Monday, August 22, 2022

RIP: Tom Palmer

Tom Palmer died on August 18th.

Palmer is going to be best-remembered as an inker and he was absolutely one of the best - a legend, one who kept working up to the end, covering more than 50 years of quality output. He was also an occasional painter and colorist. I think I first saw his work on Marvel's Star Wars where he inked Ron Frenz (and painted some beautiful covers). I also found his work on Tomb of Dracula, inking Gene Colan, which was like night and day; Colan was extremely stylish compared to Frenz's realism but Palmer made both men look good; he's frequently been called Colan's best inker for their work together on Tomb of Dracula and Doctor Strange.

But I'll remember Palmer best for the Avengers. He was for me the definitive Avengers inker, covering everyone from John Buscema to Neal Adams, Paul Ryan to Steve Epting. It didn't always pan out - he inked Mike Deodato on Avengers but Deodato penciled in a wild, loose style that Palmer couldn't seem to tame (I'm not sure if he ever inked Deodato in later years when Deodato adopted an ultra-realistic style).

Palmer was said to be an overpowering inker but that's why I liked him on the Avengers - he brought consistency to the book through some tumultuous times. I saw Epting's work for the first time when Palmer was inking him on Avengers and it made me a lifelong fan of Epting's style - basically because I thought Palmer made him look like John Buscema.

The Buscema/Palmer issues of Avengers are particularly special to me, including the notable "Mansion Siege" storyline (Avengers #273-277).

Palmer was one of the best-known inkers in the business; he leaves behind a terrific legacy of quality work. Rest in peace, Mr. Palmer.

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