Dennis Janke

Dennis Janke (born April 13, 1950) is an American comic book artist who was active in the industry from the mid-1980s to the mid-2000s, primarily as an inker. He is known for his work on the DC Comics character Superman, particularly his nine-year run as inker on Superman: The Man of Steel.

Dennis Janke
Born	(1950-04-13) April 13, 1950 (age 75) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Area(s)	Inker
Pseudonym(s)	Z. Capistance[1]
Notable works	Superman: The Man of Steel The Adventures of Superman Superman
Collaborators	Jon Bogdanove Jerry Ordway

A freelancer, Janke worked for both DC and Marvel Comics during his career, occasionally penciling covers and stories, but mostly focusing on "finish inking" over other artists' pencils. Janke has worked extensively with pencilers Jon Bogdanove and Jerry Ordway, creating Doomsday with Ordway. With Mark Gruenwald and Paul Neary, Janke co-created Armadillo.

In his career, Janke has also worked on dozens of independent comic books^[2] and underground comix, including his own self-published series, Flaming Baloney (published with James R. Blevins c. 1975).^[3]

Biography

Early life

Janke was born on April 13, 1950, in Cleveland, Ohio.^[2][4][5] He earned his BFA from the Cleveland Institute of Art.^[2]

Career

Janke's first published work was a 1974 illustration in DC Comics' House of Mystery,^[6] but his professional career took off a decade later when he was hired to ink Paul Neary on Marvel's Captain America, which he did for two years.

Moving over to DC Comics in 1987, Janke inked the final nine issues of Electric Warrior over Jim Baikie's pencils. Next, he inked the four-issue mini-series The Phantom, pencilled by Joe Orlando and written by Peter David. Around the same time he became the regular inker on The Adventures of Superman and Superman, mostly inking Jerry Ordway's pencils. He then spent nine years as the inker of Superman: The Man of Steel, mostly over Jon Bogdanove. Bogdanove and Janke also illustrated many covers for the Steel solo title during this period. As inker on Superman: The Man of Steel, Janke contributed to, and benefited from the success of, the best-selling 1992-1993 "The Death of Superman" story arc.^[5]

Janke's final major run as an inker was for The Spectre in 2002–2003 (over Norm Breyfogle's pencils). Since 2003, Janke's published comics credits have been rare.

Janke is currently at work on a graphic novel.^[7]

Personal life

Janke is an amateur poet.^[7] He lives in Maine, in a house he was able to pay for with royalties from his work on "The Death of Superman."^[5][7]

Bibliography

As writer

• (with James R. Blevins) (as Z. Capistance) "Stargazer," Witzend #12 (Wonderful Publishing Company, 1982) — also art
• (with Jerry Ordway) Adventures of Superman #484 (DC Comics, Nov. 1991) — also inks
• (with Roger Stern) Action Comics #671 (DC Comics, Nov. 1991) — also inks
• (with Louise Simonson) Superman: The Man of Steel #6 (DC Comics, Dec. 1991) — also inks
• (with Louise Simonson) "Doomsday for the Fifth Dimension," Action Comics Annual #6 (DC Comics, 1994) — also pencils and Inks

As penciler

• Adventures of Superman #496 (DC Comics, Nov. 1992) — also co-plot and inks
• "Gangbuster of Suicide Slum," The Legacy of Superman #1 (DC Comics, Mar. 1993)
• "Prologue: Communion," Doomsday Annual #1 (DC Comics, 1995) — also inks
• "Epilogue: Requiem," Doomsday Annual #1 (DC Comics, 1995) — also inks

As inker

• Captain America (Marvel Comics, 1984-1986)
• Masters of the Universe #1–5 (Star Comics, 1986–1987)
• Electric Warrior #11–18 (DC Comics, 1987)
• The Phantom limited series (DC Comics, 1988)
• The Adventures of Superman (DC Comics, 1988–1989)
• Superman (DC Comics, 1989–1991, 1993)
• "Circle of Fear," Spelljammer #6 (DC Comics/TSR, Feb. 1991)
• Superman: The Man of Steel (DC Comics, 1991-1999)
• "Underworld Unleashed" limited series (DC Comics, Nov.–Dec. 1995)
• Superman's Nemesis: Lex Luthor limited series (DC Comics, Mar.–June 1999)
• Domination Factor: Avengers limited series (Marvel Comics, Nov. 1999–Feb. 2000)
• Batman: The Doom That Came to Gotham limited series (DC Comics, Nov. 2000–Jan. 2001)
• The Spectre (DC Comics, 2002-2003)
• Human Defense Corps issues #4-6 (DC Comics, Oct.–Dec. 2003)

Further reading

• Thompson, Don & Maggie. Comic-Book Superstars: Who is Who Among Comics Creators (Iola, Wis.: Krause Publications, 1993), p. 102.