GA BEST ARTIST SURVIVOR SERIES POLL: RD.5

[Scrooge]

Tim,

 

with great thanks to Roger Hill's research, here are some scans from Alter Ego # 6 (go out and buy a copy). The page featured is from Master 27 (June 1942), with a classic cover. Below, you will see:

 

1) the printed final page,

 

2) the original art page without all the photostats pasted on the page

 

and 3) the final image is showing all photostats on this one single page.

 

Always makes one wonder if it wouldn't have been faster to re-draw the figures rather than: 1) layout the page so that it'd fit the figures planned on being re-used, 2) run the photostat, 3) cut-the figures, 4) paste the photostats, and 5) mesh with the current art and inking ...

[adamstrange]

I'm a huge Williamson fan as well. The only "possible" thing I guess you could hold against him for inclusion here is that sometimes other artists (Frazetta, Krenkel, others) did some or all of the inking over his pencils on some of the classic EC pieces. But Williamson's work is incredible, and stands on its own. He's in my top ten for sure.

 

Williamson developed into a fine inker but his pre-code work was hit or miss if he did the inking. Krenkel and Frazetta could make my stick figures sparkle if they inked it. I still love Williamson's pencils and and some of his inking but he was not a complete comic book artist yet in his own right in the same way as most of the others on the list.

[adamstrange]

I don't think that anyone is attempting to re-hash the issue of Raboy's cutting and pasting. Instead the current discussion seems to be about how much he traced from photos for the original art that he drew. Both Frazetta and Williamson took photos of themselves and the other members of the "Fleagles" and followed them very closely in at least some of their drawings -- and that's what I understood Matt Baker to have done. With W&F I've seen side by side comparisons.

 

There are clearly a number of poses that Raboy used of Capt Marvel Jr flying that were highly unlikely to be staged so I'm pretty comfortable he knew a thing or two about anatomy independent of photo reference. Raboy was a superb artist and should have been able to make his living as a pure illustrator if he so chose. That's a career option shared with probably only half of the guys on remaining on the list.

[Paratrooper]

A little bit of Heath GA interior work:

 

[adamstrange]

Heath

 

 

 

 

 

[Paratrooper]

Now that's what I'm talking about! No one did GA War action like Heath.

[adamstrange]

Now that's what I'm talking about! No one did GA War action like Heath.

 

Even the inaction scenes look pretty darn good.

 

[Scrooge]

I don't think that anyone is attempting to re-hash the issue of Raboy's cutting and pasting. Instead the current discussion seems to be about how much he traced from photos for the original art that he drew.

 

I get that. Though, I seriously doubt that most have seen it as clearly as presented in AE # 6 when we say some of the work was cut and pasted, nor have they seen how extensive it could be.

 

I will never begrudge any one for using photo-references so long as they make the final product their own ... and I will give point for those who could pull it off more naturally. When I make this last statement, I keep Jack Cole in mind, even though he appears to be on the chopping block next round. I fear (with the exception of Barks and Kelly, both sacred cows) that's the fate that will befall most non-(photo-)realistic artists. However, such is the nature of our hobby ...

[adamstrange]

LB Cole art may be simple but when you can draw like this, what else do you need to add?

 

 

 

 

[TheWatcher]

 

I think that's the nicest copy I've seen

[adamstrange]

I don't think that anyone is attempting to re-hash the issue of Raboy's cutting and pasting. Instead the current discussion seems to be about how much he traced from photos for the original art that he drew.

 

I get that. Though, I seriously doubt that most have seen it as clearly as presented in AE # 6 when we say some of the work was cut and pasted, nor have they seen how extensive it could be.

 

I will never begrudge any one for using photo-references so long as they make the final product their own ... and I will give point for those who could pull it off more naturally. When I make this last statement, I keep Jack Cole in mind, even though he appears to be on the chopping block next round. I fear (with the exception of Barks and Kelly, both sacred cows) that's the fate that will befall most non-(photo-)realistic artists. However, such is the nature of our hobby ...

 

It was certainly fair to post -- I was aware of the how extensive the cutting and pasting was but I'm sure that many weren't. And you are correct about how much good art comes from the creative types like Eisner and Jack who did the most interesting and stylish splash pages of any of the GA artists. I'm surprised that Cole has hung around as long as he has because Quality seemed to do their best to keep him restrained when he did covers. When you think of what he did in his stories and the few great covers that he drew,I can't imagine that he was the one toning down his art.

 

 

 

 

 

[Scrooge]

And here's a vain and doomed-to-fail attempt to change Trooper's PoV on Eisner, that hack of a genius ...

 

Note that these are in chronological order and what's amazing with Eisner is that each new story is better than the previous one and that continuous process of improvement never stopped throughout his career / life

[tth2]

Tim,

 

with great thanks to Roger Hill's research, here are some scans from Alter Ego # 6 (go out and buy a copy). The page featured is from Master 27 (June 1942), with a classic cover. Below, you will see:

 

1) the printed final page,

 

2) the original art page without all the photostats pasted on the page

 

and 3) the final image is showing all photostats on this one single page.

 

Always makes one wonder if it wouldn't have been faster to re-draw the figures rather than: 1) layout the page so that it'd fit the figures planned on being re-used, 2) run the photostat, 3) cut-the figures, 4) paste the photostats, and 5) mesh with the current art and inking ...

I'm not saying Raboy didn't use photostats. But he was using photostats of his own work, no? To me, this indicates that he was lazy, not untalented.

[tth2]

LB Cole art may be simple but when you can draw like this, what else do you need to add?

No one's saying LB Cole wasn't talented, and he certainly was unique in the comic field. But his heavy-lined "woodblock print" style just didn't work for the comic book medium, in my opinion.

[rjpb]

LB Cole art may be simple but when you can draw like this, what else do you need to add?

 

 

 

 

 

Those copies are GORGEOUS - I am sick with envy!

[Dale Roberts]

LB Cole art may be simple but when you can draw like this, what else do you need to add?

No one's saying LB Cole wasn't talented, and he certainly was unique in the comic field. But his heavy-lined "woodblock print" style just didn't work for the comic book medium, in my opinion.

 

Not to be contrary, but LB Cole is very popular. Some people love his books.

[tth2]

LB Cole art may be simple but when you can draw like this, what else do you need to add?

No one's saying LB Cole wasn't talented, and he certainly was unique in the comic field. But his heavy-lined "woodblock print" style just didn't work for the comic book medium, in my opinion.

 

Not to be contrary, but LB Cole is very popular. Some people love his books.

I'm fully aware of that. But I don't and am explaining why I don't like him.

[rjpb]

Jack Cole's best Plas covers are from the "horror" period of the run. As much as I love his work, most of his Plasticman/.Police covers are pretty bland - I've always wondered why- as was pointed out - the splash pages were usually far more interesting.

 

As for Williamson - I'll be voting him off soon I fear - great stuff, but a little to delicate for my tastes - I'm a sucker for bold inks - which is probably why I like L.B. Cole so much - and why Charles Burns is one of my favorite current artists.

[TheWatcher]

The same criticism that some have applied to Reed Crandall can be applied to Williamson, I believe. Great draftsman, beautiful lines, but rather bland (not very dynamic). I'm just more partial to Crandall.

[Dale Roberts]

I like the feathery pencils of Wiliamson and the near brush like quality of his work. I especially like his sci-fi stuff and dinosaur type stuff.