Dick Giordano

Dick Giordano was one of American comics' most versatile and influential figures, working as an artist, inker, editor, and occasional writer across a career that stretched from the early 1950s until his death. Born Richard Joseph Giordano on July 20, 1932, he passed away on March 27, 2010.

Giordano came up through the industry during comics' Silver Age, eventually becoming editor at Charlton Comics, where he helped develop and shepherd the publisher's "Action Heroes" line of superheroes — a stable that would later prove enormously consequential when several of those characters inspired Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons during the creation of *Watchmen*. His editorial instincts and eye for talent made him a sought-after collaborator throughout his career.

He later joined DC Comics, eventually rising to executive editor, while continuing to produce artwork himself. His fluid, expressive inking became closely associated with DC's marquee characters — Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and Green Arrow among them — and he worked alongside some of the medium's most celebrated pencillers, his lines consistently elevating the pages beneath his brush.

Giordano's combination of creative and editorial roles gave him an unusually broad influence on the shape of mainstream American superhero comics from the 1960s through the 1980s and beyond. He remained a respected and warmly regarded figure in the industry throughout his life.