Al Gordon


Alan Gordon is an American comic book creator primarily known as an inker and writer. He is best known for his 1990s work on DC Comics' Legion of Super Heroes and the Justice League of America, Marvel Comics' Fantastic Four, and Image Comics' creator-owned WildStar. He is not to be confused with another Al Gordon who illustrated comics in the 1950s.

Biography

Early life and career

Image:Silver Surfer Cropped 2.jpg|thumb|Pencils by Jack Kirby. Inks by Al Gordon. Colors by John Heebink
Gordon was born in San Francisco, California, on June 22, 1953. Gordon's career began in the mid-1970s as inker of the story "A Christmas Carol", starring Michael T. Gilbert's talking animal detective the Wraith, in Quack #6, from the early independent comics publisher Star Reach. The following year, Gordon began freelance inking for Marvel Comics, working with pencilers Bob Budiansky and Steve Leialoha, respectively, on a backup story each in Captain America #220-221. He was the regular inker on Spider-Woman, with penciler Carmine Infantino from #7-16, and worked as well on at least one issue each of The Avengers, Ghost Rider, Iron Man, Marvel Premiere, Marvel Team-Up, Marvel Two-in-One, Master of Kung Fu, Power Man and Iron Fist, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Thor Annual and "What If..." through 1982.

1980-1990s

In 1982, Gordon left Marvel for DC Comics to ink writer-penciler-co-creator Scott Shaw and fill-in penciler Stan Goldberg on the series Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew!. In 1983, Gordon did a year-and-a-half run at the independent Eclipse Comics, inking Will Meugniot on Will and Mark Evanier's The DNAgents, as well as inking Rick Hoberg for the company's spin-off series Surge and its anthology Eclipse Monthly.
Afterward, he returned to Marvel to become the regular inker on the company's flagship series Fantastic Four, and on the science-fiction adventure limited series Rocket Raccoon. Other work around this time includes issues of The Eternals and Power Pack, and Marvel's licensed series ThunderCats and Transformers.
Freelancing once again for DC, Gordon in 1987 began inking Kevin Maguire while working with plotter/thumbnail artist Keith Giffen on Justice League International. Two years later, Gordon, this time inking Giffen, also began cowriting with Giffen and Tom and Mary Bierbaum for DC's revamped Legion of Super Heroes. Gordon took over complete writing and scripting for issues #21 though 24, while continuing to ink Giffen.
In 1992 he began WildStar with Jerry Ordway for Image Comics. The WildStar: Sky Zero miniseries was written, inked, edited and produced by Gordon with pencils by Jerry Ordway. A continuing WildStar series followed with penciler Chris Marrinan.
Other late 1980s and 1990s work includes issues of Marvel's Sensational She-Hulk and Silver Surfer and a run over penciler Erik Larsen on The Amazing Spider-Man; DC's Valor and Timber Wolf ; Hero Comics' Champions; Awesome Entertainment's "Supreme" series and Judgment Day Alpha both written by Alan Moore; Tom Strong written by Alan Moore for DC's imprint America's Best Comics; Image Comics' Freak Force and others.

2000s-2010s

He continued his working relationship with Ordway, inking Marvel's The Avengers vol. 2. Other 2000s work for Marvel includes Captain Marvel #25 and Marvel Holiday Special #1.
[Image:Red Sonja (sized).jpg|thumb|Red Sonja ala Nagle/Mucha/Peter Max - Electric Nouveau. Art by Al Gordon]

Other media

Outside of comics, Gordon has also done commercial and advertising art, fashion illustration, advertising and commercial voice overs including audiobooks, and played in rock bands.

Awards

Gordon has received two Eisner Awards and several Eisner Award and Harvey Award nominations:
Awards
Nominations

Inker

New Men (Image Comics) Alan Moore's Awesome Universe Handbook The Amazing Spider-Man Ambush Bug: Nothing Special America's Best Comics America's Best Comics Preview America's Best Comics Primer America's Best Comics Special Avengers Assemble The AvengersThe Avengers Back Issue Brigade Captain America Captain America Captain Carrot and His Amazing Zoo Crew! Captain Carrot and the Final Ark Captain Marvel Comics Feature Countdown Cover Run: The DC Comics Art of Adam Hughes Danny Fingeroth's Write Now! Defenders Detective Comics DNAgents DNAgents Doom Patrol Eclipse Monthly Essential Marvel Team-Up Essential Marvel Two-In-One Essential Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man Essential Spider-Woman Essential X-Factor Essential X-Men Eternals Excalibur Visionaries: Alan Davis Excalibur: Air Apparent Excalibur: XX Crossing Fantastic Four Fantastic Four Visionaries: John Byrne Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Comics Magazine Farscape: War Torn The Flash Freak Force Gen13 Giant Size Spider-Man Glory Glory Glory Green Lantern Corps Quarterly Green Lantern/Sinestro Corps Secret Files Heroes for Hope Starring the X-Men Highbrow Entertainment Infinity Inc. Invasion! The Invincible Iron Man DVD-ROM The Invincible Iron Man Iron Man Judgment Day Judgment Day Sourcebook Justice League Justice League International Legion of Super-Heroes Legion of Super-Heroes Lobo's Greatest Hits Marvel Age Marvel Comics Presents Marvel Holiday Special Marvel Premiere Marvel Team-Up Marvel Two-In-One Master of Kung Fu Mek Miracleman New Men Orion Phantom Force Power Man and Iron Fist Power Pack Powerline Quack! Reload/Mek Rocket Raccoon Sabretooth Classic The Savage Dragon The Savage Sword of Conan Secret Origins The Sensational She-Hulk Silver Surfer Soulsearchers and Company The Spectacular Spider-Man Spider-Man Comics Weekly Spider-Man Visionaries: Roger Stern Spider-Man: Birth of Venom Spider-Man: The Cosmic Adventures Spider-Woman Superman & Savage Dragon: Chicago Supreme Supreme Supreme: The New Adventures Supreme: The Return Surge Tales Of The New Gods Tales of the Teen Titans Thor Thundercats Timber Wolf Tom Strong The Transformers The Transformers The Transformers: Generations Uncanny X-Men Valor Web of Spider-Man What If? What The--?! Who's Who in Star Trek Who's Who in the DC Universe Who's Who in the Legion of Super-Heroes Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe Who's Who: Update '87 Who's Who: Update '88 Who's Who: Update '93 Wildstar Wildstar: Sky Zero Women of Marvel X-Men: Mutant Massacre X-Men: The Asgardian Wars

Writer

Legion of Super-Heroes Timber Wolf Who's Who: Update '93 Wildstar: Sky Zero WildStar

Penciller

The DC Comics Encyclopedia Judgment Day Web of Spider-Man

Cover artist

The Adventures of The New Men Amazing Heroes The Amazing Spider-Man Ambush Bug Nothing Special America's Best Comics Preview America's Best Comics Primer DNAgents Doctor Strange, Sorcerer Supreme Doom Patrol Freak Force Ghost Rider Infinity Inc. Justice League International L.E.G.I.O.N. League of Champions Legion of Super-Heroes Legion: Secret Files Legionnaires The Malibu Sun Marvel Comics Presents The New DNAgents New Men Nova The Official Teen Titans Index The Outsiders Rocket Raccoon The Savage Dragon Secret Origins Shadow Reavers Surge Timber Wolf Tom Strong The Trouble with Girls Valor Who's Who in the DC Universe Wildstar Wildstar: Sky Zero Youngblood
  • ''Youngblood Super Special''

Editor

WildStar: Sky ZeroWildStarWildStar: Sky Zero.Fred Hembeck's The Near Complete Essential Hembeck Archives Omnibus. "Official Unofficial Editor."Timespirits.