Frank Chiaramonte
Encyclopedia
Francisco "Frank" Chiaramonte (June 5, 1942 – January 1983) was a Cuba
n-American
comic book
artist
best known as an inker
for DC Comics
and Marvel Comics
from 1972 to 1982.
, Frank Chiaramonte emigrated to the United States
in 1967. Some of his earliest comics-related work in the U.S. was as an inker under artist-packager Will Eisner
and penciler Mike Ploog
on the military instructional publication P*S. As fellow P*S artist Murphy Anderson
recalled, "Frank had come to work for Will about the same time I did, maybe a month or two later, and was just fresh from Cuba. ... [H]is father was Sicilian
, but his mother was Spanish
, or Cuban. Frank considered himself as Italian as he did Cuban. ... Frank worked with me and did most of the tech art."
When Ploog moved on and began finding freelance work at Marvel Comics
, Chiaramonte collaborated with him as inker on several of Ploog's earliest stories, including in Werewolf by Night
#1-3 (Sept. 1972 - Jan. 1973) and Marvel Spotlight
#7 (Dec. 1972), featuring Ghost Rider
. He also inked several Ploog stories in the swamp-monster series Man-Thing
in 1974, and Ploog stories in the black-and-white comics magazine Planet of the Apes in 1974 and 1975.
With other pencilers, he inked many stories starring the martial artist superhero
Iron Fist, as well as Amazing Adventures
#18 (May 1973), the debut of the feature "Killraven, Warrior of the Worlds
", inking Neal Adams
and Howard Chaykin
.
Chiaramonte moved to DC Comics
to freelance in 1977, beginning with Action Comics
#475 (Sept. 1977), in which he inked Kurt Schaffenberger
on the lead Superman
story, and Win Mortimer
on the Lori Lemaris
backup He became Curt Swan
's regular inker on the sister series Superman from 1978 through mid-1982. In addition to other Superman work in Action Comics, The Superman Family, World of Krypton and related titles, he also inked numerous stories for The Flash, Detective Comics
, The Legion of Super-Heroes and many other series. His last known work was inking Schaffenberger on the 15-page Superboy
story "Beware the Yellow Peri" in The New Adventures of Superboy #34 (Oct. 1982).
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
n-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
best known as an inker
Inker
The inker is one of the two line artists in a traditional comic book or graphic novel. After a pencilled drawing is given to the inker, the inker uses black ink to produce refined outlines over the pencil lines...
for DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
and Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
from 1972 to 1982.
Biography
Born in CubaCuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Frank Chiaramonte emigrated to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1967. Some of his earliest comics-related work in the U.S. was as an inker under artist-packager Will Eisner
Will Eisner
William Erwin "Will" Eisner was an American comics writer, artist and entrepreneur. He is considered one of the most important contributors to the development of the medium and is known for the cartooning studio he founded; for his highly influential series The Spirit; for his use of comics as an...
and penciler Mike Ploog
Mike Ploog
Michael G. Ploog is an American storyboard and comic book artist, and a visual designer for movies....
on the military instructional publication P*S. As fellow P*S artist Murphy Anderson
Murphy Anderson
Murphy Anderson is an American comic book artist, known as one of the premier inkers of his era, who has worked for companies such as DC Comics for over fifty years, starting in the 1930s-'40s Golden Age of Comic Books...
recalled, "Frank had come to work for Will about the same time I did, maybe a month or two later, and was just fresh from Cuba. ... [H]is father was Sicilian
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, but his mother was Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
, or Cuban. Frank considered himself as Italian as he did Cuban. ... Frank worked with me and did most of the tech art."
When Ploog moved on and began finding freelance work at Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, Chiaramonte collaborated with him as inker on several of Ploog's earliest stories, including in Werewolf by Night
Werewolf by Night
Werewolf by Night is a fictional character, an antiheroic werewolf in the Marvel Comics universe. The Werewolf by Night first appeared in Marvel Spotlight vol...
#1-3 (Sept. 1972 - Jan. 1973) and Marvel Spotlight
Marvel Spotlight
Marvel Spotlight is the name of several comic book series published by Marvel Comics as a try-out book for new characters. The first series ran for 33 issues from November 1971 to April 1977...
#7 (Dec. 1972), featuring Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider (comics)
Ghost Rider is the name of several fictional supernatural antiheroes appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Night Rider and subsequently to Phantom Rider.The first supernatural Ghost Rider is...
. He also inked several Ploog stories in the swamp-monster series Man-Thing
Man-Thing
The Man-Thing is a fictional character, a monster in publications from Marvel Comics. Created by writers Stan Lee, Roy Thomas, and Gerry Conway and artist Gray Morrow, the character first appeared in Savage Tales #1 , and went on to be featured in various titles and in his own series, including...
in 1974, and Ploog stories in the black-and-white comics magazine Planet of the Apes in 1974 and 1975.
With other pencilers, he inked many stories starring the martial artist superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
Iron Fist, as well as Amazing Adventures
Amazing Adventures
Amazing Adventures is the name of several anthology comic book series, all but one published by Marvel Comics.The earliest Marvel series of that name introduced the company's first superhero of the late-1950s to early-1960s period fans and historians call the Silver Age of Comic Books...
#18 (May 1973), the debut of the feature "Killraven, Warrior of the Worlds
Killraven
Killraven is a fictional freedom fighter in several post-apocalyptic alternate futures of the Marvel Comics universe. He first appeared in Amazing Adventures #18 , created by co-plotters Roy Thomas and Neal Adams, scripter Gerry Conway, and penciller Adams...
", inking Neal Adams
Neal Adams
Neal Adams is an American comic book and commercial artist known for helping to create some of the definitive modern imagery of the DC Comics characters Superman, Batman, and Green Arrow; as the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates; and as a creators-rights advocate who...
and Howard Chaykin
Howard Chaykin
Howard Victor Chaykin is an American comic book writer and artist famous for his innovative storytelling and sometimes controversial material...
.
Chiaramonte moved to DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
to freelance in 1977, beginning with Action Comics
Action Comics
Action Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
#475 (Sept. 1977), in which he inked Kurt Schaffenberger
Kurt Schaffenberger
Kurt Schaffenberger was an American comic book artist. Schaffenberger was best known for his work on Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family , as well as his work on the title Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane during the 1950s and 1960s.-Early career:Schaffenberger was born on a farm in the...
on the lead Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
story, and Win Mortimer
Win Mortimer
James Winslow "Win" Mortimer was a comic book and comic strip artist best known as one of the major illustrators of the DC Comics superhero Superman...
on the Lori Lemaris
Lori Lemaris
Lori Lemaris is a fictional character in DC Comics' Superman comic books. Lori is a mermaid from Tritonis, a city in the undersea lost continent of Atlantis.-Silver Age:...
backup He became Curt Swan
Curt Swan
Douglas Curtis Swan was an American comic book artist. The artist most associated with Superman during the period fans and historians call the Silver Age of comic books, Swan produced hundreds of covers and stories from the 1950s through the 1980s.-Early life and career:Curt Swan, whose Swedish...
's regular inker on the sister series Superman from 1978 through mid-1982. In addition to other Superman work in Action Comics, The Superman Family, World of Krypton and related titles, he also inked numerous stories for The Flash, Detective Comics
Detective Comics
Detective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
, The Legion of Super-Heroes and many other series. His last known work was inking Schaffenberger on the 15-page Superboy
Superboy
Superboy is the name of several fictional characters that have been published by DC Comics, most of them youthful incarnations of Superman. These characters have also been the main characters of four ongoing Superboy comic book series published by DC....
story "Beware the Yellow Peri" in The New Adventures of Superboy #34 (Oct. 1982).