, his cinematic way of laying out a page, of telling a story. I’ve always said he was a director, an actor, a stunt coordinator, a cinematographer,… The man drew comic books like movies to me. In fact, I’ve always wanted to see more, or at least some, Ross Andru in every one of the Spider-Man movies they’ve made. I keep looking for that and it hasn’t really delivered, in my opinion. Not to the degree of Ross Andru. The closest I think anyone’s ever gotten to that wasn’t even in a Marvel movie. It was in the first Superman where Christopher Reeve is looking for a phone booth to change into and just finds a little phone kiosk instead. Which of course is taken directly from Superman versus Spider-Man that Ross Andrew Drew.
I know the title of a lot of these blogs is “13 covers” but you really need to see the inside of the books to what he did; to see the way the man worked. Highly unappreciated man. In fact, Josh Whedon is on record saying that “it’s all about Ross Andru to him when he thinks about Spider-Man.” Gil Kane said that Ross Andru was the greatest draftsman he ever saw.
Thanks for doing this. Good to know it was Ross Andru’s birthday.
June 18, 2016
I have to second Andy’s comments. When I started buying Spider-Man as a teenager with issue #132 Ross Andru came on in the next issue. I read Spidey up until around #200. Totally agree that Mr. Andru doesn’t get enough credit, but like many others feel, when I picture Spider-Man it’s Ross’s version that I see.
April 24, 2020
Such beautiful vintage cover art from the late Mr. Andru.