Why do you think John Romita jr. doesn't get love?

[fantastic_four]

I liked his work on DD and X-Men, but his father is the greatest Spider-Man artist of all time.

 

I mostly saw him on Amazing Spider-Man and didn't like the art and thought it was crapola compared to his dad. As someone else pointed out, coulda been the inkers. I didn't really like his work in Uncanny X-Men either.

[COI]

Eww, that's terrible. What the happened to him?

 

This is the JRJR I know:

 

[COI]

His father casts a huge shadow, artistically. He's brilliant.

 

[Speedy-D]

I really dug his art in Kick-Asss.

I thought he was at an all time low when he was doing some X-Men covers in the 80's (maybe he did the interiors too, I can't remember). I didn't really pay attention to the artists too much back then, except for Sienkiewicz & Miller & Art Adams and the big guys, but I always thought those X-Men covers especially crappy.

[akaSteveRogers]

JRJR

 

One thing I love in artist is when you can pick up a book and not look at the credit and know EXACTLY who pencilled it. For better or for worse.

 

But as a few have already stated...Art is very subjective. As a late bronze/copper kid, I grew up on his DD, Spidey, Uncanny X-Men.

 

But top artist? All that means is that a lot more people like him than not. Time usually handles such things.

 

He's Top 10-12 of my fav artists.

[comix4fun]

It's all just so....SQUARE.

Yup. I think what really turned me off on JRJr was his Daredevil art.

 

 

 

Oh no you didn't....

 

 

[comix4fun]

It's all just so....SQUARE.

Yup. I think what really turned me off on JRJr was his Daredevil art.

 

His daredevil art is horrendous.. I mean ... who would find something like this impressive or memorable?

 

 

[Mr.Diggler]

Just doesn't do it for me.

[comix4fun]

Just doesn't do it for me.

 

 

But does it make you ?

 

I ask because Al Williamson inked JRJR wonderfully on DD. It was one of those memorable combinations of penciller and inker that has really stood the test of time for those that follow OA.

 

In JRJR's early years at Marvel he really tried to fit in and ape the style of whatever artist he replaced. It worked well for him, but it wasn't what his mind's eye wanted to draw.

 

It wasn't until his 3rd or 4th issue of X-men when he stopped doing an impression of the artist he replaced (in that case paul smith) and went with his own style. I can't fault a guy for wanting to rise or fall on his own merits, especially when he's proven he's risen far more than he's fallen.

 

Guys who can ape other guy's styles are a dime a dozen. I don't want to see the next clone of a clone making a paler and paler xerox of an another artist. JRJR's art is distinct and it's unmistakably his. His runs on X-men, DD and Punisher are standing the test of time, at least in the OA world.

 

C

 

 

[Mr.Diggler]

IIRC, some of the issues would make me want to . If JRjr is one of your guys, that's great support your guy. For me personally a lot of his work is just so so. Kick works. I was not thrilled to see his name attached but I've been able to move past it. I don't buy much OA so how popular he is in that world is irrelevant to me.

[comixcroz]

I gotta be honest I'm a big fan. His art is most definitely stylized and has a cartoon feel to it. When I evaluate whether i like comic art or not I look at the bigger picture. I'm not looking for how well someone is able to capture realism and proportions, I'm looking at the whole "scene" and whether he can bring life and emotion to the characters. I think he does a great job of this. Reading a comic by him is like looking into an imaginary universe. Much like watching the Simpsons, Everything is consistent in its design.

 

I agree with someones prior post, in that, its kind of cool to be able to glance at a panel and know who the artist is. I don't think JRJR will ever be winning awards for picture perfect realism but if that's what I wanted I'd watch a movie or look at photographs.

 

I just don't get why so many comic fans dislike his work - now if we were talking about Liefeld I'd be jumping right on this bandwagon.

[Mr.Diggler]

I gotta be honest I'm a big fan. His art is most definitely stylized and has a cartoon feel to itThis may be one reason it doesn't work for me. When I evaluate whether i like comic art or not I look at the bigger picture. I'm not looking for how well someone is able to capture realism and proportions, I'm looking at the whole "scene" and whether he can bring life and emotion to the charactersSame wave length here. I think he does a great job of this. Reading a comic by him is like looking into an imaginary universe. Much like watching the Simpsons, Everything is consistent in its design.

 

I agree with someones prior post, in that, its kind of cool to be able to glance at a panel and know who the artist is. I don't think JRJR will ever be winning awards for picture perfect realism but if that's what I wanted I'd watch a movie or look at photographs.

 

I just don't get why so many comic fans dislike his work - now if we were talking about Liefeld Now you've gone and made me really I'd be jumping right on this bandwagon.

[comix4fun]

IIRC, some of the issues would make me want to . If JRjr is one of your guys, that's great support your guy. For me personally a lot of his work is just so so. Kick works. I was not thrilled to see his name attached but I've been able to move past it. I don't buy much OA so how popular he is in that world is irrelevant to me.

 

 

I only mentioned the OA world because people who are into OA tend to examine art in its fine details and get beyond the cursory "how it looks in the printed comic" mode. They see specific pencil techniques and inking lines and look at the art much closer and can see it much more clearly in it's original form than it looks as a printed comic. Those folks tend to really appreciate that run of issues.

 

The odd paradox of all of this is, several of the guys in the "top 10" or "hot list" are some of the least talented, and most challenged guys from a technique standpoint. As a result, we are getting further away from the Kirby/Ditko/Adams/Wrightson level of skill as the new guys tend to emulate what they see.

 

I don't begrudge you your opinion, I just wanted to know if the JRJR/Williamson run really made you ill, because that's a run that is usually mentioned by folks in the plus category. Most of the time people pick on his X-men artwork.

 

 

With that I will toss one more vomit inducing piece at you:

 

[Mr.Diggler]

I don't really mean to pick on his work. Following Miller and David Mazzuchelli is tough. May hap I should appreciate his work for what it is and stop comparing it to the others just before him. One of the few guys I buy sketches etc from is James O' Barr. Not everyone likes his style. I do.

 

"The odd paradox of all of this is, several of the guys in the "top 10" or "hot list" are some of the least talented, and most challenged guys from a technique standpoint. As a result, we are getting further away from the Kirby/Ditko/Adams/Wrightson level of skill as the new guys tend to emulate what they see. " (thumbs u

 

My two favorite issues from his DD run are 250 and 251. The entire creative team really nailed it with these two issues IMHO.

 

That's a very nice page you have. (thumbs u I would be happy as pig in mess to have that in my collection. Even if it is JRJr

[COI]

It's all just so....SQUARE.

Yup. I think what really turned me off on JRJr was his Daredevil art.

 

His daredevil art is horrendous.. I mean ... who would find something like this impressive or memorable?

 

 

If that's yours, congrats. "Man Without Fear" is one of my all-time favorite comic book stories, and the covers are definitely impessive and memorable to me. (thumbs u

[MightyBeanComics]

I gotta be honest I'm a big fan. His art is most definitely stylized and has a cartoon feel to it. When I evaluate whether i like comic art or not I look at the bigger picture. I'm not looking for how well someone is able to capture realism and proportions, I'm looking at the whole "scene" and whether he can bring life and emotion to the characters. I think he does a great job of this. Reading a comic by him is like looking into an imaginary universe. Much like watching the Simpsons, Everything is consistent in its design.

 

I agree with someones prior post, in that, its kind of cool to be able to glance at a panel and know who the artist is. I don't think JRJR will ever be winning awards for picture perfect realism but if that's what I wanted I'd watch a movie or look at photographs.

 

I just don't get why so many comic fans dislike his work - now if we were talking about Liefeld I'd be jumping right on this bandwagon.

 

I think your post sums it up well. Its all about personal preference. My favorite artist is Jim Lee who is the polar opposite of your criteria above.

 

I wish I could be as poignant as you, but JRJR brings out the worst in me

 

My LCS removes any books he does from my pull list.

 

Worse thing is JRJR speaks really well of me. That makes me an .

 

 

[unmovedmover]

I think he's a fantastic artist - Daredevil: man without fear was one of my formative comics as a kid and I've only rarely seen pieces of his I didn't enjoy.

 

He's got a great sense of action, I think, and there is a very kinetic aspect to his work that actually reminds me of Kirby in alot of ways. I'd say that enjoying JRJR really opened me up to where I've become a big fan of Kirby in recent years.

[slym2none]

I liked JRJR before he got so stylized - like back in the 1980's when he was drawing Uncanny X-Men.

 

(thumbs u

 

 

 

-slym

[homerwannabee]

I personally think an artist can not take away from what he has already acomplished. To take away points for his recent work is a disservice. Being an Amazing Spider-man fan I do know that some of his cover art will stand the test of time. He did amazing job on these Amazing Spider-man covers 224,225, 226, 229, 230, 238, 239, 242,244, 250.

[sniderwj]

I'm new around here but I didn't know there were some people that don't like him. I've been a fan of his since I was a kid back in the early 90s. I had stopped collecting when I moved back to the States from the UK. I picked my collection backup in 05 or 06 and the DD Man w/o Fear mini was one of the comics that I grabbed right away and reread.

 

Thinking about it now, even with me being a big spidey fan, the DD MWOF and the Wolverine Enemy of the State are some of the runs that stick in my mind. Kick- has been really fun. Since I grew up with his more stylized (or boxy) art that is what I'm used to.

 

@comix4fun - like i said in the OA thread.. I'm so jealous of that DD cover.