Unpopular Golden Age Opinions Thread! 9 9

[MrBedrock]

On 6/30/2023 at 4:45 PM, Yorick said:

Perhaps an unpopular opinion, but I think O'Mealia was the best interior artist working at DC during that period.  His work should be noted on every CGC label! 

That is popular with me.

[newshane]

Dear god! That is rad beyond words! 

[Ryan.]

On 6/30/2023 at 8:05 AM, L'Angelo Misterioso said:

I definitely think LB Cole is overrated, no matter what the cover is, as long as it's not one of his funny animal works, people will pay through the nose just because he did it. In contrast, the market will sleep on bad Schomburg covers.

The majority of Cole covers don't sell for any real premium. He did A LOT of covers.

[Telegan]

On 6/30/2023 at 2:22 PM, Professor K said:

Just to be clear , I did revise that to "a little" over-rated. 

lol.  I'm not offended.  We all have our opinions and can make each other think for a second.  I don't think there are many artists that were at their peak at all times.   And like I said, LB Cole's best stuff is some of my favorite.

[Professor K]

On 6/30/2023 at 5:41 PM, Frisco Larson said:

I think a lot of his interior art is omitted on labels. It's probably nothing intentional, just a matter of a limited amount of space.

Where there's a will there's a way

[Frisco Larson]

On 6/30/2023 at 4:45 PM, Yorick said:

Perhaps an unpopular opinion, but I think O'Mealia was the best interior artist working at DC during that period.  His work should be noted on every CGC label! 

Agreed! It's been a while since I've had any raw copies of either title, but his Fang Gow in early More Fun and his Barry O'Neill in Adventure (I seem to recall New Adventure as well) were some of the best artwork in comics at that time! It's pretty unusual that he didn't draw more cover assignments in his career at DC!!! I was very happy to get that splash page for the Dr. Fu Manchu story in Detective #27!!! 

[Frisco Larson]

On 6/30/2023 at 10:12 PM, Professor K said:

Where there's a will there's a way

Well done! Clearly, I'm mistaken, as this is evidence that the information COULD be included. What's your take on it @Professor K?

[Professor K]

On 7/1/2023 at 12:34 AM, Frisco Larson said:

Well done! Clearly, I'm mistaken, as this is evidence that the information COULD be included. What's your take on it @Professor K?

As soon as I read your post I thought of that 99 signature book someone posted somewhere on the board a few months back.  So I was joking, I'm sure you know.  Not sure if you're asking my take on making room for Leo E. O'Mealia on labels. From what I've seen of his interior work the amount of detail he put into his art was quite impressive. If he did the art for Fu Manchu in 27 heck yeah he should be on the label.

It would be nice if every writer and artist could be credited on the label but doing that would really crowd it up.

[Frisco Larson]

On 7/1/2023 at 1:05 AM, Professor K said:

As soon as I read your post I thought of that 99 signature book someone posted somewhere on the board a few months back.  So I was joking, I'm sure you know.  Not sure if you're asking my take on making room for Leo E. O'Mealia on labels. From what I've seen of his interior work the amount of detail he put into his art was quite impressive. If he did the art for Fu Manchu in 27 heck yeah he should be on the label.

It would be nice if every writer and artist could be credited on the label but doing that would really crowd it up.

Oh yeah, I knew you were just joking and that's how I took it.  

I was asking your take on why you think that info wasn't included on labels. I agree it would be nice if artists and writers were given label credit! I mean, they sure weren't PAID much for their work ... the least we could do is honor them going forward!  

[Professor K]

On 7/1/2023 at 2:36 AM, Frisco Larson said:

Oh yeah, I knew you were just joking and that's how I took it.  

I was asking your take on why you think that info wasn't included on labels. I agree it would be nice if artists and writers were given label credit! I mean, they sure weren't PAID much for their work ... the least we could do is honor them going forward!  

Yeah like you said it's probably just to save space on the label. You're right though about honoring them. These are pieces of history and especially with the early books I say yes give them all credit on the label even if it takes up lots of space. Or on the back.

As to why they didn't use Leo for more covers I think it was because he had other stuff going on during those years, newspaper work, other books and publications. He was older and more established in New York.  Whereas their go to guy Creig was more available, younger and more eager, and 5.00 a cover cheaper. Plus he bought a drawing table for the office. I think from what I've read and heard in interviews that The Major, Sullivan, and Ellsworth like Flessel a lot. He seemed like a really fun guy. 

I'm sure most of you know this as it's no secret but they only turned down one Flessel cover he presented. Not bad considering he did I believe nearly 70 covers in less than 4 years for DC. I wonder where this book is now.

Edited July 1, 2023 by Professor K
picture added

[Frisco Larson]

On 7/1/2023 at 2:03 AM, Professor K said:

Yeah like you said it's probably just to save space on the label. You're right though about honoring them. These are pieces of history and especially with the early books I say yes give them all credit on the label even if it takes up lots of space. Or on the back.

As to why they didn't use Leo for more covers I think it was because he had other stuff going on during those years, newspaper work, other books and publications. He was older and more established in New York.  Whereas their go to guy Creig was more available, younger and more eager, and 5.00 a cover cheaper. Plus he bought a drawing table for the office. I think from what I've read and heard in interviews that The Major, Sullivan, and Ellsworth like Flessel a lot. He seemed like a really fun guy. 

I'm sure most of you know this as it's no secret but they only turned down one Flessel cover he presented. Not bad considering he did I believe nearly 70 covers in less than 4 years for DC. I wonder where this book is now.

I LOVE that Action Comics #1 ashcan cover!!! Yeah, Leo WAS older than a lot of the artists at DC. Kane was a teenager, Flessel was young ... I wish there was more surviving artwork from those artists! I know there's Flessel artwork from the text story in Detective #11 and I believe it was Heritage who auctioned it. I only have one piece of Flessel artwork and was VERY happy to add it to my collection! It's not a big deal or anything most would remember, but it's VERY early (Star Ranger #2 cover dated 4/37). Here it is and also what it looks like in the comic.

Edited July 1, 2023 by Frisco Larson

[Professor K]

Wow Creig Flessel original art from 1937. Don't see that every day. 

[Frisco Larson]

On 7/1/2023 at 2:00 PM, Professor K said:

Wow Creig Flessel original art from 1937. Don't see that every day. 

Thanks! I hope to frame it up soon so I DO see it every day. If I remember correctly, it came from Jim Steranko's personal collection. He consigned a bunch of Platinum and Golden Age artwork and I bought up what I could afford. It got absorbed quickly and I haven't seen any of it come back out. This was the only Flessel piece I saw.

[The-Collector]

On 6/30/2023 at 10:22 AM, L'Angelo Misterioso said:

I'll say it again: his penciled covers (the ones that are good) are awesome, but I do not get the hype for the airbrush covers. They look so....1947. 

For me that's the appeal. 

[Paul © ® ⚽️💙™]

On 7/22/2016 at 5:24 PM, Point Five said:

Maybe this will fly, maybe not. Let's give it a whirl:

 

-

 

-- I don't enjoy looking at Jack Kirby's GA artwork. I respect that he's a founding father of the industry, but I just don't dig it at all.

 

 

 

-- I'd rather have a bright, vividly-colored 1.5 GA book with a detached cover wrap than an 8.0 book with dulled colors but amazing structural soundness. (Not talking about *faded* books, which is an easier call... just books with naturally weak colors, like a good many Fiction House, Fox etc.)

 

 

OK, that's what I've got so far. Who's next?

AGREED on both counts Jon.

Also I hate Frazetta. What I particularly dislike are his overdrawn muscle bound, sinewy men and women...with muscles popping out all over the place where they shoudn't.

There I said it. 

Give me Wood, Williamson and their ilk any day. 

[Sarg]

Most GA comics are far inferior to the newspaper comics of the classic era. That's because the newspaper comics often relied on storyline arcs that could last for months or even years, which holds the readers' attention, encourages character development, introduces a variety of themes and plot twists, etc.

No comic book artist was equal to the skill of Hal Foster and Alex Raymond. Wally Wood might have come the closest, but only in the 1951-55 period. Wood is superior to Frazetta and Williamson. 

Crime comics were an abomination. Wertham was 100% correct in this respect. 

 

[fifties]

On 7/2/2023 at 3:57 PM, Sarg said:

 

No comic book artist was equal to the skill of Hal Foster and Alex Raymond. Wally Wood might have come the closest, but only in the 1951-55 period. Wood is superior to Frazetta and Williamson. 

Crime comics were an abomination. Wertham was 100% correct in this respect. 

 

AFA Wood being superior to Frazetta and Willaimson, I think that's simply a matter of opinion, and you forgot Feldstein.  I feel that they were all good as a variety of EC artists.

How exactly were crime comics an abomination?  Every single one that I've read (easily a thousand or more) has the bad guy getting his in the end, something the good doctor never acknowledged.

[Frisco Larson]

I think it's probably a fairly unpopular opinion to crack out your certified Golden Age and I have cracked out a fair number of comics. Here are two that I took after pics of. I have others that I still need to take a cracked out pic of.

[MrBedrock]

On 7/2/2023 at 2:23 PM, Paul (GG) © ® ™⚽️💙 said:

AGREED on both counts Jon.

Also I hate Frazetta. 

What I particularly dislike are his overdrawn muscle bound, sinewy men and women...with muscles popping out all over the place where they shoudn't.

 

Gives me Wood, Williamson and their ilk any day. 

 

[Paul © ® ⚽️💙™]

On 7/3/2023 at 8:07 PM, GreatCaesarsGhost said:

I think it’s to all our credit that @Paul (GG) © ® ™⚽️💙 feels safe enough to come out like this on the boards