Revered artists you just don't get

[F For Fake]

Tastes change. When I was a kid, I thought Kirby's stuff looked weird, but I loved McFarlane. A few years passed and I started working at a comic shop, and it was like a switch was thrown in my brain, and Kirby came into focus for me. I've been a devoted acolyte ever since. Meanwhile, looking back at McFarlane now, most of his stuff looks pretty terrible to me at this point in my life.

 

You can also add in here my standard boilerplate defense of JR Jr., who I still really like a lot even though everyone seems to hate him around here.

 

Speaking of a topical artist, the one that everyone seems to love that I just don't understand is Del Otto. I mean, his stuff is fine, it's FINE. It's solidly done, but it's all pretty dull to me. Can't imagine going out of my way to track his stuff down or pay big $$$ for it. But again, that's the beauty of comics, everyone likes different stuff!

 

 

[kav]

I admit the Subby page is good.

[the blob]

Later Sal Buscema art, especially on Spiderman, JRJR, Linsner.

 

Was Sal ever "revered", I thought of him as one those journeymen illustrators that reliably cranks it out, but no one ever got excited about.

 

When Palmer inked his stuff, he was amazing.

 

 

 

Even without Palmer, his earlier stuff was pretty nice I think.

 

 

Sal Buscema was a competent B list artist in the 70s. Certainly a level above a bunch of guys, but not quite up to his big brother's level, who was, I'd guess, at the bottom of the "A list" stars of the era. Just my opinion, of course. John Buscema is a Hall of Famer, but like a 7th or 8th ballot guy.

[AGGIEZ]

This is one of the craziest threads I've seen in a while...are people actually debating the greatness of Frazetta?

[rjpb]

Basil Wolverton.

 

This guy's popularity is a mystery to me.

 

I used to consider Don Heck a talentless hack until I saw some of his non-superhero (read: horror) stuff. Now simply regard him as being a square peg in a round hole during the Silver Age.

 

Fletcher Hanks. I can only "like" this guy in a "so bad he's good" fashion. Lots of fans however.

 

 

Spot on about Heck. His style seemed particularly out of place on Marvel SA hero books to me when I was a kid collecting the stuff in the early 70s. We unfairly called him "Don Hack".

 

He should have drawn for DC, as his scratchy style would have looked less out of place alongside guys like Kubert and Infantino.

 

 

Wolverton I love, but it's a very particular style. Hanks just has oddball charm.

[1Cool]

Later Sal Buscema art, especially on Spiderman, JRJR, Linsner.

 

Was Sal ever "revered", I thought of him as one those journeymen illustrators that reliably cranks it out, but no one ever got excited about.

 

When Palmer inked his stuff, he was amazing.

 

 

 

Even without Palmer, his earlier stuff was pretty nice I think.

 

 

I always thought the raven said "nevermore"

[Get Marwood & I]

Later Sal Buscema art, especially on Spiderman, JRJR, Linsner.

 

Was Sal ever "revered", I thought of him as one those journeymen illustrators that reliably cranks it out, but no one ever got excited about.

 

When Palmer inked his stuff, he was amazing.

 

 

 

Even without Palmer, his earlier stuff was pretty nice I think.

 

 

I always thought the raven said "nevermore"

 

Thank you Edgar.

 

Joe Quesada can get out of hand a bit can't he:

 

[SquareChaos]

This is one of the craziest threads I've seen in a while...are people actually debating the greatness of Frazetta?

 

I think for many that have just seen the tip of the iceberg... especially younger people... they might think his stuff would look good on the side of a van. So stylistically, he is probably one of the easier titans to scratch your head over before you really know more.

 

Even then, he does have a definite style, and when people have strong styles, the public at large is more likely to take them or leave them with little middle ground. So I can see it... Frazetta was massively talented, but he isn't one of my personal all time favorites.

[The Madness]

Later Sal Buscema art, especially on Spiderman, JRJR, Linsner.

 

Was Sal ever "revered", I thought of him as one those journeymen illustrators that reliably cranks it out, but no one ever got excited about.

 

When Palmer inked his stuff, he was amazing.

 

 

 

Even without Palmer, his earlier stuff was pretty nice I think.

 

 

I always thought the raven said "nevermore"

 

Thank you Edgar.

 

Joe Quesada can get out of hand a bit can't he:

 

 

Sometimes, he tends to have a lot of detail in his stuff

[Silver Surfer]

This is one of the craziest threads I've seen in a while...are people actually debating the greatness of Frazetta?

 

Very skilled but I'm not a huge fan of the look of a lot of his art.

[telerites]

This is one of the craziest threads I've seen in a while...are people actually debating the greatness of Frazetta?

 

Very skilled but I'm not a huge fan of the look of a lot of his art.

 

Frazetta is a god to me but as they say art and beauty are in the eye of the beholder. I can't fault anyone for their opinion on something so subjective.

 

[Silver Surfer]

There are just too many pieces that don't make me jump out of my seat. Like I said, incredibly technically talented but maybe it was the material that he focused on that I didn't care for?

[Bronty]

This is one of the craziest threads I've seen in a while...are people actually debating the greatness of Frazetta?

 

Very skilled but I'm not a huge fan of the look of a lot of his art.

 

Frazetta is a god to me but as they say art and beauty are in the eye of the beholder. I can't fault anyone for their opinion on something so subjective.

 

I only question these opinions when it seems that the backdrop of the times is being ignored.

 

Frazetta, ok, if one doesn't like sword and sorcery, I get them not liking it.

 

But take your typical 1960s paperback looked like this:

 

 

 

And he went and created stuff that looked like this

 

 

whether or not you like that look, its quite a contrast and was something new, exciting, noteworthy, and he deserves his rep as a result

[AGGIEZ]

This is one of the craziest threads I've seen in a while...are people actually debating the greatness of Frazetta?

 

Very skilled but I'm not a huge fan of the look of a lot of his art.

 

Frazetta is a god to me but as they say art and beauty are in the eye of the beholder. I can't fault anyone for their opinion on something so subjective.

 

I only question these opinions when it seems that the backdrop of the times is being ignored.

 

Frazetta, ok, if one doesn't like sword and sorcery, I get them not liking it.

 

But take your typical 1960s paperback looked like this:

 

 

 

And he went and created stuff that looked like this

 

 

whether or not you like that look, its quite a contrast and was something new, exciting, noteworthy, and he deserves his rep as a result

 

 

Agree 100%. I personally don't like the fantasy, sword & sorcery stuff unless I'm sitting in a movie theatre...but that doesn't mean his art isn't incredible. I personally don't like horror either, but that doesn't mean Wrightson isn't one of the all-time greats. I appreciate the art for what it is...incredible art. For that reason, Frazetta will always be on my personal fanboy Mt. Rushmore.

[Bronty]

cool, and when I wrote all that I related it to frazetta, but just as true for other artists... you have to judge with context in mind, IMO

 

Otherwise all frame of reference is lost and it just becomes 100% all about personal tastes.

 

 

I guess that's the heart of my Kirby comment earlier..... if one can't appreciate Kirby or understand the reverence for Kirby, then one hasn't understood any of the contextual history of the medium and his place in it.

[rjrjr]

JSC, everything looks the same. Does he actually do any other work besides limited edition covers? Must be a nice gig.

 

This. A thousand times, this.

 

JSC is this generation's Liefeld IMHO. People love the art, but the art doesn't stand up well to scrutiny.

[rjrjr]

I quite enjoyed the Dorman art, but everyone has good and bad days I suppose. The Luke and Leia in this first picture look significantly worse compared to his second piece.

 

 

Someone else must have thought so about the Leia as well:

 

http://swcomiccollector.blogspot.com/2015/09/classic-cover-comparison-star-wars-dark.html