Klaus Janson (born January 23, 1952)[1][2] is an Americancomics artist, working regularly forMarvel Comics andDC Comics and sporadically for independent companies. While he is best known as aninker, Janson has frequently worked as a penciller and colorist.
Klaus Janson was born inCoburg,West Germany.[3] He emigrated to the United States in 1957, settling with his family inConnecticut,[3] where he lived inBridgeport from 1957 to 1972.[4] When Janson was young, his mother threw away hisSpider-Man collection. Janson then became interested in the premiering characterDaredevil, who was not popular among Janson's friends.[5]
After a short stint as assistant toDick Giordano in the early 1970s,[6] Janson's first credited comics artwork was published byMarvel Comics inJungle Action #6 (Sept. 1973).[7] Janson came to prominence as the inker overSal Buscema's pencils onThe Defenders. Since then he has freelanced on most of the major titles at Marvel and DC. In 1975 he began a long run as inker onDaredevil, running from #124 (Aug. 1975) to #196 (July 1983). With #171 the series went from bi-monthly to monthly; unable to handle the increased workload, then-writer/pencilerFrank Miller began increasingly relying on Janson for the artwork, sending him looser and looser pencils beginning with #173.[8] By issue #185, Miller had virtually relinquished his role as Daredevil's artist, and was providing only rough layouts for Janson to pencil, ink, and color.[8] After Miller's departure, Janson drew the series by himself for four issues.
Janson has taught sequential storytelling at theSchool of Visual Arts in New York City since the 1990s[23] and has written bothThe DC Comics Guide to Pencilling Comics andThe DC Comics Guide to Inking Comics. Janson also holds annual seminars at Marvel for the editorial staff and their up-and-coming artists, and taught short courses on comics storytelling for theMuseum of Comic and Cartoon Art.[6]
^introduction to "Daredevil by Frank Miller & Klaus Janson Omnibus"
^ab"Storytelling for Comics Artists". Museum of Comics and Cartoon Art. 2010. Archived fromthe original on March 25, 2010.After a short stint as assistant to Dick Giordano in the early 1970s, Klaus Janson went freelance, working for several comics publishers as writer, penciler, inker and colorist.
^Greenberger, Robert (August 2017). "It Sounded Like a Good Idea at the Time: A Look at theDC Challenge!".Back Issue! (98). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing:37–38.
^Manning, Matthew K. (2010). "1980s". In Dolan, Hannah (ed.).DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. London, United Kingdom:Dorling Kindersley. p. 219.ISBN978-0-7566-6742-9.It is arguably the best Batman story of all time. Written and drawn by Frank Miller (with inspired inking by Klaus Janson and beautiful watercolors by Lynn Varley),Batman: The Dark Knight revolutionized the entire genre of the super hero.
^Manning, Matthew K. (2014). "1980s". In Dougall, Alastair (ed.).Batman: A Visual History. London, United Kingdom:Dorling Kindersley. p. 174.ISBN978-1465424563.Dennis O'Neil stepped out of his editorial role once again to chronicle a Batman adventure forDetective Comics first annual. Illustrated by Klaus Janson, Batman and Talia al Ghul hunted for the Penguin.
^Manning "1990s" in Dougall, p. 186: "Grant Morrison stepped up to the plate to pen [Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight's] next five-issue storyline, illustrated by Klaus Janson."
^Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 259: "'Knightfall' was a nineteen-part crossover event that passed through the pages of...theShowcase '93 Two-Face feature scripted by Doug Moench and drawn by Klaus Janson."
^Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 267: "Fans were also treated to a companion special entitledBatman-Spawn...by writers Doug Moench, Chuck Dixon, and Alan Grant, and artist Klaus Janson."
^Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 283: "The seventeen-part 'Cataclysm' storyline showed a Gotham City devastated by an earthquake."
^DeFalco, Tom (2008). "1980s". In Gilbert, Laura (ed.).Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History. London, United Kingdom:Dorling Kindersley. p. 232.ISBN978-0756641238.Linus 'Microchip' Lieberman first appeared in this issue by writer Mike Baron and artist Klaus Janson.
^Cowsill, Alan (2012). "1990s". In Gilbert, Laura (ed.).Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging. London, United Kingdom:Dorling Kindersley. p. 205.ISBN978-0756692360.Long-time Spidey villain Electro was the focus of a three-part tale written by J. M. DeMatteis and illustrated by Klaus Janson.
^Cowsill "1990s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 224: "The new Spidey title felt fresh and exciting...Issue #0, written and penciled by Dan Jurgens, with Klaus Janson inking, provided a quick recap for latecomers."
^Manning "2000s" in Dougall, p. 269: "Writer Greg Rucka and artist Klaus Janson created this series that delved into the family tree of [Ra's al Ghul]."
^Jenneguin (manga critic), Jean-Paul."Toriyama Exhibition Essays: Akira Toriyama and France". Kanzenshuu: The Perfect Dragon Ball Collection. RetrievedFebruary 6, 2023.In November 1989, I was a guest lecturer at the First Anglo-Saxon Comics Festival inVilleneuve-d'Ascq,... a suburb ofLille, a city in the north of France. Two fans of American comics had thought the town would be the ideal location for a comics festival focusing on American and British comics, as Villeneuve is very close to Britain.
