Gil Kane

[Swharr-migration]

I guess I have been pushed to the edge to be posting this but ... well, I see a lot of people online (not this forum ) who bash Gil Kane, saying his covers suck or his art sucks. I can not even believe one person would say this, let alone many.

 

As a kid and still to this day, when I see a cover drawn by Gil the chances of me wanting to buy it go up 10x ... there is just something totally exciting about his layouts that gets me every time.

 

Has anyone else seen this Kane bashing too? I imagine people on this site know better, but I guess art is a matter of taste and maybe some people do think Gil Kane sucks ...

[faster friends]

I love Gil Kane. Who Doesn't?

[Senormac]

I'm sure he has fans and a following, but I'm not really one of them. After around 1966 his work became mechanical and uninspired IMO. The up the nose shots. The bent backwards knee angles. The scantily clad sitting female poses. They were almost interchangable.

 

So sorry.....I'm not a fan.....but WWTB

[Flaming_Telepath]

This is a medium that gave us...and then worshipped...Rob Liefeld.

 

Why the surprise that not everybody loves Gil Kane?

[Prince Namor]

I appreciate Gil Kane now, more than I did as a kid, but as a replacement for the art of my beloved Romita SR. on Amazing Spider-man, I just was not a big fan of his.

Bashing?

He certainly doesn't deserve to be bashed. He was a hard working professional who gave many years of his life to this business.

[TheWatcher]

He's one of the greatest cover artists ever, in my opinion. As a young man I couldn't stand his art, but as I got older I learned to appreciate it and soon fell in love with it. Gil Kane is one of my favorite artists of all time with Kirby, Eisner, and Lou Fine

[namisgr]

I'm sure he has fans and a following, but I'm not really one of them. After around 1966 his work became mechanical and uninspired IMO. The up the nose shots. The bent backwards knee angles. The scantily clad sitting female poses. They were almost interchangable.

 

So sorry.....I'm not a fan.....but WWTB

 

I love this post-'66 Kane cover:

 

 

[Swharr-migration]

Personally I think he created covers that look way more exciting than the actual story inside on many occasions. And I can see his influence on many fan fav artists such as Frank Miller.

 

I also think his Spider Man issues were awesome! Six arm Spidey? Morbius? His Green Goblin was awesome. I think for Kane it was the inker that could make or break him.

 

Kane did some of the greatest covers of all time IMO, but that could be due to nostalgia.

[KEY ISSUES Comics]

Not a fan, but I wouldn't bash the guy.

[goldust40]

 

Kane did some of the greatest covers of all time IMO, but that could be due to nostalgia.

 

Nope, it's 'cause they were great. Most of the memorable Marvel Bronze Age covers were his...he was cover artist there for a reason.

[Forbush-Man]

These would also be the same people who bash Ditko's work.

 

 

Gil Kane is a fantastic artist, nuff said. (thumbs u

[rodan57]

From original art sites on the web:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Gatsby77]

I think he was one of the top 3 Daredevil artists ever, possibly top 2 (after Miller).

[143ksk]

He's one of the greatest cover artists ever, in my opinion. As a young man I couldn't stand his art, but as I got older I learned to appreciate it and soon fell in love with it. Gil Kane is one of my favorite artists of all time with Kirby, Eisner, and Lou Fine

 

That is exactly my experience as well (thumbs u

 

My favorite Kane story is The Night of the Dark God which first appeared in Savage Tales #4--just amazing work

[Swharr-migration]

Somehow he could find the one second in the story that was full of action and present in a way that made you Need to open the book.

 

Other artists just couldn't do it ... sorry but Cockrum was not as interesting (besides xmen 101 which was awesome)

 

check out Champions 8 ... a worthless story but he made the cover look like it was the best comic ever made!

[Mr. Zipper]

In general, I like and appreciate Kane. However, there are instances where his characters appeared to have very odd, sunken eyes... almost like a thick eye liner. That look didn't appeal to me at all.

[DennisRodmanofSS]

If the cover to ASM 129 was the only cover that Kane ever did, that would still be enough to call him a legend....

[boomtown]

Like someone mentioned, I think the inkers played a big part in it. When Kane had Palmer or Janson inking him he was a top talent, he also did a handful of covers with Ralph Reese that were just amazing. I even loved his work with Romita inking him. Sometimes when Esposito or Giacoia worked with him it looked pretty average. Always loved his Western covers for Marvel when they would alternate the reprint covers one month & the new Kane covers the next.

[Aman619]

I like Kane inking Kane best. The tighter inkers (like Palmer) over fluffed the raw excitement of his pencils. Kane kept the drama alive.

[Forbush-Man]

He did some brilliant work on Daredevil, Doctor Strange & TOS Iron Man.