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Your top 10 GA artists? How do they fit into your all time list?
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Started by Flex Mentallo,

77 posts in this topic

Cat-Man_America

Cat-Man_America

Posted
Posted

In order to contribute to this thread I'll have to narrow my list to just comic books produced during the GA; more specifically, limiting it to art created during the years 1938-1949! Otherwise, I'd have to exclude a number of highly regarded Atomic Age illustrators (1949-1954), painters (pulp cover artists) and newspaper comic strip artists.

 

My list (no particular order):

 

Basil Wolverton

Reed Crandall

Mac Raboy

Jack Kirby

Matt Baker

Lou Fine

Jack Cole

LB Cole

Irv Novick

Alex Schomburg

 

There are so many great artists that I'm leaving off of this list that I find the exercise of categorizing any of them to be pointless, but these guys stand out more often than not when contemplating the top illustrators of the day, so there you have it.

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Ted Knight

Ted Knight

Posted
Posted

My top 10, from a criteria purely of aesthetic and level of skill are:

 

1- Frank Frazetta (for his sheer beauty, power, and imagination)

2- Mac Raboy (for the most dynamic and powerful lighting and iconic compositions)

3- Wally Wood (for the detail and attention to line and use of various tones)

4- Will Eisner (for the Spirit, nuff said)

5- Jack Kirby (for his composition and page layout)

6- Alex Schomburg (for so many variations on the superheros during WWII)

7- Lou Fine (for taking the artform to a new level of refinement and for all those Hit covers)

8- Jack Burnley (for his clean clear lines and powerful stances)

9- Matt Baker (for the sexiest and prettiest women and their expressions)

10- Jack Cole (for the roughest, most plastic thinking around)

 

This was a surprisingly hard list to decide as there are so many truly incredible and deserving artists of the time period. We all know who they are but if I had to choose 10 there it is. On any given day, the order of the list might change slightly but that's it.

 

 

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detective35

detective35

Posted
Posted (edited)

OK, I am going to go way over the TOP 10 Limit, but here goes:

 

1. Frank Frazetta (I would put him in more with painting like the PULP

artists).

2. Alex Schomburg (awesome Timely covers)

3. Alex Raymond (brush strokes re-defined)

4. Lou Fine (anatomy and detailed precision)

5. Jack Kirby (everything from Golden age to Marvel (FF to AF 15, etc.)

6. Matt Baker (knew how to draw the women)

7. a) Al Williamson (detailed brush strokes)

b) Hal Foster (detailed brush strokes as well)

c) Wally Wood (great detail in covers & interiors)

8. Mac Raboy (Master/ Captain Marvel Jr.)

9 a) Shelly Moldoff (Hawkman covers in GA Flash run, All American 16-23

& ghost artist on the Detective #27, 29, 31, 33,

35-37..although after those, I was not such a fan).

b) Bernard Baily - Great More Fun Spectre covers (54, 65, etc.).

 

10. MODERN:

Neal Adams (absolutely everything..could rank him

at the top)

Alex Ross (top modern day painter..could rank him higher)

Jim Lee (Batman/Superman),

Bernie Wrightson (Horror, Swamp Thing, late 60's - early

70's) and..

Jim Steranko (design and detail)

 

Including Pulps:

 

1. Frank Frazetta

 

2. a) HJ Ward (Spicy Mystery, Spicy Adventure/Spicy Detective etc).

b) George Rozen (Shadow pulp covers)

 

3. John Newton Howitt (The Spider, Horror Stories, Terror Tales,

Dime Mystery, etc.)

 

4. J. Allen St. John (Tarzan etc...the Master!!..other people might rank

him 1-2)

 

5) a) Walter Baumhofer (Doc Savage pulps)

b) Norman Saunders (misc. pulp covers, men’s adventures, etc.)

 

6. Alex Schomburg (Timely covers, sci-fi pulp paintings..could rank him

higher..AWESOME!)

 

 

7. a) Tom Lovell (Outstanding pulp covers, interior Shadow pulp

illustrations).

b) Jerome Rozen (Wu fang, Yen Sin, and misc. pulp covers)

 

8. a) Alex Raymond (the master at detail with brush strokes)

b) Edd Cartier (detailed Shadow pulp interiors)

c) Lou Fine (detail and anatomy defined)

 

9. a) Rafael DeSoto (many pulp covers)

b) R. G. Harris (Detailed pulp covers, Doc Savage 1937)

c) Graves Gladney (later Shadow pulp covers (1939-41),

& misc. pulp covers (Dime Mystery etc.).

 

10. a) Margaret Brundage (Weird Tales Covers, many people really like her,

not my favorite, except for Batwoman cover...

Classic!!)

b) Frank R. Paul (Amazing Stories bedsheets and many sci-fi front

& back covers).

c) Mac Raboy (Great WW11 covers for Capt. Marvel Jr. and Master)

 

Honourable Mention: Neal Adams & Alex Ross

(modern day artists...as good as any!!)

 

Really, I could flip a coin on the above artists/painters, and add a dozen more pulp painters, and comic artists!

 

Dwight

 

NOTE: For a list and images of Pulp artists paintings: www.pulpartists.com

Edited by detective35DF
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Scrooge

Scrooge

Posted
Posted

Very very tough to do, esp. since I am probably forgetting guys / gals that I would want to add to the list. I am eschewing including any strip artists so, today, here are my top 10 (and the B-team follows). In informing my choice, I relied on what / who I collect actively.

 

No order to the Top 10:

 

Walt Kelly

Al Williamson

Jack Cole

Russ Heath

Joe Kubert

Alex Toth

Reed Crandall

John Severin (preferably with Will Elder)

Werner Roth

Alberto Giolitti

 

The B-team who can sub-in at any time. Each artist on the B-team suffers from either lack of exposure, limited range, cover-focused artist, lack of a signature series to make them reach the top, uncontained artistry, ...

 

Al Walker

Dan Zolnerowicz

Maurice Whitman

Murphy Anderson

Lou Fine

Bob Powell

Tom Gill

Matt Baker

Will Eisner

Wally Wood

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Ken Aldred

Ken Aldred

Posted
Posted

In no particular order...

 

- Milton Caniff

- Hal Foster

- Will Eisner

- Jack Cole

- Carl Barks

- Simon and Kirby

- Alex Schomburg

- Frank Frazetta

- Mac Raboy

- Al Williamson

 

On my all-time top 10 list - Caniff, Eisner, Cole, Frazetta

 

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MrBedrock

MrBedrock

Posted
Posted

Intermission Time! Go grab some popcorn (thumbs u

 

And while we are waiting for the next batch of Top-Ten lists sit back and enjoy...

Ten Frazetta Covers

famousfunnies209.jpg

famousfunnies210.jpg

famousfunnies211.jpg

famousfunnies212.jpg

famousfunnies213.jpg

famousfunnies214.jpg

famousfunnies215.jpg

famousfunnies216.jpg

wsf29.jpg

thunda1.jpg

 

Now, On with the show...

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telerites

telerites

Posted
Posted

Many of the same one already listed - in no partcular order (well almost, Fine is my #1). So many others that could have jumped in but I'll go with these at least for today.

 

Lou Fine

Mac Raboy

Alex Schomburg

Charles Sultan

Reed Crandall

Fran Frazetta

Al Williamson

Simon/Kirby

LB Cole

Jack Burnley

 

 

 

 

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MrBedrock

MrBedrock

Posted
Posted
Intermission Time! Go grab some popcorn (thumbs u

 

And while we are waiting for the next batch of Top-Ten lists sit back and enjoy...

Ten Frazetta Covers

 

 

Now, On with the show...

 

:o(worship):applause:

 

But where's Buster Crabbe #5? (shrug)

I don't have one. That book is a little tough to find in grade. Besides Alanna had already posted a pretty one.

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Larryw7

Larryw7

Posted
Posted
Intermission Time! Go grab some popcorn (thumbs u

 

And while we are waiting for the next batch of Top-Ten lists sit back and enjoy...

Ten Frazetta Covers

famousfunnies209.jpg

famousfunnies210.jpg

famousfunnies211.jpg

famousfunnies212.jpg

famousfunnies213.jpg

famousfunnies214.jpg

famousfunnies215.jpg

famousfunnies216.jpg

wsf29.jpg

thunda1.jpg

 

Now, On with the show...

 

 

(worship)

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telerites

telerites

Posted
Posted
Intermission Time! Go grab some popcorn (thumbs u

 

And while we are waiting for the next batch of Top-Ten lists sit back and enjoy...

Ten Frazetta Covers

 

 

Now, On with the show...

 

:o(worship):applause:

 

But where's Buster Crabbe #5? (shrug)

I don't have one. That book is a little tough to find in grade. Besides Alanna had already posted a pretty one.

 

Alanna's books are (worship) and yes his Crabbe #5 is Very Nice! I love that book.

 

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MrBedrock

MrBedrock

Posted
Posted
Intermission Time! Go grab some popcorn (thumbs u

 

And while we are waiting for the next batch of Top-Ten lists sit back and enjoy...

Ten Frazetta Covers

 

 

Now, On with the show...

 

:o(worship):applause:

 

But where's Buster Crabbe #5? (shrug)

I don't have one. That book is a little tough to find in grade. Besides Alanna had already posted a pretty one.

 

Alanna's books are (worship) and yes his Crabbe #5 is Very Nice! I love that book.

A couple of books on my infinite want list are Buster Crabbe 5 and Beware 10. Unfortunately I don't think a nice copy of the Beware will pop up any time soon.

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Flex Mentallo

Flex Mentallo

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Intermission Time! Go grab some popcorn (thumbs u

 

And while we are waiting for the next batch of Top-Ten lists sit back and enjoy...

Ten Frazetta Covers

 

 

Now, On with the show...

 

:o(worship):applause:

 

But where's Buster Crabbe #5? (shrug)

I don't have one. That book is a little tough to find in grade. Besides Alanna had already posted a pretty one.

 

Alanna's books are (worship) and yes his Crabbe #5 is Very Nice! I love that book.

 

Sorry to mislead guys! That Buster Crabbe #5 isnt mine and I had intended to say so (now rectified). I had one once, and one day I'll have another!

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Flex Mentallo

Flex Mentallo

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)
Intermission Time! Go grab some popcorn (thumbs u

 

And while we are waiting for the next batch of Top-Ten lists sit back and enjoy...

Ten Frazetta Covers

 

 

Now, On with the show...

 

:o(worship):applause:

 

But where's Buster Crabbe #5? (shrug)

I don't have one. That book is a little tough to find in grade. Besides Alanna had already posted a pretty one.

 

Alanna's books are (worship) and yes his Crabbe #5 is Very Nice! I love that book.

A couple of books on my infinite want list are Buster Crabbe 5 and Beware 10. Unfortunately I don't think a nice copy of the Beware will pop up any time soon.

 

I used to own a vg copy and that's still the nicest copy I've ever seen! A truly tough book.

Edited by alanna
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telerites

telerites

Posted
Posted
Intermission Time! Go grab some popcorn (thumbs u

 

And while we are waiting for the next batch of Top-Ten lists sit back and enjoy...

Ten Frazetta Covers

 

 

Now, On with the show...

 

:o(worship):applause:

 

But where's Buster Crabbe #5? (shrug)

I don't have one. That book is a little tough to find in grade. Besides Alanna had already posted a pretty one.

 

Alanna's books are (worship) and yes his Crabbe #5 is Very Nice! I love that book.

A couple of books on my infinite want list are Buster Crabbe 5 and Beware 10. Unfortunately I don't think a nice copy of the Beware will pop up any time soon.

 

I used to own a vg copy and that's still the nicest copy I've ever seen! A truly tough book.

 

Doesn't Billy have a copy?

 

And Michael and Richard - even without that book, your books are still (worship)

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