Comic book art you just don't like.

[MedicAR]

I'll say it because it has to be said:

 

STEVE DITKO SUCKS.

 

Man that felt good.

Yes, I understand what he is going for. He is just terrible, the way Frank Robbins is terrible.

 

I know he is a sacred cow, and I imagine there will be a contrary opinion or two in response, but his work is just awful and amateurish. As for myself, I graduated top of my class from the Massachusetts College of Art, and have been a successful art director for over 20 years. This doesn't make me "right," as art is subjective, but I do believe it lends weight to my (professional) opinion. You may now pile on.

 

I don't agree, but I do understand where you are coming from. It took me years to appreciate Ditko's work on Spider-man...having been weaned on Romita's pretty pictures.

But once I read his Dr Strange work in Strange Tales it was like a fog lifted and I suddenly got "it".

I still prefer his Dr Strange art, which I think is wonderful, to his ASM work, but I am now seeing what a lot of people are seeing in those issues...he brought out the "Spider" in Spider-man.

 

Somehow, I went from Spectacular Spider-Man #4 back to Ditko's work as it was presented in Marvel Tales. I thought it was strange, but I loved it. I know Romita is generally thought of as the preeminent Spider-Man artist, but for my money, Ditko is the man!

[MedicAR]

Sienkiewicz was (and is) one of my all-time favorite artists...As the father of the Graphic Novel, think about what wouldn't have happened if he hadn't stepped out

 

 

 

I'm with you. I think that statement isn't accurate. There were plenty of amazing graphic novels (Marvel's 1st GN, Death of Captain Marvel and God Loves, Man Kills in the 80's, not to mention Sterankos work in the mid-70's) before BS's first one in 1984 (Daredevil book, I think).

 

*cough*WillEisner*cough*

 

Thank you for not making me point it out.

[MedicAR]

Frank Miller. Sin City onwards.

 

He had trouble at "Hell and Back" prior to that, I loved his stuff.

[MedicAR]

Frank Miller. Sin City onwards.

 

DKSA looked rushed to say the least

 

Not a fair statement as we would have absolutely no idea how much time the artist spent drawing the pages.

 

True, but regardless of the time spent it can still look rushed and that's exactly how I thought of it the first time I saw it. It's like his style (at the time) but like he just didn't put any effort or time into it. I get the impression he took the money thrown at him and just threw something out.

[HarryRod]

pretty much anything by Frank Quitely

i dont dispute his talent but everyone looks asian.....

[dgarthwaite-migration]

I'll say it because it has to be said:

 

STEVE DITKO SUCKS.

 

Man that felt good.

Yes, I understand what he is going for. He is just terrible, the way Frank Robbins is terrible.

 

I know he is a sacred cow, and I imagine there will be a contrary opinion or two in response, but his work is just awful and amateurish. As for myself, I graduated top of my class from the Massachusetts College of Art, and have been a successful art director for over 20 years. This doesn't make me "right," as art is subjective, but I do believe it lends weight to my (professional) opinion. You may now pile on.

 

I don't agree, but I do understand where you are coming from. It took me years to appreciate Ditko's work on Spider-man...having been weaned on Romita's pretty pictures.

But once I read his Dr Strange work in Strange Tales it was like a fog lifted and I suddenly got "it".

I still prefer his Dr Strange art, which I think is wonderful, to his ASM work, but I am now seeing what a lot of people are seeing in those issues...he brought out the "Spider" in Spider-man.

 

Somehow, I went from Spectacular Spider-Man #4 back to Ditko's work as it was presented in Marvel Tales. I thought it was strange, but I loved it. I know Romita is generally thought of as the preeminent Spider-Man artist, but for my money, Ditko is the man!

 

I'm more a fan of his Dr. Strange work. His strengths are in storytelling and page layout.

[Logan510]

Frank Miller. Sin City onwards.

 

DKSA looked rushed to say the least

 

Not a fair statement as we would have absolutely no idea how much time the artist spent drawing the pages.

 

True, but regardless of the time spent it can still look rushed and that's exactly how I thought of it the first time I saw it. It's like his style (at the time) but like he just didn't put any effort or time into it. I get the impression he took the money thrown at him and just threw something out.

 

All mind reading on your part and no more valid an opinion than that other dude.

[Boozad]

Probably not the most popular of opinions but I was never a fan of Norm Breyfogle's work on Batman.

[DrWatson]

Who?

[Logan510]

Probably not the most popular of opinions but I was never a fan of Norm Breyfogle's work on Batman.

 

I can respect that opinion as I'm not a big fan of his work either. I think there's a big difference in saying "I don't like something" as opposed to "I don't like something, therefore it's bad".

 

 

And then there's Liefeld.

[Boozad]

Jim Aparo.

[Boozad]

Probably not the most popular of opinions but I was never a fan of Norm Breyfogle's work on Batman.

 

I can respect that opinion as I'm not a big fan of his work either. I think there's a big difference in saying "I don't like something" as opposed to "I don't like something, therefore it's bad".

 

Thinking about it, I'd rate Aparo even lower. His figures were always so elongated, it just didn't sit well with me. But yeah of course, just because I don't like it doesn't mean it's wank by default.

 

And then there's Liefeld.

 

Indeed.

[ss5rmp]

I'm surprised no one's singled out Infantino yet. :shrug:

 

I like Infantino's work.

Dude, he's my #1! But there are a lot of haters out there...

 

those haters are just plain ...i was born in the 86 but his art is what drew me in to comics and flash as well as many batman works

[Ryan.]

Probably not the most popular of opinions but I was never a fan of Norm Breyfogle's work on Batman.

 

Who?

 

[MedicAR]

Some examples of Eric Canete commissions. I can't wait to get him to do something for me.

 

http://kahnehteh.blogspot.com/

 

I can see why people don't like Canete's Spider-Man. I think the same reaction would have been received if Jeff Jones had ever done Spider-Man.

 

The examples there are worlds apart from the Spidey page. I would never have guessed it's the same artist. Still not my thing, but clearly much, much better.

 

I looked him up on ComicBase and when I saw his covers on End League, I remembered why I stopped picking up that book. I think it's safe to say that comics may not be his thing.

[MedicAR]

The more I see of Mike Grell, the less I like it. He seems to me to be the kind of guy who learned how to draw by copying other artists **NealcoughcoughAdamscoughcough** rather than life models. His perspectives are always off.

 

Loved him on Superboy & the LoSH, though

 

I have always loved Grell. His work on Green Arrow and Joh Sable was fantastic. Lately though, he just doesn't seem to be hitting on all cylinders.

[MedicAR]

I'm not a Gil Kane fan though I don't hate him. I just don't care for his art.

 

Dale Roberts loves him. So, let me restate my position. I'm a big Gil Kane fan.

 

 

I'm not a fan because of the heavy lines he so often used and the way he generally drew eyes. I know, weird thing to pick on, but it's art and art is subjective.

 

The man could lay out a scene, though. Action, excitement, angst, you name it, he could convey it.

[MedicAR]

I think I'm the only person who doesn't like Ed McGuiness. He's ok on hulk, but everything else feels too cartoony and cute. Which is not that I think he's bad, just don't look for him on my comics.

 

 

We are the exact opposite! I hated his Hulk, everything else was pretty decent!

[MedicAR]

I don't like any art that deviates from the Marvel house style of the Bronze Age. All this conceptualized modern art is nothing but cr@p.

 

Is it the house style you like? Or that most of the artists back then could pretty much tell a clear story through pictures? Just curious.

They didn't tell a story solely with pictures. They used dialogue via word balloons, background information, and internal & external monologues to tell the story. You're confusing the 70s with the 2010s.

 

I've always thought the ability to tell a story through pictures alone is pure genius. I think you can see just how good an artist really is when they work without any words to move the story along.

[jjonahjameson1]

I'll say it because it has to be said:

 

STEVE DITKO SUCKS.

 

Man that felt good.

Yes, I understand what he is going for. He is just terrible, the way Frank Robbins is terrible.

 

I know he is a sacred cow, and I imagine there will be a contrary opinion or two in response, but his work is just awful and amateurish. As for myself, I graduated top of my class from the Massachusetts College of Art, and have been a successful art director for over 20 years. This doesn't make me "right," as art is subjective, but I do believe it lends weight to my (professional) opinion. You may now pile on.

 

I don't agree, but I do understand where you are coming from. It took me years to appreciate Ditko's work on Spider-man...having been weaned on Romita's pretty pictures.

But once I read his Dr Strange work in Strange Tales it was like a fog lifted and I suddenly got "it".

I still prefer his Dr Strange art, which I think is wonderful, to his ASM work, but I am now seeing what a lot of people are seeing in those issues...he brought out the "Spider" in Spider-man.

 

Somehow, I went from Spectacular Spider-Man #4 back to Ditko's work as it was presented in Marvel Tales. I thought it was strange, but I loved it. I know Romita is generally thought of as the preeminent Spider-Man artist, but for my money, Ditko is the man!

 

I dunno about this...If you had Romita Sr and McFarlane side by side at a show, I think McFarlane would have the bigger lineup.

Having said that, Ditko is the man!