George Tuska and Iron Man memories

Another part of my childhood is gone. George Tuska, who drew Iron Man off and on for over 10 years, Passed away at age 93 on October 15th, 2009.

Iron Man was my favorite Marvel character and of all the great talents associated with the title, the first name that pops into my mind when I think “Iron Man”, is George Tuska. Sadly, as writer Gerry Conway stated in an extra on the Iron Man DVD, George was one of the unsung heroes, his art was perceived as too cartoony, in a time when fans wanted Neal Adam’s style realism in their comics. I can remember all too well how upsetting it was when someone would knock his pencils in the letter pages. Or that talk around the comic shop held him in low esteem. I couldn’t understand why folks failed to appreciate the masterpieces he delivered on every page he illustrated.

The man was a fantastic storyteller; the panel’s dynamic and exciting. He was great at facial expression and known for dramatic poses. Tuska drew a lot of memorable issues and characters, but I was always partial to his take on the scarred Controller who powered himself by enslaving others. At my tender age, seeing those zombie like folks, their eyes blank, each with a controlling disc adhering to their foreheads… well heck, it freaked me out every bit as much as any Creature Feature that played late on Friday night. The Controller himself -bursting through rubble to tangle with my hero- was an imposing figure and a serious threat. Born from Tuska’s deft hand, their battles became the stuff of legend.

There would be times during Iron Man’s first 100 plus issues where George would take a break from the series. And the comic suffered greatly for the loss. There were a few decent artists, but all of them paled in comparison. George was Iron Man in my mind, no one came close to rendering the armored crime fighter the way he did. No one told a story with as much verve. In the years that have passed, great artists have come and gone but Tuska’s version never became a lesser entity in my eyes. To this day he remains one of the quintessential pencilers on the comic.

George only drew a few more times after the landmark 100th issue. I’ve read that Bill Mantlo didn’t care for George’s style –and while I liked Bill’s work- he made a big mistake taking Tuska off the book. Fortunately, it wouldn’t be long before fans would be happily ushered into a new golden age for Tony Stark. As creators David Michelinie, John Romita Jr. and Bob Layton took the title to amazing heights. But I will always have nothing but admiration for the skills of the talented Tuska.

Lastly: As a fan I dismayed that he wasn’t given more respect and delighted when respect was given. In Frank Miller’s film “The Spirit”, one of the paramedics is named Tuska (George worked for Spirit creator Will Eisner) That was sweetness to my ears –Jack Kirby earns references (see TVs Heroes) but for George to receive a nod was unexpected and welcome. Respect will also be given in an online magazine - Fans can look forward to a final word from the artist as George gave an interview to Advanced Iron for the 75th issue (No news on a likely release date). Chris, one of the gentlemen who conducted the interview had this to say... "George Tuska was the epitome of a professional illustrator. He was not only a consummate draftsman but was also a gifted story-teller. He told stories in a style that would become easily recognizable and oft imitated. George Tuska was the Iron Man artist for the Silver-Age and much of the Bronze-Age. His decade long, seldom-interrupted run should be cited as an exemplar to modern artists of what it means to work in monthly serial illustration."


Rest in piece Mr. Tuska and thank you for every line you drew, you brought a lot of happiness into my life and as one of your character’s –Midas- would say, “You sir were without a doubt… one of the best.”