Sheldon Douglas Moldoff drew many characters, including the first cover appearances of the Flash on Flash Comics #1 and Green Lantern on All-American Comics #16, but he is best known for his work on Batman, which spanned from 1953 until 1967 and has been reprinted many times since. He passed away Wednesday, February 29, 2012, at the age of 91.

“It’s impossible to calculate how many lives into which Shelly Moldoff’s work brought joy. His work was imaginative, captivating, and fun. He told stories in a great, clear fashion, and his legacy as an artist is one of inventiveness,” said Steve Geppi, President and CEO of Diamond Comic Distributors. “My sympathies go out to his sons Richard and Kenneth, his daughter Ellen and her husband Jeffrey, his grandchildren and great grandchildren, and his many friends and fans.”

“Shelly Moldoff was one of the artists who worked on the historic Action Comics #1 (1938) which featured the first appearance of Superman. He didn’t work on the Superman material in that issue but he did have artwork in what some call the most important comic book ever published. And he was the last surviving person who did,” writer and historian Mark Evanier posted on his site.

“Best known for his work on the Batman titles between 1953 and 1967, Shelly first visualized such canonical characters as the original Batwoman, the original Bat-Girl, Bat-Mite, Clayface (Matt Hagen), Poison Ivy, and Ace the Bat Hound,” wrote ComicMix editor-in-chief Mike Gold. “Shelly was a major contributor the DC /AA Comics lines, starting with the sports cartoon “Odds ‘N Ends” published in Action Comics #1. He took over Hawkman shortly after its creation. He also drew Blackhawk, the Black Pirate, Space Ranger, the Legion of Super-Heroes, the Batman and Robin team-ups in World’s Finest, an occasional Superman story, Gang Busters, a multitude of Jack Schiff’s public service pages during the 1950s, and the covers for the first appearances of The Flash (Flash Comics #1) and Green Lantern (All-American Comics #16).

He is survived by his sons, Richard Moldoff and Kenneth Moldoff, daughter, Ellen Moldoff Stein, son-in-law, Jeffrey Stein, grandchildren, Anthony Moldoff, Lizabeth Moldoff Curtis and her husband, Robert Curtis, Kendra Moldoff, Max Stein, great grandchildren, Samantha, Joseph and Brittney Curtis.