• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Sal Buscema is a God
1 1

175 posts in this topic

This is a competitive field people wash out from, and finding someone’s art “just acceptable” or not liking face selections are emotional personal decisions.

I argued based on measurable external metrics as my core, I stand by that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/30/2022 at 5:51 AM, Rick2you2 said:

No, not a valid test because this subject is governed by complacency. Comic Art is not a competition, as much as we wish it were. Comics are a business designed to get out a product that generates a solid rate of return. If the public accepted Sal’s work, and the books continue to sell for a profit, why risk it on a better artist? If anything, put the new artist on a different book and see how that works out. 

Sal’s work does what it was supposed to do: illustrate a story while moving the plot forward. Good job, not godhood.

Agreed

Nitpick: Art is highly and entirely subjective opinion "better" is word I do not feel fits in the context.  "Different" or "other" are words that I I might have used?

There are well regarded artists who's work I do not like and artist who are thought of as lesser talents who's art i enjoy very much. There is no wrong or right with art it's all entirely opinion.

 

Edited by MAR1979
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/30/2022 at 10:20 AM, MAR1979 said:

Agreed

Nitpick: Art is highly and entirely subjective opinion "better" is word I do not feel fits in the context.  "Different" or "other" are words that I I might have used?

There are well regarded artists who's work I do not like and artist who are thought of as lesser talents who's art i enjoy very much. There is no wrong or right with art it's all entirely opinion.

 

Fair nitpick. How do you compare, for example, Bruce Timm and Neal Adams? That’s a major reason I buy art from artists I don’t particularly like—comparisons in style. So how about something emphasizing the interest of the buying public, like “potentially, more commercial interest.”

By the way, some stuff just is bad by almost any standard.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/30/2022 at 12:24 PM, Rick2you2 said:

Fair nitpick. How do you compare, for example, Bruce Timm and Neal Adams?

I generally do not compare artists. If i like their work I like their work.  Probably puts my in the minority :)

For a long time it was easy to collect Sal B due to prices. Glad I was able to get my Sal Hulk, Cap, Defenders and Spider-man (non ASM titles)  70's pages and splashes when I did now it might not be possible. I mean run of mill Spidey Super Story panel pages are now garnering $1600+ that's a bunch more than a Sal B Hulk p1 splash was in say 2004. Times they do change.

Seriously Spidey Super Stories $1500-$2200 for panels! Some dealers used those as TP back in the day.  I witnessed a deal in person 20 years ago in which the buyer picked up 50 Spidey Super Stories pages for $1000. Assuming the buyer still owns them it's 100k or more (content per page dependent) in FMV, now that's an impressive ROI.

 

Edited by MAR1979
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/29/2022 at 3:53 PM, zhamlau said:

That .235 hitter with 5 wouldn’t be allowed to stay in the bigs for 25 years is the issue. You only hold a spot that long if you were producing at a high level consistently. 

Exactly. If we want to keep with the baseball analogy, Sal was so consistently good he has fans who prefer runs he penciled, decades apart. Just because he was never the BEST artist of an era doesn't mean he wasn't great. It just means his consistency may have led to people taking him for granted.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/30/2022 at 2:09 PM, fsumavila said:

Exactly. If we want to keep with the baseball analogy, Sal was so consistently good he has fans who prefer runs he penciled, decades apart. Just because he was never the BEST artist of an era doesn't mean he wasn't great. It just means his consistency may have led to people taking him for granted.

This is what it boils down to.   On a thread entitled "Sal Buscema is a God" there's going to be some people who actually think that he is, and there's going to be reaction from others who see him as a shade or two above a hack.

Same would be true of McFarlane, Liefeld, Colletta, Byrne, Romita, the other Buscema, Ditko and many, many, many others.    They all have many vocal fans, and many vocal critics.

If one doesn't want controversy in a thread, one shouldn't name and discuss the topic in a way designed to attract attention and controversy.   

If, for example, this thread was named "Sal Buscema is my favorite artist" and the discussion wasn't this inane hall of fame talk but rather something along the lines of "hey he's not for everybody but I loved him growing up" there would be no points of contention.

As a human being with working eyes that were offended on the regular by Sal its hard for me to stay away from a thread entitled "Sal Buscema is a god."    So don't throw chum in the water, disciples of Sal, and there won't be any sharks.

To be clear, people can do what they want of course, and entitle a thread any way they see fit.    But they have to expect that not everyone will agree with their position and the further away from center their position is, the more the opposition there will probably be.

Edited by Bronty
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 4/30/2022 at 6:11 PM, Bronty said:

If one doesn't want controversy in a thread, one shouldn't name and discuss the topic in a way designed to attract attention and controversy.   

I thought OP was just trying to generate views for his new acquisition.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/2/2022 at 8:22 PM, trimpehulk said:

Now you did it… Sal Buscema is a talent period the dynamic action and story telling he puts in his panel pages will never and I mean never be over looked the man was a master of all out action. Pure dynamic dare I say incredible.

E86DE463-A7D0-4294-8B5B-278CBAE66787.jpeg

6975EF1A-D87F-45CF-B973-E1C52A20E8CE.jpeg

36870E06-C3BC-4EA1-8879-AC73576AE160.jpeg

I say thee Nay… Bronty

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I think of a Baseball player comparison for Sal Buscema, only one name comes to mind...Eddie Murray.  I'll post the reasons/accolades from Wiki here, along with his stats.  Why Eddie Murray?  Because he was so consistently good for so long that its difficult to identify a good year vs a bad year.  Time and time again, he delivered the goods.  One major difference between the two: Sal was always a friendly, outgoing fellow, whereas Eddie was the opposite.

Edward Clarence Murray (born February 24, 1956), nicknamed "Steady Eddie," is a former Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman and designated hitter. Spending most of his MLB career with the Baltimore Orioles, he ranks fourth in team history in both games played and hits. Though Murray never won a Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award, he finished in the top ten in MVP voting several times. He recorded more runs batted in (996) in the 1980s than any other player. After his playing career, Murray coached for the Orioles, Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Career Summary

 

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG TB FLD%
3,026 11,336 1,627 3,255 560 35 504 1,917 110 43 1,333 1,516 .287 .359 .476 5,397 .993

Year-by-year stats

Eddie Murray Baseball Stats by Baseball Almanac (baseball-almanac.com)

 

Edited by jjonahjameson11
Link to comment
Share on other sites

For those few who thought I started this post with "Sal Buscema is a God!" just to ruffle feathers let me be clear, I didn't. This is the way I feel about this artist and I wanted to share my joy of winning this page of Sal's work. At no point did I ask for validation of my opinion or any blow back from you who don't appreciate what he did for comics. When I wrote "Why is he a God?' you will notice I only stayed within the parameters of how prolific he was. I did not venture into the fog of comparing his work to other artist as a measure of his talent. Many seem to enjoy wading through that swamp. If you wish to lay down your opinion of his technique please have at it. Just don't presume you have incite (possible misspelling) into my motivation of this post. (Insert emoji of tongue sticking out at you)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/10/2022 at 12:55 AM, Michaeld said:

For those few who thought I started this post with "Sal Buscema is a God!" just to ruffle feathers let me be clear, I didn't. This is the way I feel about this artist and I wanted to share my joy of winning this page of Sal's work. At no point did I ask for validation of my opinion or any blow back from you who don't appreciate what he did for comics. When I wrote "Why is he a God?' you will notice I only stayed within the parameters of how prolific he was. I did not venture into the fog of comparing his work to other artist as a measure of his talent. Many seem to enjoy wading through that swamp. If you wish to lay down your opinion of his technique please have at it. Just don't presume you have incite (possible misspelling) into my motivation of this post. (Insert emoji of tongue sticking out at you)

Most of us understood the meaning of your post, it was pretty clear. There is a small number that see "Sal Buscema" in any context and feel the internal drive to start a debate and trash the man's art. It would be wonderful if that "debate" (being kind with that word) would find a single thread and stay there as it has polluted many a thread over the years. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/10/2022 at 12:55 AM, Michaeld said:

For those few who thought I started this post with "Sal Buscema is a God!" just to ruffle feathers let me be clear, I didn't. This is the way I feel about this artist and I wanted to share my joy of winning this page of Sal's work. At no point did I ask for validation of my opinion or any blow back from you who don't appreciate what he did for comics. When I wrote "Why is he a God?' you will notice I only stayed within the parameters of how prolific he was. I did not venture into the fog of comparing his work to other artist as a measure of his talent. Many seem to enjoy wading through that swamp. If you wish to lay down your opinion of his technique please have at it. Just don't presume you have incite (possible misspelling) into my motivation of this post. (Insert emoji of tongue sticking out at you)

That's totally fair, and TBH it was more the hall of fame talk that prompted the discussion.

At the end of the day, I'm glad his work brings you joy.   Its not my bag but that's okay, there's enough art for everyone and I'm sure that I like artists that others have no interest in or would criticize.   No harm no foul. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
1 1