Who was the greatest overall Golden Age comic book artist? 4 4

[jimbo_7071]

On 8/7/2023 at 5:58 PM, Funnybooks said:

Baker

Poll is now closed

I've been a Baker fan for years, but I had to vote for Schomburg in light of his versatility.

Will Elder and Harvey Kurtzman were interesting choices for the list; I can think of several artists I would have placed ahead of them (Ingels, Zolnerowich, Whitman, Flessel . . . Everett was already mentioned . . . probably several others as well).

Edited August 8, 2023 by jimbo_7071

[Funnybooks]

On 8/8/2023 at 8:44 AM, jimbo_7071 said:

I've been a Baker fan for years, but I had to vote for Schomburg in light of his versatility.

(Will Elder and Harvey Kurtzman were interesting choices for the list; I can think of several artists I would have placed ahead of them (Ingels, Zolnerowich, Whitman, Flessel . . . Everett was already mentioned . . . probably several others as well.)

if versatility and sequential work weighs heavily into the equation, then that bolsters Bakers' case...romance, war, crime, sci-fi superhero and horror...golden age/atomic age...

[jimbo_7071]

On 8/8/2023 at 8:49 AM, Funnybooks said:

if versatility and sequential work weighs heavily into the equation, then that bolsters Bakers' case...romance, war, crime, sci-fi superhero and horror...golden age/atomic age...

The Golden Age was all about superheroes, and Baker was a little too late to the party. He didn't have many superhero covers, and the ones that he did have were primarily GGA covers. I think of Baker as primarily a romance/GGA artist. He'd get my vote as the best Atom-Age artist.

Schomburg had versatility in terms of the style of his covers: early, gothic pulp-like covers; dynamic super-hero covers, including many WWII covers; and later airbrushed sci-fi covers and more whimsical, post-war superhero covers.

[Funnybooks]

On 8/8/2023 at 9:04 AM, jimbo_7071 said:

The Golden Age was all about superheroes, and Baker was a little too late to the party. He didn't have many superhero covers, and the ones that he did have were primarily GGA covers. I think of Baker as primarily a romance/GGA artist. He'd get my vote as the best Atom-Age artist.

Schomburg had versatility in terms of the style of his covers: early, gothic pulp-like covers; dynamic super-hero covers, including many WWII covers; and later airbrushed sci-fi covers and more whimsical, post-war superhero covers.

no arguments here ...Schomburg is second on my list by a hair

[Robot Man]

This is of course a question that will never have an answer. Like trying to pick your favorite child. Comics are very personal and no wrong answer.

I try to look at them as a complete package. My answer would depend on my mood though.

Covers: Schomburg. His work ran the gamut from superhero to war to GGA. Hard to find many bad or weak ones. Not much interior art though. Wood not only covers but interiors as well. Again, ran the gamut. Even ran into MAD for great interiors. Baker no one, I say no one drew prettier girls. Covers as well as interiors for several publishers.

Overall, I look at the big picture. Barks interior art mostly and even wrote his own work. So many iconic stories. Always a great read. You can tell immediately his work even though Disney tried to keep their characters “generic”. Also, Eisner. Started out in the beginning. Covers, interiors and writing. He was more than just an artist. He was a storyteller like Barks and his work had design often intermeshing art with type and graphic design.

Just my 2 cents…

 

[Comic-Fan]

That's a tough one?

Schomburg, Elder and Davis.  I realize Davis is not on the list but for me his whimsical style is what made his work so alluring. 

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

I’m a Schomburg guy, but I’m shocked lb Cole has only gotten one vote so far. 

[MrBedrock]

On 8/8/2023 at 12:30 PM, GreatCaesarsGhost said:

I’m a Schomburg guy, but I’m shocked lb Cole has only gotten one vote so far. 

He received a ton of votes over in the "Who was the greatest overall Golden Age graphic designer?" thread.

Edited August 8, 2023 by MrBedrock

[goldust40]

On 8/8/2023 at 6:30 PM, GreatCaesarsGhost said:

I’m a Schomburg guy, but I’m shocked lb Cole has only gotten one vote so far. 

Everyone in this forum is a Cole fan, (definitely) including myself, but is he considered a heavyweight like the other candidates? His covers are generally breathtaking and compulsively gaudy or lurid, often employing a film poster tableau-style composition, yet there's a certain tawdry element about them.

[buttock]

Bob Powell needs to at least be on the list.  But the question needs to be refined a bit more.  Best illustrator, best storyteller, best technical artist, best designer, best cover artist, best hero/funny artist...?

[Robot Man]

On 8/8/2023 at 11:06 AM, MrBedrock said:

He received a ton of votes over in the "Who was the greatest overall Golden Age graphic designer?" thread.

That would be a good statement. He was a marketer and understood the concept of selling books off the rack with eye grabbing covers. One of the better colorists in the business. Anyone who has seen his original art would have to admit his line art is just so so. The color is what makes it.

He could draw any genre equally well. But at the end of the day, he was primarily a cover artist for the most part. There is more than merely a cover that is needed to push him to the top of the pack. 

[adamstrange]

On 8/8/2023 at 2:08 PM, goldust40 said:

Everyone in this forum is a Cole fan, (definitely) including myself, but is he considered a heavyweight like the other candidates? His covers are generally breathtaking and compulsively gaudy or lurid, often employing a film poster tableau-style composition, yet there's a certain tawdry element about them.

Nobody does tawdry like LB!

[goldust40]

On 8/8/2023 at 8:20 PM, adamstrange said:

Nobody does tawdry like LB!

It was always a plus.

[adamstrange]

On 8/8/2023 at 2:26 PM, buttock said:

Bob Powell needs to at least be on the list.  But the question needs to be refined a bit more.  Best illustrator, best storyteller, best technical artist, best designer, best cover artist, best hero/funny artist...?

The request for the poll was for "greatest overall", so everyone will have to decide the weight to apply to each of the aspects that you list.

I think that Schomburg and Cole should be excluded from the list because they drew so few interior stories.  Storytelling is an important enough component that the handful of relatively undistinguished stories by these brilliant cover artists are not enough for them to minimally qualify.

[Murphman13]

I think Bill Ward and Al Williamson need to be in the conversation 

[sfcityduck]

On 8/8/2023 at 12:28 PM, adamstrange said:

The request for the poll was for "greatest overall", so everyone will have to decide the weight to apply to each of the aspects that you list.

I think that Schomburg and Cole should be excluded from the list because they drew so few interior stories.  Storytelling is an important enough component that the handful of relatively undistinguished stories by these brilliant cover artists are not enough for them to minimally qualify.

Completely agree.  I'd rate Schomburg as the greatest cover artist.  Greatest artist? No. He doesn't qualify.

Similarly, I'd rate Krigstein as having done the greatest interior story. Greatest artist? No. He barely did any covers.

[bronze johnny]

On 8/8/2023 at 3:28 PM, adamstrange said:

The request for the poll was for "greatest overall", so everyone will have to decide the weight to apply to each of the aspects that you list.

I think that Schomburg and Cole should be excluded from the list because they drew so few interior stories.  Storytelling is an important enough component that the handful of relatively undistinguished stories by these brilliant cover artists are not enough for them to minimally qualify.

Lou Cameron needs to be added to any list of Golden (& Atomic) Age greats. There’s no better artist who tells the story than Cameron. 

[Dr. Love]

On 8/8/2023 at 12:28 PM, adamstrange said:

not enough for them to minimally qualify.

Schomburg - all sizzle, no steak. Jon Juan is what you get when you turn him loose inside.

And what's with Cap's open mouth all the time. He's yelling something, what in heck is he going on about?

"BUY MY BOOK!"

/sarc

[Professor K]

On 8/8/2023 at 7:05 PM, Dr. Love said:

Schomburg - all sizzle, no steak. Jon Juan is what you get when you turn him loose inside.

And what's with Cap's open mouth all the time. He's yelling something, what in heck is he going on about?

"BUY MY BOOK!"

/sarc

I think it's been retconned to him shouting "Excelsior!" 

[Professor K]

On 8/8/2023 at 2:08 PM, goldust40 said:

Everyone in this forum is a Cole fan, (definitely) including myself, but is he considered a heavyweight like the other candidates? His covers are generally breathtaking and compulsively gaudy or lurid, often employing a film poster tableau-style composition, yet there's a certain tawdry element about them.