Al Milgrom

[g-man]

here he is inking Lim's pencils (I still have this one framed and on the wall)....

 

 

 

 

[AGGIEZ]

Milgrom is certainly in the top five worst artists of all time. Go look at his West Coast Avengers work and tell me that a blind arthritic chimp under attack from a cattle prod couldn't do better.

 

I really dislike condemning talent publicly but I must admit Milgrom was for me.

 

Who were the other four in your top worst five, Nick?

 

Liefeld?

Robbins?

 

While I agree it is in poor taste to make fun of the man's craft in a public forum, I figure that he got paid to put out the schlock that he did. Hey, if you’re charging admission to the game, the quarterback had better come out and play, and at least have a little talent.

 

Within five years (1977-1982), the price of comics doubled while the quality plummeted. At this time, Milgrom was hitting his stride. I was cynical even as a kid. The man took away some of the joy. Long live Al Milgrom.

 

Here's another stinker, Frank Springer.

 

 

 

Iron Fist from the calf down is HOT! Would!

[Speedy-D]

Milgrom is certainly in the top five worst artists of all time. Go look at his West Coast Avengers work and tell me that a blind arthritic chimp under attack from a cattle prod couldn't do better.

 

I really dislike condemning talent publicly but I must admit Milgrom was for me.

 

Who were the other four in your top worst five, Nick?

 

Liefeld?

Robbins?

 

While I agree it is in poor taste to make fun of the man's craft in a public forum, I figure that he got paid to put out the schlock that he did. Hey, if you’re charging admission to the game, the quarterback had better come out and play, and at least have a little talent.

 

Within five years (1977-1982), the price of comics doubled while the quality plummeted. At this time, Milgrom was hitting his stride. I was cynical even as a kid. The man took away some of the joy. Long live Al Milgrom.

 

Here's another stinker, Frank Springer.

 

 

 

Iron Fist from the calf down is HOT! Would!

[Conan_Aficionado]

I've never found Al Milgrom's work so intolerable that it made me say "mess, what is this mess."

 

You can't expect everyone to be able to draw like Neal Adams, Jim Lee, Mcfarlane or any of those top tier artist.

 

 

[Hammerhead]

here he is inking Lim's pencils (I still have this one framed and on the wall)....

 

 

 

 

All 3 of those pieces are very nice! I especially like the PPTSSM #76 recreate!

[Hammerhead]

Milgrom is certainly in the top five worst artists of all time. Go look at his West Coast Avengers work and tell me that a blind arthritic chimp under attack from a cattle prod couldn't do better.

 

I really dislike condemning talent publicly but I must admit Milgrom was for me.

 

Who were the other four in your top worst five, Nick?

 

Liefeld?

Robbins?

 

While I agree it is in poor taste to make fun of the man's craft in a public forum, I figure that he got paid to put out the schlock that he did. Hey, if you’re charging admission to the game, the quarterback had better come out and play, and at least have a little talent.

 

Within five years (1977-1982), the price of comics doubled while the quality plummeted. At this time, Milgrom was hitting his stride. I was cynical even as a kid. The man took away some of the joy. Long live Al Milgrom.

 

Here's another stinker, Frank Springer.

 

 

 

Iron Fist from the calf down is HOT! Would!

 

Check out Iron Fist' face! Good grief!

[Spider-Variant]

Well, Al's work is what I would call "non-descript". It lacks anything destinctive. He is an artist whose work I probably could not identify him as the penciller on.

 

I agree with many in that Marvel went downhill as prices steadily rose. I mark this point as the end of my Bronze Age. For me, that was issue #186 of Amazing Spider-Man, when Ross Andru left and Keith Pollard started.

 

 

[toysmania]

these are cover recreations that Al did for me several years ago from PPSSM #76 & 77. Pencils and inks and lettering all by Milgrom....I think he can still bring it when he wants to. I will agree that there was alot of swill back in the 80s but here and there he hit one out of the park.

 

I still have the 1st one framed and on my office wall.

 

 

 

Wow the two recreations are nice! I like how he integrated the title into the picture in the second recreation!

[That Ron Dude]

I am surprised to read the vitriol. I thought he was perfectly competent and had an attractive ink line. So there.

[32pages-migration]

I am surprised to read the vitriol. I thought he was perfectly competent and had an attractive ink line. So there.

 

Who would you consider a bad artist then?

[Conan_Aficionado]

I've been looking at some other known artist during the same period who also drew some spidey and I find that Al's style doesn't deviate that much from Mike Zeck or Sal Buscema. Mike Zeck always puts a lot of background detail and Buscema has great form. Other than that, I have a hard time distinguishing between their styles.

 

I always thought that Mike Zeck and Sal Buscema were regarding as good artist.

Looking at some Ross Andru, I didn't find his work so remarkable, but suitable for the medium, but he does put a lot of background detail.

[Ken Aldred]

What is all the hate towards Al Milgrom about? Lately I have seen many complain about his artwork. I don't think he is all that bad! There are far worst Bronze/Copper age artists out there, far worst. I don't think Milgrom is all that bad and liked his work on Spidey when he did Spidey, many Peter Parker comics if I remember correctly.

His artwork just left me very cold and didn't engage me in the slightest, and so in the end I simply couldn't be bothered to read his books.

[Prince Namor]

I've been looking at some other known artist during the same period who also drew some spidey and I find that Al's style doesn't deviate that much from Mike Zeck or Sal Buscema. Mike Zeck always puts a lot of background detail and Buscema has great form. Other than that, I have a hard time distinguishing between their styles.

 

I always thought that Mike Zeck and Sal Buscema were regarding as good artist.

Looking at some Ross Andru, I didn't find his work so remarkable, but suitable for the medium, but he does put a lot of background detail.

 

You can't overwork a guy like Al Milgron, who is obviously talented, but not the type of artist who can knock out multiple books in a month with superb quality.

The cover recreations show that when given time he can do superior work.

 

As Marvel ran the talent off and started leaning heavily on the second tier guys, it showed in most all of their books during this time period. Even when you compare someone like Mike Zeck's covers to some of his interior's it could at times be a little disappointing.

 

On top of that you had Marvel wanting that house style in all of their books (Kirby layouts/Romita faces) so a lot of these guys never really got a chance to show what they could do outside the constraints of a monster work load/specific style.

 

 

[Jeffro.]

I am surprised to read the vitriol. I thought he was perfectly competent and had an attractive ink line. So there.

 

Who would you consider a bad artist then?

 

Based on previous comments I don't believe he considers anyone a bad artist.

[Jeffro.]

Just crack open any issue of Secret Wars II. Al's supreme suckiness is on display for all to see. Makes Liefeld nearly look attractive by comparison.

[Conan_Aficionado]

I've been looking at some other known artist during the same period who also drew some spidey and I find that Al's style doesn't deviate that much from Mike Zeck or Sal Buscema. Mike Zeck always puts a lot of background detail and Buscema has great form. Other than that, I have a hard time distinguishing between their styles.

 

I always thought that Mike Zeck and Sal Buscema were regarding as good artist.

Looking at some Ross Andru, I didn't find his work so remarkable, but suitable for the medium, but he does put a lot of background detail.

 

 

 

On top of that you had Marvel wanting that house style in all of their books (Kirby layouts/Romita faces) so a lot of these guys never really got a chance to show what they could do outside the constraints of a monster work load/specific style.

 

 

I was thinking along the same lines, that it was an in house style thing going on. It's every evident by the commissioned work highlighted in earlier post that Milgrom is more talented than some of his PPSSM covers would suggest.

[Boboset]

I never enjoyed his art, but I felt that he was the perfect compliment to Ron Lim's pencils. Check out g-man's Lim/Milgrom Silver Surfer VS. Thanos piece to see what I'm talking about here.

[Deathlok2-migration]

IMO, Milgrom wasn't the worst artist by far I have seen, nor was he one of the best. He did however, do the work enough that his shortcomings were never truly distracting for me.

[32pages-migration]

I am surprised to read the vitriol. I thought he was perfectly competent and had an attractive ink line. So there.

 

Who would you consider a bad artist then?

 

Based on previous comments I don't believe he considers anyone a bad artist.

 

That's not very realistic. Must be a hippie.

[That Ron Dude]

Jeffro is pretty close in his evaluation of my tastes. If someone can get a job with a major company for more than a few issues of a book, he probably has many merits. But Milgrom is no where near the bottom of that pile either. His anatomy was solid, he had a nicely controlled line, his figures moved and his story telling was solid enough to be placed on well-selling titles.