The Next Modern Master?

[Mighty Hal]

I've posted this in the wrong forum. Thanks to mister-not-so-nice's idea, I'll try a copy and paste to get this in the right forum. (I hope.)

 

I love that TwoMorrows Publishing has a Modern Masters series of books, "Celebrating the lives and work of today’s greatest comics artists." So far, they've put out 18 volumes. They've covered Alan Davis, George Perez, Bruce Timm, Kevin Nowlan, Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, Art Adams, John Byrne, Walter Simonson, Mike Wieringo, Kevin Maguire, Charles Vess, Michael Golden, Jerry Ordway, Frank Cho, Mark Schultz, Mike Allred, Lee Weeks and John Romita, Jr.

 

I absolutely agree with some of their choices. I don't agree with others. But I do enjoy hearing the terms "comic art" and "modern master" linked together. Fun stuff.

 

The ground rules for a TwoMorrows MM? It seems to break down like this: It has to be an artist that is currently working in the field; someone that has produced a body of work over a lengthy period of time; and someone that draws for mainstream comics, working for both DC and Marvel (and, usually, other publishers as well).

 

It doesn't seem that popularity is a huge factor. Nowlan, Garcia-Lopez and Maguire (for example) are terrific artists but most fans will push past them to get J. Scott Campbell's autograph...if you know what I mean.

 

After talking to 'TStrong', I offer my pitch for the next TwoMorrows Master: Chris Sprouse. He's clocked in over fifteen years in the mainstream comics media. He's worked for the Big Two (and Dark Horse and Image). He's collected a pair of Eisner Awards...I think. Nominated for Eisners, anyway. Plus, he's not popular. But I think he's a helluva artist.

 

Anybody you want to suggest?

[Nexus]

I would nominate BWS, Brian Bolland, Steve Rude, Tony Harris and Eduardo Risso, off the top of my head. Although some one these guys (Bolland and Rude, for example) already have large hardcover books dedicated to their art, so something like this might be considered redundant.

 

In the "not-quite-there-yet" category: Eric Powell, John Cassaday, J.G. Jones.

[Pirate]

Barry Kitson

Tony Harris

[groovyedwin]

First, we exclude the Asian, South American and European along with underground, alternative and lowbrow artists (Amano, Bilal, Sanjulian, Crumb, Ware, Moscoso, Mavrides, etc.) along with the deceased (Rick Griffin, Dave Stevens, Vaughn Bode, etc.) and just focus on living artist who have done work for Marvel and DC.

 

Biased, but I will still give it a try.

 

Limiting myself to individual(s) whose work I consider in the same class as the individuals who are excluded along with having worked for Marvel and/or DC and are still kicking then there are only two names in my book. They are Sergio Aragones and James Jean.

 

Edwin

[comix4fun]

First, we exclude the Asian, South American and European along with underground, alternative and lowbrow artists (Amano, Bilal, Sanjulian, Crumb, Ware, Moscoso, Mavrides, etc.) along with the deceased (Rick Griffin, Dave Stevens, Vaughn Bode, etc.) and just focus on living artist who have done work for Marvel and DC.

 

Biased.

 

Limiting myself to individual(s) whose work I consider in the same class as the individuals who are excluded along with having worked for Marvel and/or DC and are still kicking then there is only one name in my book. That individual is James Jean. James Jean is the only one I can think of working today (based on the limiting assumptions) that I believe will go down as a Master when all is said and done.

 

Edwin

 

 

Ringo is deceased....and Cho is Asian..

 

I get what you are saying but from reading modern masters I get two things:

1) the subject has to be willing and able to sit for an interview that spans the entire book. The series is about as much an interview as it is a picture book so having the artist be alive is usually pretty important, although they could branch away if they could get enough professionals to speak about the person in question. There is the subject of profitting from the death of an artist by publishing a book of their work that might come up however.

 

I bet if Crumb would sit for an interview and consent to publish his images he would have been covered in MM already.

 

 

and,

 

2) It's a book series that seems to cover comic art as seen by the American audience. It doesn't them little good to publish an english language book that covers an artist who doesn't have an audience here wide enough to support the book. Otherwise the series is gonna end pretty quick for lack of sales.

 

 

It's a relatively young series (18 artists out of several dozen that are relevant to the title) and they do wonderful work. I think we should give it a chance to flourish so they can spread their wings to more talented artists who might be less marketable.

 

Chris

[GotSuperPowers?]

I would say that folks like Mike Mignola and Sam Kieth would be perfect for this, even if Mignola has an art of Hellboy book out there, he has way more stuff out there than that. And I think Sam was supposed to have an art book but I don't think it ever came to be.

 

John Bolton and Simon Bisley would be interesting subjects too.

 

Cheers

Simon

[NYComics]

What about Tim Sale?

[jjonahjameson1]

Some good artists listed already. Off the top of my head, I'd love to see a Modern Masters volume for the following:

 

-Ron Lim

-Kelly Jones

-Rick Leonardi

-Dale Keown (yeah, good luck getting that guy)

-Todd McFarlane

-Jim Lee

-Paul Smith

-Bob Layton

-Don Rosa (perhaps a bit of wishful thinking on my part, but he's sooooo overlooked in North America)

-Ethan Van Sciver

-Terry Austin

-Chris Bachalo

-Gary Frank

[Rodey]

Arthur Adams! And Sienkevitch?

[jjonahjameson1]

Arthur Adams! And Sienkevitch?

 

They already published a volume for Art Adams a while ago.

[Rodey]

Didn't know that. Learn something new everyday.

[malvin]

Paul Chadwick?

[KirbyJack]

I second the Mike Mignola nomination!

[comicartfan]

Dale Keown (yeah, good luck getting that guy)

 

Yoram,

Can't you just pick up the phone and persuade him ?

 

 

[mister_not_so_nice]

-Steve Dillon - Has worked in comics since the 80s. Has had numerous successful runs on different titles, including a 66 issue run on a book that many consider a 'must read'

 

 

- Glenn Fabry - One of the most popular cover artists of the last 15 years(yet he can't finish a commission to save his life)

 

- Dean Ormston - instantly recognizable style. Has worked on many popular books.

 

 

Mike

(is my bias showing?)

[Mighty Hal]

Don Rosa (perhaps a bit of wishful thinking on my part, but he's sooooo overlooked in North America)

 

Absolutely. Love to read more about Rosa.

[MONSTER]

What about Tim Sale?

 

I second that nomination. Tim Sale is a no brainer.

 

Batman the Long Halloween

Batman Dark Victory

Superman For All Seasons

Hulk Gray

Spider-Man Blue

Daredevil Yellow

 

and he's currently working on Captain America White for Marvel and a little show on NBC called Heroes.

[Artemaria]

Hal -

 

Great Thread.

 

Right now, I'm pretty high on David Finch and Jimmy Cheung. Both have a little ways to go (which relates to the "next" part of your thread), but are producing what I view to be knockouts along the way. I would nominate them for consideration of their own modern masters books.

 

Van Sciver and Ivan Reis are producing some excellent work as well, but I fell less strongly about them because their work seems somewhat derivative from Bolland (Van Sciver) and Hitch (Reis).

 

However, rather than pure talent, how about a nomination for those guys who do a really good job, and consistently put the book out on time. Today, that's a pretty rare quality, but in my mind, Mark Bagley is the current Ironman of comics, cranking out over 100 issues of Ultimate SM (either always or usually on time), and now a weekly featuring DC's big three. That's impressive. There should be some kind of award for that.

 

Best.

 

- A

[*paull*]

John Totleben

[robert frey]

J G Jones?