Tribute to Bill Ward

[aardvark88]

Before Dave Stevens and Adam Hughes, there was good girl artist Bill Ward. He often worked on huge 17 x 23 inch (larger than twice up OA) sheets of paper with conte crayon and white chalk highlights. Note: the lush fabric type backgrounds.

 

Also pics have been edited for greggy, as he has fragile Canadian sensibilities.

 

[aardvark88]

Ward was famous for Torchy comics and her earlier appearances, I believe, in later issues of Modern Comics.

 

[aardvark88]

My fave is to collect Ward's Telephone Girl series of pin up drawings. Due to the fragile nature of the graphite and conte crayon, a fixative was sprayed onto these originals:

 

[aardvark88]

Surprised that Bill Ward spent so much time in illustrating the lush frabric texture of the backgrounds to add to the delicious foreground.

 

Around 1978, Ward came out of retirement and maintained his high standard of OA that he set in the 50s and 60s for GGA. He did some commissioned Torchy cover recreations although he was not the original GA illustrator of the comic covers:

 

 

[aardvark88]

Last 3 years, Taschen has published 2 different oversize versions with the theme Art of Bill Ward. The Fantagraphics book is 1 inch thick full of nice b/w illos. Telephone Girls portfolio was mentioned in World of Ward comic #1:

 

 

Please post any scans of Ward romance covers or other Torchy-style (thumbs u art you wish to share from your collection.

[mister_not_so_nice]

Bill Ward, how I love his art What kid growing up reading CRACKED magazine didn't thank the editors for hiring him?

 

Although I've had a few of the larger conte piece, I prefer his smaller pieces on the thicker art board. I'll post mine as soon as I get a chance. I purchased my first Ward pieces from Mr. Alex Chun

[shiverbones]

Ward had a series of a hot babe interviewing monsters in the cracked monster issues. these are burned in my brain forever!

[pinupcartoonguy]

Alright, I'll play . . .

 

[mister_not_so_nice]

Why don't you try some sleeping tablets, this is the seventh night I've met you walking my beat!

 

[aardvark88]

I think this is the 1st time in 6 years that I have been on the Forum that there has been a Bill Ward appreciation thread. Long overdue.

 

Also, Alex Chun (has a Ward website and is on CAF) (thumbs u wrote or co-wrote that red covered Fantagraphics Ward book that is pictured earlier. Retail price is a very affordable $20. Check out the Fantagraphics booth if you will be at SDCC. I think the Taschen art book retailed for over $90 but you get larger, quality pages of his Humorama, Sex to Sixty illos.

[pinupcartoonguy]

The Taschen book is now out of print. This book is still in print and available through Amazon, and like the Taschen book, has nice big images of Ward's Humorama pin-ups:

 

[aardvark88]

I am just stunned that Ward could make fabric look so wonderfully detailed and clingy to his Barbie-proportioned pin-up girls. Ward was still in peak form in the late 70's. Great cover feature in Overstreet Price Guide # 8 which was quite a contrast to the Barks Ostreet # 7. <3

[mister_not_so_nice]

"Is it good and sturdy? Will it hold up to scrubbing floors, carrying out garbage, washing laundry..."

 

[ShaneTurgeon]

Great thread. I love Ward's stuff...don't own any originals - yet - but it's definitely on the list of things to own one day!

[*paull*]

Fantastic artist... thanks for posting!

[aardvark88]

Main point to remember for OA collectors is that the Telephone Girls illustrations or Sex to Sixty illos on fragile paper are mega-huge : larger than twice-up which makes 11 x 17 inch bristol seem puny in comparison. I don't think Adam Hughes or Dave Stevens could have delineated negligee fabric texture as nicely.

[mister_not_so_nice]

I'm Sorry, I Can't Accept Your Dinner Invitation Herbert, But I'm Terribly Hungry Tonight!

 

[aardvark88]

Nice Bill Ward. I have not seen that illo before.