Comments on: Underappreciated Artist Spotlight – Ross Andru

By: Bobby Bermea

Bobby Bermea — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:19:25 +0000

Never a fan of Ross Andru’s.

By: GarySeven

GarySeven — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:56:23 +0000

Also meant to add this man was so cinematic. He was director, cinematographer, actor, stunt coordinator all in one. His books of Spider-Man were the Spider-Man movies I wanted to see.

Watching Spider-Man swing across the page had such weight to it, such motion, such excitement. And I believed in the Ross Andru laws of physics and gravity in his books.

By: GarySeven

GarySeven — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:38:18 +0000

Interesting to see similar experiences with Andru. The first book I ever bought, Spider-Man # 134, immediately had me hooked. It was the early 70′s and I was enthralled with the Spider-Man character. And it was Ross Andru who did that for me. As others have said,…his attention to detail of the city really captured my imagination for the Big Apple and really brought it to life for me.

The way he drew hands for some reason caught me. I agree with others that his version of Peter Parker is the definitive for me. I disagree with those who think he couldn’t draw faces. I always though Peter Parker (his verson him particular) was the most fully realized comic book character every created.

His, as some described it, ‘Spidery’ way he drew figures, knocked me out.

His work on the Punisher character. His crazy, maniacal Jackal. The Tarantula. All too cool!

And his work on the DC/Marvel crossover was too great. (I know, I know….I’ve heard Neal Adams got hold of the pencils and corrected some anatomy and Romita Sr did some faces….but still,….tool cool)

Ross Andru deserves his due. A great in my mind.

By: Dom

Dom — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 13:16:22 +0000

Andru’s work on Spidey – awesome!

By: Annotations: Flash #273 – “Harvest of Hate” « Speed Force

Annotations: Flash #273 – “Harvest of Hate” « Speed Force — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 15:01:53 +0000

[...] and former Flash penciller Ross Andru handles cover duties, with Dick Giordano on [...]

By: Ed Graphics

Ed Graphics — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 20:00:15 +0000

I grew up in the 70′s collecting The Amazing Spiderman issues. Ross Andru was a very deversified artist who could draw in any comic book genere. By far, Ross Andru showed the most impressive depiction of Spiderman. He is truly one of the greatest comic book artist of all time. His drawing style of Spiderman really gave the reader a good sense of action in each one of the panels. Everytime I read a Spiderman story that he drew I felt as if I was watching a movie with lots of action. Ross Andru had a unique style that really made those Spiderman issue very interesting to read. The Spiderman issues in the 70′s showed some of Ross Andru’s greatest work. He is the
Best!!!!!!!!!!

By: jalrod

jalrod — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 03:42:58 +0000

Andru hooked me. My first comic was ASM 133 followed by ASM 136. Andru became and still is my definitive Spider-Man. When he left the series in issue 185 I was truly distraught. Over time Romita Sr has emerged as my favorite Spider-Man artist, but Andru is right up there.

By: tachyonblade

tachyonblade — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 01:00:28 +0000

For me, and I know this is saying a lot, Ross Andru’s Spiderman IS Spiderman. I had a subscription during most of his run on Spidey during the 70′s and I have no stronger memories or impressions of comics in general and Spidey specifically than those years. Also, as someone who works at drawing and art myself I have to say his line work was just amazing. He is one of my top three favorite artists.

By: "O" the Humanatee!

"O" the Humanatee! — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 04:25:38 +0000

Ross Andru’s does have all the virtues Scott describes – but it always seemed bizarre to me that a professional comics artist never learned the correct proportions of limbs: forearms (as measured from elbows to wrists) are a little shorter than upper arms, and calves are a little shorter than thighs. The strange spindly look Andru’s proportions lent to bodies (coupled with his penchant for showing limbs strongly bent) may have worked for Spidey; too bad he used it on everyone else too!

By: Dalarsco

Dalarsco — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 03:28:11 +0000

My first comics were by Ross Andru. When I was very young my Dad was at a book sale of some sort and found the first two issues of the 1979 World of Krypton mini made to cash in on the Superman movie. The mini still stands up well today, especially the art. This made me a life-long Jor-El fan.

By: mr. clam

mr. clam — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 05:32:54 +0000

The first comic I ever bought was a Ross Andru Spider-Man. The second comic I bought was shown above, with the Hitman, Punisher, and Spidey atop the Statue of Liberty. I am very heartened to see so many people giving it up for this man’s work. He IS under-appreciated!

By: Greg Geren

Greg Geren — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 03:19:28 +0000

I loved the Ross Andru Spider-Man as well. Even though it was before my time, I have more recently come to appreciate his work on Flash and Superman and especially his long run on Wonder Woman.

By: Jack Norris

Jack Norris — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 22:17:31 +0000

Love Ross Andru; he was the artist on the first issue of Spider-Man I ever bought and throughout most of my personal golden age. In recent years, as I discovered online comics fandom I was stunned to find people who disliked his work. People who suck.

By: dhole

dhole — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 22:15:46 +0000

He’s the artist I associate with my formative Spider-Man years, reading Marvel Tales reprints of his work. I agree that his Jackal was very scary and impressive. I liked his work a lot.

I also agree with his inclusion in this series as I never see any mention of him in blogs like this. Glad that this entry has changed that.

By: Alan Coil

Alan Coil — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 21:37:47 +0000

jazzbo’s typo of Rodd Andru instead of Ross Andru reminded me of the time I saw a review where a Flash villain was typo-ed as Gorilla Gross.

I appreciate Andru, but his name came up this week at the LCS and one person was critical of his work. I don’t see how anybody could hate his work, although I do understand why some wouldn’t care for it. Some people just don’t like some styles of artwork.

By: Tyson

Tyson — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 18:19:10 +0000

I really like Andru’s page layouts, backgrounds, and action, but I’ve always thought he was terrible at drawing facial expressions. Reading through the Essential Spider-Man collection recently, I noticed, over and over again, how a page with two characters talking will look like ten different characters. The only thing that looks the same from panel to panel is the clothes.

To this day, when I think of peter parker, in my mind he looks like the Ross Andru version.

I read this and thought, “Which one?”

I haven’t read any of the other books Andru worked on, and I think that he would probably be great on a comic with less soap opera than Spider-Man, because he is so very good at all the other elements. But Spidey is all about the character interactions, and I just think the book suffered under his pencils.

By: Hannibal

Hannibal — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 16:32:54 +0000

The Spider-Man / Superman Treasury Edition was one of the highlights of the ’70′s and had a great Andru cover, but for me his attention to the details of New York was what made the comic. I have read stories of him taking hours of photos and sketches of any landmark he had to draw – bridges, buildings – like the water treatment works in one issue. He was a true professional.

By: Guido

Guido — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 15:44:55 +0000

My first (and to the day almost only) contact with Andru’s work is the Superman/Spider-Man crossover. I was a teenager back then and remember being absolutely wowed by his work (especially remarkable for a kid during the boom of the Image house-style) If anything, I felt that his work was diminished a bit by the inking. But he did drew the best NY vistas I’ve ever seen in a comic book, and to me, his Spidey/Pete and May Jane seemed as definitive as they get. He is definitely an unsung classic. Anyone knows of any trades (besides Essential volumes) where Andru’s Spidey work is featured?

By: Andrew Brown

Andrew Brown — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:38:22 +0000

To this day, when I think of peter parker, in my mind he looks like the Ross Andru version. maybe its because I was too young when Romita was the artist, but Andru’s parker will always be the version that will be in my head till i die.
Also, the War that Time Forgot by Andru and Robert Kanigher was freakin awesome!

By: Bill Gladman

Bill Gladman — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 13:20:36 +0000

It’s hard to think of Spider-Man and not think of Ross Andru. It may be true that during his run on the book he was just as talked about and appreicated as many of the other artists of the time, but nobody talks much about him today.

Great article.