R.I.P. RUSS HEATH

We have lost another great comic book artist. Russ Heath passed away last Thursday, August 23, 2018 at the age of 91. Mr. Heath illustrated some of the most memorable comic stories that I have ever read. The story, "Yellow Heat", is one of them and is shown in its original form. Another dramatic tale is "Hell Hound". It is no coincidence that both of them were published by Warren, where we can see some of his best work.

Heath was also active in many other comic projects and is perhaps best remembered for his work on G.I. Combat, Sea Devils, and All-American Men at War for DC Comics. Although he was adept at any subject, Heath's military and war comics are standouts.

As with many others, Mr. Heath's talents were not limited to comic books, however. He has been recently been increasingly (and rightly) recognized as the forefather of the 1960's Pop Art movement, the title that has for decades been given to Roy Lichtenstein (see the painting of the African American couple below).

In my mind, my two favorite stories by Heath are the aforementioned "Yellow Heat", from VAMPIRELLA #58 (1977), and the equally hard-hitting "Give and Take", from BLAZING COMBAT #4 (July 1966).

Russ Heath self-portrait.

Here is an obit that was released on August 26, 2018 by PREVIEWSworld.com:

Legendary comic artist Russ Heath, known for his extensive and diverse work at DC Comics, Timely/Marvel, EC Comics and many more, passed away on August 23, 2018, after a battle with cancer, his family confirmed. He was 91 years old.

Heath had an interest in the arts from an early age, taking inspiration from popular Western artists of the early 20th century such as Charlie Russell and Will James. By the time he was in high school, he was freelancing on comic books on his summer breaks, contributing to such work as Captain Aero Comics. Heath went into the Air Force for a brief stint before returning to New Jersey and starting a family.

By 1947, Heath had been hired onto the staff at Timely Comics. His earliest work at that company included several Western stories in books such as Wild Western, Black Rider, Arizona Kid, Western Outlaws, and many others. By the 1950s he was expanding his artwork into other genres, such as sci-fi (Journey into Unknown Worlds), superheroes (Marvel Boy), and horror (Adventures into Terror). Some of his best-known work would be for war stories, though, in books such as Sea Devils, G.I. Combat, All-American Men of War and more. By the 1960s he had also done some notable commercial artwork on advertisements that would often be seen on many back covers of popular comic books.

“Any area in which Russ Heath worked was the better for his presence, perhaps nowhere more so than in war comics. The power and grit of his art never overwhelmed his attention to detail. Settings, vehicles, and most of all the people of his stories had a stylish realism that few other artists ever matched. He had a long life and contributed mightily to our field. We were blessed by his presence and will be the poorer for his absence," said Steve Geppi, President of Diamond Comic Distributors.

Heath received the Inkpot Award in 1997, and would be inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2009. His last comic story artwork was on the four-page flashback seen in The Immortal Iron Fist #20 in 2009, though he did occasional cover work after that, including the Hero Initiative edition of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #46 in 2016, the year he was inducted into The Overstreet Hall of Fame.

During his career he made headlines when artist Roy Lichtenstein “adapted” some of his war comic artwork and sold it for several million dollars, with Heath not seeing a cent of the profits; Heath would later tell the story in a short comic for the Hero Initiative, the non-profit organization that helped him financially after a knee replacement.

"The members of both the Big Five and Overstreet’s War Report are saddened by the passing of our friend and industry luminary. This loss literally marks the end of an era. He will truly be missed, but his work and contributions over the course of so many decades will live on, especially in our hearts and minds," said noted collector Matt Ballesteros.

Heath’s passing has been felt throughout the comic industry, with many other artists and notable figures paying tribute to one of the icons of the trade.

“His DC work in the 60's, especially his war comics set a standard for realism and authenticity. His Warren work was sublime in its draftsmanship and tonal rendering and his Son of Satan #8 is still one of my Bronze Age highlights at Marvel,” artist Joe Jusko said. “Above all that he was a wonderful man to talk to, always with a wealth of stories to tell, and Polaroids to show (those who knew him will get that). It was always a joy to see him at a convention. Rest easy, Russ.”

Hand-colored print entitled, The Silent Knight

Original art.

Original art.

Russ Heath - African-American Couple Original Art (c. 1940s). Heath, the truest ancestor of the 1960s Pop Art movement, was delivering accomplished paintings before his most blatant imitator, Roy Lichtenstein, had achieved so much as a gallery showing. Though better known for his comic-book work, Heath excelled early on at detailed ethnic caricatures in vivid hues; this splendid piece is such an image. (No publishing pedigree is documented.) Gouache on textured board. Image area, 12" x 10". Although the margins contain adhesive stains from an earlier matte-frame situation, the image itself is in Very Good condition, with slight fading and a few small scuffs. [From the HERITAGE AUCTIONS September 2, 2018 Comics and Animation Art preview]