Unpopular Golden Age Opinions Thread! 9 9

[sfcityduck]

You guys are aiming too low. You want to see unpopular opinions? These are unpopular opinions:

 

* S&K were LESS influential on GA comic book art than Joe Shuster and Jerry Robinson, let alone Milt Caniff, Alex Raymond, and the Will Eisner shop.

 

* The greatest patriotic comic book covers are found on DC/Quality not Timely comics.

 

* Suspense 3 is not even close to Schomburg's greatest cover, let alone the finest cover of the GA.

 

* The identifiable later printing(s) of Superman 1 "should" be worth less than the earlier printing(s).

 

* With the exception of certain Kurtzman and Krigstein stories, the art in EC Comics is adversely impacted by the really overly excessive text.

 

* The best covers of the 1930s did not feature superheroes.

 

 

 

[Ken Aldred]

 

* With the exception of certain Kurtzman and Krigstein stories, the art in EC Comics is adversely impacted by the really overly excessive text.

 

 

It's generally accepted that Feldstein could be extremely verbose and, at his worst, force the artist to cram their work into very small panels.

[AJD]

 

* With the exception of certain Kurtzman and Krigstein stories, the art in EC Comics is adversely impacted by the really overly excessive text.

 

 

It's generally accepted that Feldstein could be extremely verbose and, at his worst, force the artist to cram their work into very small panels.

 

Yes, I'm a big EC fan, but there's no denying that. That's why my favourite EC stories are Kurtzman's war stories, where the art leads.

[Badger]

Red Raven #1 is the ugliest Timely and I do not understand how it commands the price it does.

 

Sorry, Cat!

 

There will be some sort of atonement for that statement. Warn your friends (if you have any) so they don't get taken out by the lightning bolt or what ever it is that hits you.

 

Are you talking about his comment or my comment? I know; we're both WINNERS!

[Badger]

Red Raven #1 is the ugliest Timely and I do not understand how it commands the price it does.

 

Sorry, Cat!

You are so bad that is classic Kirby

My point exactly.

[Badger]

Red Raven #1 is the ugliest Timely

Uglier than this?...

...or this?...

Those are some fine nominees for ugliest Timely but I said what I meant and I meant what I said. Red raven #1 looks like it was drawn by the dead!

[MrBedrock]

I usually don't take too much issue with an opinion...but Red Raven 1 is on the short list of my favorite Timely covers.

[The_SandMan]

I usually don't take too much issue with an opinion...but Red Raven 1 is on the short list of my favorite Timely covers.

 

+1

[Badger]

I knew this would be an unpopular opinion but remember the spirit of the thread!

[mrmyst]

Red Raven #1 is the ugliest Timely and I do not understand how it commands the price it does.

 

Sorry, Cat!

 

There will be some sort of atonement for that statement. Warn your friends (if you have any) so they don't get taken out by the lightning bolt or what ever it is that hits you.

 

Are you talking about his comment or my comment? I know; we're both WINNERS!

 

Um. His.

[mrmyst]

You guys are aiming too low. You want to see unpopular opinions? These are unpopular opinions:

 

* S&K were LESS influential on GA comic book art than Joe Shuster and Jerry Robinson, let alone Milt Caniff, Alex Raymond, and the Will Eisner shop.

 

* The greatest patriotic comic book covers are found on DC/Quality not Timely comics.

 

* Suspense 3 is not even close to Schomburg's greatest cover, let alone the finest cover of the GA.

 

* The identifiable later printing(s) of Superman 1 "should" be worth less than the earlier printing(s).

 

* With the exception of certain Kurtzman and Krigstein stories, the art in EC Comics is adversely impacted by the really overly excessive text.

 

* The best covers of the 1930s did not feature superheroes.

 

 

 

Yep, those are unpopular opinions, alright.

[buttock]

You guys are aiming too low. You want to see unpopular opinions? These are unpopular opinions:

 

* S&K were LESS influential on GA comic book art than Joe Shuster and Jerry Robinson, let alone Milt Caniff, Alex Raymond, and the Will Eisner shop.

 

* The greatest patriotic comic book covers are found on DC/Quality not Timely comics.

 

* Suspense 3 is not even close to Schomburg's greatest cover, let alone the finest cover of the GA.

 

* The identifiable later printing(s) of Superman 1 "should" be worth less than the earlier printing(s).

 

* With the exception of certain Kurtzman and Krigstein stories, the art in EC Comics is adversely impacted by the really overly excessive text.

 

* The best covers of the 1930s did not feature superheroes.

 

 

 

I'm having a hard time disagreeing with you on any of these.

[BB-Gun]

You guys are aiming too low. You want to see unpopular opinions? These are unpopular opinions:

 

* S&K were LESS influential on GA comic book art than Joe Shuster and Jerry Robinson, let alone Milt Caniff, Alex Raymond, and the Will Eisner shop.

 

 

 

I must disagree with this one.

Simon and Kirby invented a multitude of characters for several companies. Shuster art was only used in the early Superman stories and then several other artists took over his strip. His Dr. Occult, Slam Bradley and other strips were more representative of his talent than Superman. Those other cartoonists were stuck with a few characters and did their best to keep them original over several years but passed them on. Eisner was a master story teller that few could compete with.

 

Timely covers during the war were redundant and lacked originality. Schomburg kept giving the editors what they asked for.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 6, 2016 by BB-Gun

[Badger]

Red Raven #1 is the ugliest Timely and I do not understand how it commands the price it does.

 

Sorry, Cat!

 

There will be some sort of atonement for that statement. Warn your friends (if you have any) so they don't get taken out by the lightning bolt or what ever it is that hits you.

 

Are you talking about his comment or my comment? I know; we're both WINNERS!

 

Um. His.

[Badger]

You guys are aiming too low. You want to see unpopular opinions? These are unpopular opinions:

 

* S&K were LESS influential on GA comic book art than Joe Shuster and Jerry Robinson, let alone Milt Caniff, Alex Raymond, and the Will Eisner shop.

 

 

 

I must disagree with this one.

Simon and Kirby invented a multitude of characters for several companies. Shuster art was only used in the early Superman stories and then several other artists took over his strip. His Dr. Occult, Slam Bradley and other strips were more representative of his talent than Superman. Those other cartoonists were stuck with a few characters and did their best to keep them original over several years but passed them on. Eisner was a master story teller that few could compete with.

Simon and Kirby also invented a number of aspects of comic book art we take for granted today like moving the action outside the panel and two page art spreads. I'm not a fan of their art but they definitely contributed to the form.

 

Timely covers during the war were redundant and lacked originality. Schomburg kept giving the editors what they asked for.

Once you have a winning formula for awesomeness there is no need to try something else. Your comment is kinda like saying Barks art lacked originality because all he drew were ducks and he just gave his editors what they wanted.

[N e r V]

S&K biggest asset was contributing to the form. Liking or hating their art is irrelevant.

 

I would argue though the Superman creation pretty much trumps most everything else since it was he who started the comic book on its rise during the golden-age.

[jimjum12]

You guys are aiming too low. You want to see unpopular opinions? These are unpopular opinions:

 

* S&K were LESS influential on GA comic book art than Joe Shuster and Jerry Robinson, let alone Milt Caniff, Alex Raymond, and the Will Eisner shop.

 

 

 

I must disagree with this one.

Simon and Kirby invented a multitude of characters for several companies. Shuster art was only used in the early Superman stories and then several other artists took over his strip. His Dr. Occult, Slam Bradley and other strips were more representative of his talent than Superman. Those other cartoonists were stuck with a few characters and did their best to keep them original over several years but passed them on. Eisner was a master story teller that few could compete with.

Simon and Kirby also invented a number of aspects of comic book art we take for granted today like moving the action outside the panel and two page art spreads. I'm not a fan of their art but they definitely contributed to the form.

 

Timely covers during the war were redundant and lacked originality. Schomburg kept giving the editors what they asked for.

Once you have a winning formula for awesomeness there is no need to try something else. Your comment is kinda like saying Barks art lacked originality because all he drew were ducks and he just gave his editors what they wanted.

 

..... for me, and this is admittedly somewhat subjective, ........ what S&K's most profound contribution consisted of was that of Life....... their work just bristled with vitality and youthful enthusiasm...... they stepped beyond the cookie cutter assembly line portayals and figured out how to make the fantastic actually happen. It's no wonder that so many of today's hot artists cite Kirby as a major influence on their careers ...... he opened up a Pandora's Box of possibilities.... GOD BLESS....

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

[Larryw7]

I have to disagree about EC. There were a lot of captions, but this made EC one of the few companies that made reading the story as much fun as looking at the pictures.

[Ken Aldred]

I have to disagree about EC. There were a lot of captions, but this made EC one of the few companies that made reading the story as much fun as looking at the pictures.

 

Al Feldstein's verbosity never bothered me, either. He's one of my all-time favourite comic book writers. But, it is a tendency that I've seen pointed out quite often down the years.

[Cat-Man_America]

You guys are aiming too low. You want to see unpopular opinions? These are unpopular opinions:

 

* S&K were LESS influential on GA comic book art than Joe Shuster and Jerry Robinson, let alone Milt Caniff, Alex Raymond, and the Will Eisner shop.

 

* The greatest patriotic comic book covers are found on DC/Quality not Timely comics.

 

* Suspense 3 is not even close to Schomburg's greatest cover, let alone the finest cover of the GA.

 

* The identifiable later printing(s) of Superman 1 "should" be worth less than the earlier printing(s).

 

* With the exception of certain Kurtzman and Krigstein stories, the art in EC Comics is adversely impacted by the really overly excessive text.

 

* The best covers of the 1930s did not feature superheroes.

 

 

 

Oh, what the heck. This is supposed to be controversial, right?

 

Let's see, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were hacks who tried, but failed to get Superman published as a syndicated newspaper strip. At one point Siegel dumped Shuster and found a more refined cartoonist to draw the character so he'd have a better chance of selling the concept to newspapers. Failing that Siegel re-teamed with Shuster one Superman and eventually took a pittance for getting the character published in Action #1. When the series took off neither were as smart as Bob Kane in figuring out how to get a fair share of the profits for their own creation. Bob Kane was also a hack, but a smarter one.

 

Stan Lee's career was built on nepotism. He was an errand boy who played the piccolo and hung out around the Timely offices trying to keep out of mischief or make it. He worked his way into a job by getting S&K canned for moonlighting after Goodman cheated them out of promised profits for Captain America, which Kirby created and Simon edited. As Stan Lee's star rose everyone else's fell under Goodman's reign at Timely/Atlas/Marvel.

 

S&K were the gods of GA comics and in high demand. They were the only well established artists with clout in the business. They worked for the big two (Timely & DC) and went on to form their own profitable art shop in the late forties establishing new lines of comics (Romance) that served a broader audience. That's about as influential as it gets in the comics biz.

 

The greatest red, white & blue GA propaganda covers are Timely, period. Schomburg rules! The corniest hero covers came from DC, but at least DC's editors were savvy enough to allow their artist's to produce iconic covers every now and then. A few of those covers are patriotic. The only connection DC has with QUALITY is they bought what was left of it from Busy Arnold.

 

Suspense 3 is magnificent because it's iconic, it's Schomburg and it's tough in grade. That said, it isn't his best work by a long shot, but it's rare, so it gets the grease.

 

Atlas horror and SF comics are mediocre compared to EC (story and art).

 

The best covers of the 1930's were on pulps.

 

Now, I'm gonna go hide under a rock!