Least Favorite EC artists? 0

[rjpb]

I

 

I can understand that Kamen is not a favorite, but I have always liked his art a lot. He was quite an expert in drawing faces, especially those of women, showing all the different moods his female characters would go through in a story really well.

 

I totally agree, whenever I think of Kamen's EC art, the expressions on his women character's faces come to mind.

 

 

[sacentaur]

George Roussos, now better known as an inker, did the art on a few stories at EC. Didn't like them much.

 

+1

 

Huh, Kurtzman is my least favorite, followed by Krigstein.

 

 

Blasphemy sir, blasphemy!

 

One of the EC "what ifs" I'd hope for would have been more Krigstein stories.

[sacentaur]

Severin was imo one of the best EC War artists. I'm a huge fan of the WW 2 and Korean war stories he did with Elder.

 

I share that same opinion, Mike. (thumbs u

[adamstrange]

 

+1

 

Huh, Kurtzman is my least favorite, followed by Krigstein.

 

 

Blasphemy sir, blasphemy!

 

One of the EC "what ifs" I'd hope for would have been more Krigstein stories.

Two of the finest and most important comic book artists ever, justifiable on the basis of the EC work alone.

 

One of the EC "what ifs" I'd hope for would have been more Krigstein stories.

(thumbs u

[Foxtrot70]

EC's are the bomb! No one else produced books like theirs in the 50's. simply the best there was.

 

Except Hillman. They may not have had Wood or Williamson, but w great stories and B+ art, they ran a good race.

[Foxtrot70]

George Roussos, now better known as an inker, did the art on a few stories at EC. Didn't like them much.

 

+1

 

Huh, Kurtzman is my least favorite, followed by Krigstein.

 

 

Blasphemy sir, blasphemy!

 

One of the EC "what ifs" I'd hope for would have been more Krigstein stories.

 

I never cared for Krigstein, Elder, or Kurtzman, although reading them 25 yrs later I think I enjoy all of them now at some level. My taste have changed some, but Craig, Feldstein, Wood, and Williamson are top Dog for me.

[sacentaur]

Good to see Craig getting some Board love, he is so deserving.

 

This is my most recent EC purchase:

 

[sacentaur]

I never cared for Krigstein, Elder, or Kurtzman, although reading them 25 yrs later I think I enjoy all of them now at some level. My taste have changed some...

 

When I first ran across EC's back in 1979, Kurtzman was the one EC artist I foolishly quickly dismissed.

 

Now, decades later, not only do I highly respect his work but I also enjoy it a lot too (enough to list as a favorite)

 

[Sarg]

Not to be a taskmaster, but there was a reason why I asked for the least favorite of the regular EC artists. Obviously, people like Roussos and Harrison would slot in at #1 on just about everybody's list of least favorites if we included everybody who ever worked for EC.

 

I love Krigstein, but the problem is his unusual style wasn't really suited to EC's typical stuff, or comics in general! But it worked superbly on offbeat things like "Master Race" and "The Flying Machine."

[Sarg]

Craig was heavily influenced by Milton Caniff. His interiors were good if not great, but he really shined on his covers.

 

 

Good to see Craig getting some Board love, he is so deserving.

 

This is my most recent EC purchase:

 

[Foxtrot70]

Not to be a taskmaster, but there was a reason why I asked for the least favorite of the regular EC artists. Obviously, people like Roussos and Harrison would slot in at #1 on just about everybody's list of least favorites if we included everybody who ever worked for EC.

 

I love Krigstein, but the problem is his unusual style wasn't really suited to EC's typical stuff, or comics in general! But it worked superbly on offbeat things like "Master Race" and "The Flying Machine."

 

Hard for me to play arm chair quarterback to Feldstein and Kurtzman as editors assigning stories to fit style as they put more energy into comics that 95% of the market. But you make a good point, that not every artist could hit the mark each time or was appropriate for each genre.. example: Kamen on Horror.

 

Seems to me that the horror/Crime books faded toward the end, while the Sci-fi were the cream of quality. I think for me, the early era was the "appeal", and as you move into 1954, the stable of artist begins to change so that the comic style I like in early Craig and Feldstein are replaced w the refined Crandell, Krigstein, Harrison, etc. who are good in their own right, but just not the distinctive "classic" material that got me "hooked".

[dgarthwaite-migration]

Krigstein & Kurtzman were my least favorite. Believe it or not, I'd rather see Williamson art more than Frazetta art. I appreciated Frazetta art because of the Molly Hatchett album covers. When I see his art in comics, I just feel it's overrated.

[namisgr]

Mad sometimes seems like the forgotten step-child of EC. I especially love the work of Kurtzman, Wood, and of course Davis on the title and the Kelly Freas cover art on the mag, and the Kurtzman covers still make me smile to this day. Not sure I can name a 'least favorite'.

[Larryw7]

If we're talking regular EC artists, I guess my least favorite would be Orlando when he's doing science fiction. Not that his art wasn't good, but it just looked like he was trying too hard to imitate Wood. On the other hand, Orlando's horror art could be great. I love "The Craving Grave" and "Midnight Mess", two definite EC horror classics.

[DamageInc-migration]

I never cared for Krigstein, Elder, or Kurtzman, although reading them 25 yrs later I think I enjoy all of them now at some level. My taste have changed some...

 

When I first ran across EC's back in 1979, Kurtzman was the one EC artist I foolishly quickly dismissed.

 

No, you were spot on!

 

Now, decades later, not only do I highly respect his work but I also enjoy it a lot too (enough to list as a favorite)

 

 

Great example why Kurtzman does nothing for me. Looks generic and unfinished/rushed. They other thing I hate about Kurtzman is the thick, black inking lines he gave to characters. And did a lot of his characters have a dowager's hump? Their backs always look warped and hunchback.

 

And remember, I'm not talking about Kurtzman the editor, just his artwork.

[rjpb]

I never cared for Krigstein, Elder, or Kurtzman, although reading them 25 yrs later I think I enjoy all of them now at some level. My taste have changed some...

 

When I first ran across EC's back in 1979, Kurtzman was the one EC artist I foolishly quickly dismissed.

 

No, you were spot on!

 

Now, decades later, not only do I highly respect his work but I also enjoy it a lot too (enough to list as a favorite)

 

 

Great example why Kurtzman does nothing for me. Looks generic and unfinished/rushed. They other thing I hate about Kurtzman is the thick, black inking lines he gave to characters. And did a lot of his characters have a dowager's hump? Their backs always look warped and hunchback.

 

And remember, I'm not talking about Kurtzman the editor, just his artwork.

 

 

Kurtzman's work does have a sketchy cartoony look that some find discordant when combined with "serious" story-telling, especially if one's preference is for the more detailed romantic realism of artists like Frazetta and Williamson, who were closer to influential illustrators like Raymond, Foster and Hogarth, but I'd hardly call it generic.

 

I would imagine that Kurtzman fans are also more likely to appreciate artists like Jack Davis, Basil Wolverton and Chester Gould, who while all very different, could successfully illustrate decidedly non-humorous stories in a style that one might associate more with humor strips.

[adamstrange]

Kurtzman's work does have a sketchy cartoony look that some find discordant when combined with "serious" story-telling, especially if one's preference is for the more detailed romantic realism of artists like Frazetta and Williamson, who were closer to influential illustrators like Raymond, Foster and Hogarth, but I'd hardly call it generic.

Kurtzman's art is stripped bare of ornament or artifice, conveying the essence of the objects he draws and containing exactly what is needed to tell the story. More illustrator-oriented artists like Heath enjoyed working with Kurtzman's story breakdowns and art because it was "true."

 

His art is brutally stark and I think your brain either adjusts to it or rejects it -- there is little in the way of middle ground. Foster, Frazetta, Williamson and Raymond are more realistic and embed more frills that encourage the eye to linger over the pretty pictures but that often comes at the expense of the story/message. I appreciate all of these artists but the graphic story telling genius of them is Kurtzman.

[rjpb]

Kurtzman's work does have a sketchy cartoony look that some find discordant when combined with "serious" story-telling, especially if one's preference is for the more detailed romantic realism of artists like Frazetta and Williamson, who were closer to influential illustrators like Raymond, Foster and Hogarth, but I'd hardly call it generic.

Kurtzman's art is stripped bare of ornament or artifice, conveying the essence of the objects he draws and containing exactly what is needed to tell the story. More illustrator-oriented artists like Heath enjoyed working with Kurtzman's story breakdowns and art because it was "true."

 

His art is brutally stark and I think your brain either adjusts to it or rejects it -- there is little in the way of middle ground. Foster, Frazetta, Williamson and Raymond are more realistic and embed more frills that encourage the eye to linger over the pretty pictures but that often comes at the expense of the story/message. I appreciate all of these artists but the graphic story telling genius of them is Kurtzman.

 

Well said.

[Sarg]

Just found this EC horror documentary on YouTube. Lots of good photos I've never seen before, plus interviews with Feldstein, Davis, et al.

 

"Tales from the Crypt - From Comic Books to Television"

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRUAf5KmcwE

[Electricmastro]

Hmm... well I suppose in terms of the early 1950s material, I guess it would be Bill Fraccio, if only for the one EC story he did for The Crypt of Terror #17. His art can be polarizing depending on who you ask, but I think it ranks on a lesser impressive level here. Even the panels that have reactive facial expressions somehow end up falling flat:

In terms of multiple stories, then it may be Fred Peters, who got a little more expressive with his art, like in Crime SuspenStories #14, but is still far from favorable for me:

Edited November 13, 2020 by Electricmastro