Best of 2015: The Votes are in

malvin · January 20, 2016

These are the ones that tickled my fancy for the first couple categories, I will add the rest later:

COVERS

comicart b Beware the Creeper 2 ditko cover

Glen B Iron Man 8 cover Tuska

Gene Park V for Vendetta 8 cover Lloyd

Doc Joe MSH #4 - and he's not happy..

R Haines Grendel 7 cover 1986

SPLASHES

Paul Handler kirby rawhide kid title page

Dan Jerome Contest of Champions DPS

Gary Land Brave and Bold 34 hawkman splash by Kubert

Drake Tungsten Ploog Werewolf splash

Paul Handler Brave and Bold 13 splash

I second these votes

If that is allowed

It is, but you actually have to go in there and vote!

Malvin

Bronty · January 20, 2016

These are the ones that tickled my fancy for the first couple categories, I will add the rest later:

COVERS

comicart b Beware the Creeper 2 ditko cover

Glen B Iron Man 8 cover Tuska

Gene Park V for Vendetta 8 cover Lloyd

Doc Joe MSH #4 - and he's not happy..

R Haines Grendel 7 cover 1986

SPLASHES

Paul Handler kirby rawhide kid title page

Dan Jerome Contest of Champions DPS

Gary Land Brave and Bold 34 hawkman splash by Kubert

Drake Tungsten Ploog Werewolf splash

Paul Handler Brave and Bold 13 splash

I second these votes

If that is allowed

I tip my cap sir!

John E. · January 20, 2016

The Incredible Hulk 306 cover by Mike Mignola - John Espinoza: Have always loved Mignola's all too short run on the 80's Hulk, especially the covers, like this one.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8332

Kelley Jones draws Bane - John Espinoza: With the exception of Graham Nolan, I don't think anyone can do proper justice to Bane except Kelley Jones. Jones' covers during the Knightfall saga are part of what made that story standout in many a fans mind. My own included.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8132

Meeley Man,

It's my first time entering the Best Of and to have received two of your votes means a lot. Thank you!

John Espinoza

Meeley Man · January 20, 2016

The Incredible Hulk 306 cover by Mike Mignola - John Espinoza: Have always loved Mignola's all too short run on the 80's Hulk, especially the covers, like this one.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8332

Kelley Jones draws Bane - John Espinoza: With the exception of Graham Nolan, I don't think anyone can do proper justice to Bane except Kelley Jones. Jones' covers during the Knightfall saga are part of what made that story standout in many a fans mind. My own included.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8132

Meeley Man,

It's my first time entering the Best Of and to have received two of your votes means a lot. Thank you!

John Espinoza

My pleasure, but it is really on you, as you are the one who put up such great stuff. Very nice.

Superhero · January 20, 2016

Jared Simmon's Batman Masterpiece - Last but not least, this piece also gets OVER ALL BEST PIECE OF ART POSTED TO CAF IN THE YEAR 2015 from a talent we lost far too soon, Aype Beven.

That is very kind and I totally agree about the talent lost too soon. This artist deserves recognition for his love of the material and his amazing ability. A sincere thank you for your vote and for anyone else that recognizes this piece.

eewwnuk · January 20, 2016

Do top voters get archived somewhere? Would be cool to see the top 3 or so get archived that way we can go back to them in the future.

Brian Peck · January 21, 2016

I used to send out the results on the comicart-l list but not recently. The older results are probably in the comicart-l archives

Brian Peck · January 23, 2016

Just just over 2 days left to vote:

Polls Open Now!

Voting end January 24th 11:59PM (Monday)

Here are the instructions:

1) Goto http://www.comicartfans.com/admin/aAdminLogin.asp

2) Login in

3) Goto http://www.comicartfans.com/Lowry.asp

5) Look through the entries for that category and pick up to 5 (yes 5 votes per category)

6) YOU MUST BE LOGGED IN AND flagged as a comicart-L member before

you will the link tha reads: "TO VOTE CLICK HERE" and select the link.

7) Click that and you will have a pop-up window with 3 pulldown menus

showing all the pieces of art from the Category you are in. Be aware

of the instructions on the page. You will only be able to vote ONE

time. If you only pick two pieces and leave the third blank you will

not be able to come back and pick one more. After you vote, click the

'Close Window' link to return to the Category listing. Once you vote,

the link on the Category page to vote will no longer be there after

you leave the page. Please don't ask us to vote again or change your

votes.

It is as simple as that. No one can vote again for that category since

the link wont appear. We are tracking the UserID of the person voting

so they can never vote again for a Category.

8) Go onto the next category. Repeat steps 6-8 for the other 6

categories.

Email me with any questions or problems.

A big thanks goes out to Bill and his team for getting this together.

Brian Peck · January 23, 2016

You can vote in the Best of 2015 even if you didn't enter.

Rune · January 23, 2016

It wasn't easy, I would have enjoyed to include more pieces, but here are my votes (mostly I tried to ignore historical or sentimental values and to select pieces I simply liked)

rsonenthal · January 23, 2016

Thanks to Brian and Bill for pulling this together. There are some amazing pieces of art out there, and surprisingly many that I hadn't seen before. I definitely need to better allocate my time to OA!!

I tried to only vote for one from a person's gallery (and that made a difficult job even harder). My votes:

My votes:

Covers (published/unpublished)

Beware the Creeper/ ComicartB

Rocketeer/Felix Lu

ASM 140/Michael OML

New Mutants #1/Gene Park

Secret Wars#4/ Joe Shaffer

Published Splashes/Pinups

Weapon X/ Raymond Bryan

Vault of Horror/ Ronan Killack

Brave and Bold #34/ Gary Land

Ghita plate/ Brian Peck

Journey into Mystery 66/ Greg Starr

Published Interior Panel pages

X-Men 11/ Sam 06

Watchmen #9/ Migs DC

Iron Man 232/Daren Domina

The Cat/ Mark Levy

Batman Long Halloween/ N.V.

Published Strip art

Roz Chast/ Lee Beneka

Skymasters/Justin Belmont

Carol Day/ Mark Howland

Prince Valliant/ Jeff Singh

Pogo daily/ Jim Warden

Published/Unpublished Commissions

Westerns!!/ Michael Dunne

Malificent/ Alex Johnson

Deadpool/ Josh McCoy

Captain America/ Benno Rothschild

Defender’s cover/Eelco V

Unpublished Convention sketches

Batman Villains/ eewwnuk

Black Cat/ Octavio D

Batman/Tim Finney

Darth Maul/ Mike K

Hulk 340/ Malvin V

Unpublished/Published Other

Alex Raymond/ Ray Cuthbert

Supergirl/ Jeremy Radisch

Steranko piece/ Drake Tungsten

The Thing/ Sean Wasielewski

Thuvia/ Mark Yanko

Thanks to all for sharing.

Ron

alxjhnsn · January 24, 2016

Here are my votes.

My approach:

I go through each section and open a new tab for the ones that catch my interest. Then I order the tabs and the top 5 become my votes.

My criteria:

Pages that I would want to own though occasionally one that I like, but wouldn’t buy will slip in. What would I want to buy? Art featuring a character / story that I strongly associate with the artist is my general rule.

I don’t vote for my own pieces though of course I think they are the best. ☺

Published/Unpublished: Covers

Comicart B.’s Beware the Creeper #2 by Steve Ditko

I came to Spider-man after Ditko left so I didn’t know his work there or on Dr. Strange. The Creeper was really my first introduction to him. I loved that book so sad when it was imploded. This cover is an excellent example.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8218

Rabid Ferret's Farlaine the Goblin #4 by CPW3

The mark of a good cover? It makes you want to buy the book. This cover by CPW3 (a favorite of mine) does just that. I think I’ll find this series. If you aren’t reading his Stuff of Legend, you are missing a treat.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=7985

N. V.’s Son of the Sun by Don Rosa

A cover by the best duck artist not named Barks. It has a little bit of everything going on and I think it’s grand. Another that would make me buy the book.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=7866

Nick Katradis’s Superman 276 by Cardy

A lovely example of Cardy’s work at DC. Dynamic look and beautiful lines. Yes, I bought the comic years ago.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=7991

Joe Shaffer’s The New Teen Titans #23 by George Perez

George at the height of his powers. Yes, I bought this one, too.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8073

Honorable Mention

The Rocketeer by Dave Stevens

It’s a terrific design and beautifully executed and I wonder if I shouldn’t have bumped something for it. If it had Betty, I would have.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8228

Ron Sonenthal’s Detective Comcs #473

From the heart of my favorite Batman run. Englehart/Rogers/Austin did the best run ever, IMO.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8046

Published: Splash Pages, Pinups

Benno Rothschild’s Little Nemo in Slumberland by Yuko Shimizu

I’m a fan of Yuko’s work which I found through the covers of Unwritten

a series worth the read. I’m a fan of Little Nemo and I have both the Complete Little Nemo and Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream for which this was created. How could I not vote for her page from that book?

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8181

Nick Katradis’ Jungle Action #11 by Billy Graham

I greatly admire Billy Graham’s work and wish there was more of it. I like this splash for a number of reasons including the story title in the cliff face and the tumbling Black Panther which seems to animate his image.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=7997

Gary Land’s B&B 34 splash by Joe Kubert

Kubert Hawkman. It doesn’t get much better in my opinion. The Feathered Furies with ancient weapons fighting SciFi monsters. Awesome.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8223

Dan M’s Groo 21 DPS by Sergio Aragones

No one fills a DPS better than Sergio. There is always something new to find and this is Groo! A page of Groo is better than most books.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8216

Drake Tungsten’s Werewolf by Night by Mike Ploog

Again a piece that goes straight to my them (artist and character). I first “met” Mike in the page of WbN and he’s remained a favorite. This page stuck out because it reminds me so much of the great Will Eisner’s work with The Spirit

our hero backing way from the femme fatale who is coming from behind a curtain. Just great.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8325

Honorable Mention

There were several that I really liked, but I want to call out two specifically.

Brian Peck’s Union Carbide Magazine Ad by Al Williamson

Flash and Dale never looked better even though the are celebrity endorsers here. Union Carbide is long gone, but Flash, Dale, and Al live on.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=7848

Nick Katradis’ Conan the Barbarian #18 page 1 by Gil Kane

While Conan is not the character I most associate with Gil, I love the work he did for Marvel. This page is a terrific example of his work. It benefits from being inked by Gil.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=7995

Published: Interior Panel Pages

Ronan Killack’s Rocketeer V2 C2 P7 by Dave Stevens

Just a flat out beautiful page with dynamic story telling. The Rocketeer is one of the high points of sequential story telling and this page is a great example. I doubt I’ll ever own one of these pages, but I do have the AE of the Rocketeer and that’s pretty close. The ink work is just amazing. Sigh…

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8212

Mark Levy’s The Cat by Paty Greer [Cockrum] (layouts) and Bill Everett (finishes)

Wow what a page. If you can’t have an Everett Sub-mariner page, this would more than fill the need. Paty’s layouts tell the story well and Bill just inks the heck out of it. That middle tier image is great.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8347

Ray Cuthbert’s Superman 242 page 10 by Swan and Anderson

Curt’s clean design and unique faces and body language combined with Murphy’s inks makes a thing of beauty. I really like this page.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=7927

James Bella’s Hobbit P111 (Smaug attacks Laketown) by David Wenzel

Wow! This entire books is amazing and this page stands out. The puny bows of Laketown against Smaug. The expected destruction occurs. I can almost hear it. Great stuff that I wish I’d had sense enough to chase when David put it on the market. Drat!

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8040

Pablo P.’s Rose #2 page 6 by Charles Vess

I think that Rose is among the best work Charles has done and this page is a great example of it. For those that don’t know, Rose is a prequel to Jeff Smith’s Bone and explains the background of Gran’ma Ben and Thorn.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=7877

Honorable Mention

Comicart B’s Daredevil #9 page 7

Wood’s impact on Daredevil cannot be overstated and his work on that book was great. He made Bob Brown’s work here stand out.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8220

Comicart B’s Daredevil #154 p26

Gene Colan is my favorite DD artist and Leialoha ink’s are outstanding on this page. Gene must have been a nightmare for an inker, but the pages are just so good.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8222

There are many more pages that I enjoyed, but I just can’t list them all. But the two Ditko Spidey pages, the Miller DD, the Wenzel page with Gandalf and Bilbo are all exceptional.

Published: Strip Art

Mark Howland’s Carol Day 133

Just look at it. The perspective while they are dancing makes me feel them gliding over the floor. Look at the silhouettes on the ground. Look at their hands in the third panel. Remember that every line was laid down with a brush and he did this every day! Read the dialog and look at Carol’s surprise in the 2nd panel. This strip (like most Carol Day strips) is a wonder.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8095

Jeff Singh’s Terry and the Pirates (21-Nov-87, Terry and DL dance)

Besides how happy it makes my e-friend Jeff, I like this page for how well it captures a young man with a crush who’s not doing well in the competition. The dialog is perfect and the Dragonlady is devastating.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8059

Roger K’s Pogo Sunday from 1953

Classic Pogo. I don’t know the lead up to the scene, but you really don’t need it. Pogo in Potato Salad cos-play. Excellent!

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8140

Pablo P.’s Pogo Sunday from 31 Jul 1960

Wonderful stuff. I have nothing to add that hasn’t been said a thousand times about Walt Kelly.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=7876

Rob L’s Peanut’s Sunday Panel from 26 May 63

I picked this over the other Peanuts strip just to make a point. Shultz didn’t need all three weekday panels or the 9 or so on Sunday. Even one was enough. Not to mention it makes Rob so happy.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=7952

Honorable Mention

Ted Latner’s Dilbert from 19 Mar 2002

Classic Dilbert and a good indication of why engineers have a hard time on dates. ☺

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=7968

And so many more that I love to view.

Published/Unpublished: Commissions

This is the hardest section for me each year. I really struggled here and the order and pieces might differ if I did it again tomorrow.

Jim Warden’s Dragon Man vs. the Inhumans by John Byrne

John isn’t inexpensive, but wow does he deliver a great looking commission! I’m a fan of Dragon Man and the Inhumans so that’s part of the appeal, but really look at this thing. It’s amazing.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8276

Dean Abraham’s Goblin Queen by Art Adams

Art’s another who delivers the goods. A pretty woman and monsters

talk about playing to an artist’s strengths! Lovely work and creepy as it should be.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8283

Michael Dunne’s Kid Cold, Ringo Kid, and Rawhide Kid by Herb Trimpe

Trimpe at this best, I think. I can feel the underlying Kirby in this piece and that’s a good thing. I also like the fact that Michael owns this town.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8187

Michael Dunne’s JSA by Tom Grummett

I like the JSA, I like the style,

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8190

Felix Lu’s Rocketeer and Betty by Adam Hughes

It’s lovely and l like the way that he handled the exhaust from the jet pack.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8233

Oh, the ones that I skipped:

• The Shadow and Batman by Phillip Tan in Patrick Brook’s gallery,

• Spider-man by Todd McFarllane in Jim Warden’s gallery

• Usagi Yojimbo and family by Stan Sakai in Eltanin C’s gallery

• Daenerys Targaryen by Adam Hughes in Alan Hamilton’s gallery

• Cosmic Clash by M. C. Wyman in Phillip Anderson’s gallery

• Heart Throbs 140 tribute with B5 and SG by John Watson in Miki Annamanthadoo’s gallery. John gets the Legion and this was a great idea

• Sabrina, the Teen Age Witch #4 (recreation) by Terry Dodson

• I can feel her stretch.

And so many more great choices.

Thanks for sharing.

Unpublished: Convention Sketches

Vincent VP’s Seline Kyle by Tim Sale

A lovely, moody piece. I just love it. I’d always thought I’d get a DD from Sale, but now …

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=7935

Gary Land’s Superman by Joe Shuster

What else needs to be said about this from a collector like me – Superman by Shuster!

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8219

Migs D C’s Elektra by Bill Sienkiwicz

Elektra painted by Bill – that’s a good as that subject gets.

Octavio D’s Black Cat by Frank Cho

The best pieces by Adam Hughes and Frank Cho not only display their artistic abilities, but their humor. This one is a great example. The Black Cat burglarizing Batman’s territory (his home?).

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=7906

Andreas G’s Lapis Lazuli Defeated by Rose Quartz

I don’t these characters or their story, but I like this image a lot.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8353

In this batch there were more that I really liked especially the Art Adams head shots. He delivers a lot in those.

Unpublished/Published: Other

Eewwnuk 1’s Detective 612 Full Book

Seriously? Wow!

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8144

Ron Sonenthal’s Unpublished, unfinished Bone Cover

Not repeat myself, but …

Seriously? Wow? A Bone cover in the wild is a real treat.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8045

Michael Diaz’ Savage Sword of Conan by Alfredo Alcala

I’m really glad to see what he would have done all by himself.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=7943

Mark Levy’s Archer by Jeff Jones

Even a small piece like this draws the eye. Jeff was so good.

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=8350

Mark Yanko’s Thuvia, Maid of Mars by Gary Martin

Excellent work and I love the description

http://www.comicartfans.com/LowryPiece.asp?Piece=7892

Lots of others that I liked, but these were my favorites.

Brian Peck · January 24, 2016

Just just over 1 day left to vote: