I just came across this so I thought I'd chime in.
Yes, I ink on a lightbox...since 1985. Just to clarify that, the Justice League of America #259 cover attached here is the very first thing I ever did in comics back in 1986. It's Inked on a lightbox. Luke McDonnell never touched that cover but it's listed on Romitaman for $1,250 as Luke McDonnell art...and there's nothing wrong with that. He's the Penciler. I'm the Inker. The method I use to Ink was shown to me by Giordano and it's how I've done all my Inks for Marvel and DC over the years ever since. Honestly, it's a bit late to start complaining about it now. Back then original Pencils for pages that were Inked on a lightbox, the "real" art as some of you would prefer to call it, were thrown away after the Inked versions were turned in. Penciled pages were deemed essentially worthless because they were not the "real" art. That's what I was taught in the DC Comics office at least.
I cannot begin to tell you how much classic original comic art has been made on a lightbox; virtually all of Jack Kirby's later DC work is Inked on a lightbox. To give a better example, tons of John Romita Inked covers are, especially over my personal favorite Gil Kane. My favorite Amazing Spider-Man cover from 1973 is clearly Inked on a lightbox. Gil would often "Pencil" in ball point pen, markers, whatever happened to be lying around a coffee shop it seemed. Romita slapped it all on a lightbox, Inked it, signed Kane's name to it and called it good. Finishing art in the most expedient manner possible was part of Romita's daily routine. Kane never touched those pages and no one cared. It was still considered Gil's artwork and is on sale today for a fortune without a word about Gil never touching those boards.
Comic companies and artists have always been fine with making original art on lightboxes, it's been done for a hundred years and is nothing unusual. Never in all that time did any artist ever feel the need to "disclose" how those pages were made, nor have I ever seen any Comic Book Editor tell any Inker that any method for finishing comic art was out of bounds. My particular method that you are complaining about I have seen done by industry greats like Bill Sienkiewicz and other big names a hundred times over.
How original art is finished is up to the Inker. It's his sole discretion. On every occasion when Pencilers get pages they never touched back from the office, they sell that art as their own every single time and not a word is ever said about method to anyone. It's been that way for ages.
Does lightbox Inking make original art worth less? That's up to the buyer. Romita recreated Amazing Spider-Man #49 cover on a lightbox and that just sold for $167,300. Plenty of lightboxed covers have sold for thousands and are considered very iconic pieces. No one talks about how they were made and certainly those pieces are not considered counterfeits or forgeries.
Art is worth what you're willing to pay for it. How the artist made it is his business. Certainly the comic companies never cared and I'm not going to change the way I work after all these years so it is what it is. With all comic art, any original Pencils on the board have to be completely removed by the Inker anyway so you're only left with the Inker's work, not the Pencilers. That's all comic art ever is; the Inker's interpretation of the Pencils. But if you want to complain about it that's your right and I won't argue. Just know that lightboxing comic art has been going on since before you were born. Sometimes it's done out of necessity, sometimes people like me just work that way because they like it. Horses for courses.
Those are my thoughts on the matter. Feel free to share my comments with anyone you care to.
