Check this out! beautiful Barry Smith work

[Brian48]

Both McFarlane and BWS broke from the House Style on the books that defined their comic careers, but whereas BWS continued to grow as an artist, especially outside the world of comics, Todd continued to pump out the same old stuff, because his prime focus, wasn't art, it was to continue to sell the same old regurgitated junk to the same old fan boy.

Art vs Milking.

 

We've had this conversation a few times before and I agree with you.

BWS's later art, once he got away from drawing like Kirby, was fantastic.

 

 

Yeah his pre-Conan stuff, which is probably less than 10 comics (some of which I like! - Avengers 66), has that very heavy influence.

Conan #1 had it as well, but I think you can see it starting to dilute somewhat even as early as #2. By the time he did the magazine stories, he was definitely his own artist.

 

 

One of my favorite panels ever once Smith got away from Kirby.

 

[oakman29]

BWS art is just stunning.

[Senormac]

 

One of my favorite panels ever once Smith got away from Kirby.

 

 

All of Red Nails is just amazing

[batman_fan]

I like his early work because its so "not the Marvel way" of drawing.

 

Any guesses what this piece will pull in ? $25,000 maybe ?

 

I suspect quite a bit above $25k

[Logan510]

I like his early work because its so "not the Marvel way" of drawing.

 

Any guesses what this piece will pull in ? $25,000 maybe ?

 

His early art was so Kirby that everyone assumed Kirby had learned to draw with his other hand so he could churn out twice as much art and was using a pseudonym.

1960's-1980's Marvel ruined so many artists by making them all draw like Kirby.

Hell, if it wasn't for DC everyone would hate Neal Adams artwork to this day.

 

 

There were legions of Marvel fans who loved his Avengers and X-Men work that had never seen any of his DC work.

 

I would hold up his very best Marvel work up against his best DC work with no problem.

[Speedy-D]

I like his early work because its so "not the Marvel way" of drawing.

 

Any guesses what this piece will pull in ? $25,000 maybe ?

 

His early art was so Kirby that everyone assumed Kirby had learned to draw with his other hand so he could churn out twice as much art and was using a pseudonym.

1960's-1980's Marvel ruined so many artists by making them all draw like Kirby.

Hell, if it wasn't for DC everyone would hate Neal Adams artwork to this day.

 

 

There were legions of Marvel fans who loved his Avengers and X-Men work that had never seen any of his DC work.

 

I would hold up his very best Marvel work up against his best DC work with no problem.

Are you talking about Neal Adams?

[Logan510]

Aping Kirby was the rule at Marvel in those days.

 

 

I think it really depended on the editor. Plenty of Marvel artists from that era who didn't ape Kirby's style...but they were all trying to ape his dynamics and power.

[Logan510]

I like his early work because its so "not the Marvel way" of drawing.

 

Any guesses what this piece will pull in ? $25,000 maybe ?

 

His early art was so Kirby that everyone assumed Kirby had learned to draw with his other hand so he could churn out twice as much art and was using a pseudonym.

1960's-1980's Marvel ruined so many artists by making them all draw like Kirby.

Hell, if it wasn't for DC everyone would hate Neal Adams artwork to this day.

 

 

There were legions of Marvel fans who loved his Avengers and X-Men work that had never seen any of his DC work.

 

I would hold up his very best Marvel work up against his best DC work with no problem.

Are you talking about Neal Adams?

 

Yes

[Senormac]

[Senormac]

[DiceX]

I like his early work because its so "not the Marvel way" of drawing.

 

Any guesses what this piece will pull in ? $25,000 maybe ?

 

His early art was so Kirby that everyone assumed Kirby had learned to draw with his other hand so he could churn out twice as much art and was using a pseudonym.

1960's-1980's Marvel ruined so many artists by making them all draw like Kirby.

Hell, if it wasn't for DC everyone would hate Neal Adams artwork to this day.

 

 

There were legions of Marvel fans who loved his Avengers and X-Men work that had never seen any of his DC work.

 

I would hold up his very best Marvel work up against his best DC work with no problem.

 

I'll bet you have a garage full of Beanie Babies.

 

 

[Prince Namor]

There are probably subtle differences between Adams' Marvel and DC work, but it probably had more to do with how the writer/artists worked together, rather than any enforcement of house style.

At DC, he either wrote his own material or was given a full page/panel -script to work from. At Marvel he was possibly given as little as a story breakdown and expected to put it all together in the art.

[Logan510]

I like his early work because its so "not the Marvel way" of drawing.

 

Any guesses what this piece will pull in ? $25,000 maybe ?

 

His early art was so Kirby that everyone assumed Kirby had learned to draw with his other hand so he could churn out twice as much art and was using a pseudonym.

1960's-1980's Marvel ruined so many artists by making them all draw like Kirby.

Hell, if it wasn't for DC everyone would hate Neal Adams artwork to this day.

 

 

There were legions of Marvel fans who loved his Avengers and X-Men work that had never seen any of his DC work.

 

I would hold up his very best Marvel work up against his best DC work with no problem.

 

I'll bet you have a garage full of Beanie Babies.

 

 

Pfft. Only amateurs keep them in the garage

[Logan510]

There are probably subtle differences between Adams' Marvel and DC work, but it probably had more to do with how the writer/artists worked together, rather than any enforcement of house style.

At DC, he either wrote his own material or was given a full page/panel -script to work from. At Marvel he was possibly given as little as a story breakdown and expected to put it all together in the art.

 

 

I'll give the kook one thing...NA's covers at DC were generally superior to his Marvel covers.

[Aman619]

compared to Smiths later work, like the prints shown in this thread, the Conan cover is far less consistently inked. He switches from a pen to a brush, and even a marker on the jewelry boxes. As a guy just getting his craft together with his new style, and churning out monthly comics, the cover is --- while at the same time awesome and a piece of our comics art history! --- more of a production art work than a finished drawing, like his later portfolio work.

 

Anyway it will sell for a great price for the seller... and make the buyer very happy as its a classic cover.

[delekkerste]

Objectively, the art for this cover isn't very good, but it's still a cool image, still very early Conan, and still Barry Smith (albeit still in his aping Kirby phase). I like it a lot, flaws and all. Well, except for that banana hammock that Conan is rocking - he must have gotten a bikini wax to pull that look off.

[Boba]

Both McFarlane and BWS broke from the House Style on the books that defined their comic careers, but whereas BWS continued to grow as an artist, especially outside the world of comics, Todd continued to pump out the same old stuff, because his prime focus, wasn't art, it was to continue to sell the same old regurgitated junk to the same old fan boy.

Art vs Milking.

 

We've had this conversation a few times before and I agree with you.

BWS's later art, once he got away from drawing like Kirby, was fantastic.

 

 

Yeah his pre-Conan stuff, which is probably less than 10 comics (some of which I like! - Avengers 66), has that very heavy influence.

Conan #1 had it as well, but I think you can see it starting to dilute somewhat even as early as #2. By the time he did the magazine stories, he was definitely his own artist.

 

 

One of my favorite panels ever once Smith got away from Kirby.

 

 

Mine too. In fact I was just staring at this one the other night in the original art archive book I got as a present. It has awesome reproductions of pages we're only seen in the crummy quality in Savage Tales #2 & #3. It's amusing that probably one of the greatest works of comic art were only published in a magazine that I can't give away copies of.

[Boba]

 

One of my favorite panels ever once Smith got away from Kirby.

 

 

All of Red Nails is just amazing

 

Do yourself a favor and take a look at it in the new book that compiles all of the story reproduced from the original inked pages, in one volume. It really strikes you that this is likely of of the most magnificent works of comic art for storytelling, that ever graced the pages of a comic (magazine).

[HRCostigan]

Both McFarlane and BWS broke from the House Style on the books that defined their comic careers, but whereas BWS continued to grow as an artist, especially outside the world of comics, Todd continued to pump out the same old stuff, because his prime focus, wasn't art, it was to continue to sell the same old regurgitated junk to the same old fan boy.

Art vs Milking.

 

Y'know, it's hard to keep being snarky when you throw out gems like this Chuck.

 

I have my moments.

From what I hear, B(W)S is a person_who_is_obnoxiously_self-impressed. So, they have that in common too.

 

Hmmm... Well I've never met either of them, but just from interviews, BWS sounds well educated, articulate in his opinions, though not shy about expressing them, and generally concerned about the health of the industry in general.

Todd usually sounds like a insufficiently_thoughtful_person.

 

Barry Smith is a great artist, but my first exposure to his personality came from the Opus books (one of which I coincidentally sold to you eBay!). I quickly formed an opinion that he's pretty full of himself.

[Aman619]

Objectively, the art for this cover isn't very good, but it's still a cool image, still very early Conan, and still Barry Smith (albeit still in his aping Kirby phase). I like it a lot, flaws and all. Well, except for that banana hammock that Conan is rocking - he must have gotten a bikini wax to pull that look off.

 

 

haha Im aware that my comments on this piece are colored by my unending critical eye that has successfully steered me away from buying this or any other pice of OA so far! Like trying to select the PERFECT Elvgren painting ... theres always something I find that nixes the excitement.

 

you however, continually find and buy some very nice pieces!