lordbyroncomics

Wait, I told the moderators to please stop allowing any ads featuring my sister. This is an outrage

You are correct. I've witnessed it for years and it goes against my entire creative philosophy. But many people use their field as a sort of prop to promote themselves, not their work- the work itself becomes secondary to them, talking about the work. The people who get s*#t done seldom ramble on about themselves.

Sorry, I know this isn't a "panel" per se but just for follow up context, I looked up the president's comic and I mis-remembered it, it's actually called "Reagan's Raiders". I don't know man. http://crapboxofcthulhu.blogspot.com/2015/09/reagans-raiders-1.html

Yes, well, a kind of "preview" book for the company: https://www.misterkitty.org/extras/stupidcovers/stupidcomics121.html

Yeah I've always felt that way too but that's why I always say I don't blame Liefeld; I blame the people who enabled Liefeld: speculators. Wizard, fans, etc. If no one bought that stuff it wouldn't have succeeded. It's the same with anything else. I don't blame the dealer, I blame the buyer. Rejecting the product invalidates the dealer.

Oh man, thanks Kav. I had no idea whatsoever. The only things I've ever read about Swan are all gleamed from things others had said in passing in various TwoMorrows interviews or something and I had no idea. That's terrible, terrible. Veterans should be properly tended to but ageism in comics has always run rampant.

Yes indeed; apparently Gary Brodsky and Rich Buckler (!!) did some kind of super-Presidents comic

No, I'm the same way. It's been my experience that the people that talk about what they do all the time (with little, if anything, to show for it), they're best to be avoided. Sometimes it's best to just do it.

Holy s**t, is that true?! Swan died a "broke alcoholic"? I had no idea about that. I was under the impression Swan kind of winded down towards retirement and wasn't actively trying to get full-time work by whenever Liefeld was hot. When did Swan try to draw like Liefeld? I know Herb Trimpe did for "Fantastic Four Unlimited" but I've ever heard that about Swan. Wow.

I am also fascinated by Silver Wolf, which was much more prolific a publisher. You were right to trust your instincts though.

Yes! Teamwork! I was exposed to the existence of Gary Brodsky's "pay-to-play" comic scheme racket from the 1980s' on the Stupid Comics! blog and became fascinated but outside of a few things, there's not much about it in contemporary comics press which means he wasn't taken too seriously even though he had Rich Buckler. That 1980s' B&W boom was something I knew about in retrospect (I was a little kid in the Eighties though I did grab a few 80s' black and white books in 50 cent bins in the early 90s), but not to the extent of just what an actual "boom" it was for a very short time. If I ever come across some of these Solson books i might pick them up for train ride reading or something.

kav if I could find a warehouse crate filled with these I would literally buy it and send everyone on the board one. I wonder if anyone still has this

Sol Brodsky's son was a gift that gave.

As soon as you said it Prince Namor (Romita's thick line brush strokes), I completely saw it. Great looking out!

I think criteria is important because this is all subjective, it really is. Are we going for who had the widest influence or just who was the most popular, or.... I know I'm over-thinking this but it does influence our own answers, right? But again: subjective. I mean, I personally prefer Al Milgrom's Hulk issues to Byrne's Hulk issues so you'll never get two same answers. Now, I like Hal Foster and Alex Raymond and Roy Crane etc. but I initially suggested them in my own response to this question simply because I've read of so many formative comic artists citing them as their influence- but if we're not talking about width and range of influence- and certainly, Adams would be on that list if we were- then it's an entirely different kind of question altogether.

I respectfully have to disagree, chum. SO much of what I'd seen Marvel do in the last twenty years could be considered the worst comic(s) ever written. Millar, Bendis, even Scott Lobdell... all of it is grueling and makes one even consider "s**t, how hard could this be if this stuff is accepted?" I don't blame the writers tho', I blame the buyers.

To be fair, I haven't read that or that character previously simply due to a genuine lack of interest in supporting anything Marvel does outside of picking up specific collected editions. But I completely trust your judgment my friend. I feel like anything Marvel does is glorified fan-fiction at this point and a constant re-hash of older storylines. I remember saying to a friend that one day, Marvel would re-do 'Acts of Vengeance' and thought he was joking when he informed me that they, in fact, just did. I guess an 'Evolutionary War' event is right around the corner then.

Well, you ain't wrong

honorable mention: https://www.misterkitty.org/extras/stupidcovers/stupidcomics450.html

I thought about Tarpe Mills of Miss Fury; it's the kind of thing where I am thinking of direct or indirect influence and though Mills was ahead of her time, her influence was felt much later in retrospect

oh yeah, Charles Biro deserves a mention. As does Mac Raboy, Alex Schomburg, Lou Fine, Johnny Craig, Moldoff.... PopKulture, you're asking the hard questions tonight!

I added Crane simply because so many influential artists like Kirby, Beck, Sinnott, Shuster, etc. have said his form of storytelling had such a huge impact on them.

I'd say... Kirby Roy Crane Milt Caniff Hal Foster

I'd be amazed if anyone chose Bob Kane. Forget about the fact that he used ghosts, etc.- who was influenced by his "style"? Absolutely no one. Batman became a phenomenon later on but that's different from him having an influential STYLE. Any stiff work he did was largely swipes from daily strips.

Well, it depends what the criteria is for making the Mount Rushmore. I saw above about more people knowing Spider-Man over The Spirit so.. is it based on sheer marketing awareness? Copies sold? Not being sarcastic or anything, genuinely asking. Like, is it our personal Mount Rushmore? If it's in terms of influence, well gosh. Four is so limited. Obviously Kirby would be there. Neal Adams would have to be there. I mean, Hal Foster and Caniff influenced a LOT of comic artists... but so did Todd McFarlane. This can't be easy! :P