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

[Mmehdy]

wood by a mile … no contest, Barks a distant second

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

On 8/8/2023 at 1:08 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.

I agree with you and @MrBedrock, but based on the level of fervor over in some other threads, I’m just surprised they haven’t turned out the vote here. I love Mask 1 and a few others, but some of his covers are so amped up they exhaust me. 

Edited August 9, 2023 by GreatCaesarsGhost

[RockMyAmadeus]

 

[bronze johnny]

Wondering if the popularity of Timely/Marvel has something to do with some placing Schomburg at the top? Yes, Schomburg did great WW2 superhero covers but there’s no way he comes close to Raboy who was superior in every aspect as an artist. Raboy’s art is on a higher plane. Still, Mac didn’t work for Timely and never had the chance to draw Superman. Imagine the Raboy Superman? It would have been an incredible sight!

[Professor K]

On 8/8/2023 at 10:03 PM, bronze johnny said:

Wondering if the popularity of Timely/Marvel has something to do with some placing Schomburg at the top? Yes, Schomburg did great WW2 superhero covers but there’s no way he comes close to Raboy who was superior in every aspect as an artist. Raboy’s art is on a higher plane. Still, Mac didn’t work for Timely and never had the chance to draw Superman. Imagine the Raboy Superman? It would have been an incredible sight!

Yep, I've thought that. I think I stated here once that I wish he had done the Captain America run instead of Shomburg. Too bad he didn't do any DC's (that I know of) or float around a little more among publishers. If had done a Superman, Flash, Batman ect. ect covers they would have been awesome no doubt.

[bronze johnny]

On 8/8/2023 at 10:18 PM, Professor K said:

Yep, I've thought that. I think I stated here once that I wish he had done the Captain America run instead of Shomburg. Too bad he didn't do any DC's (that I know of) or float around a little more among publishers. If had done a Superman, Flash, Batman ect. ect covers they would have been awesome no doubt.

It’s not a knock on Schomburg to say that Raboy was better. Look carefully at Mac’s work and you see just how incredible it is. Raboy was on a level that only a handful of his contemporaries could come close to.

[thehumantorch]

So many great artists worked in the business but my favorite is easily Schomburg.  

Edited August 9, 2023 by thehumantorch

[Professor K]

On 8/8/2023 at 9:03 PM, GreatCaesarsGhost said:

I agree with you and @MrBedrock, but based on the level of fervor over in some other threads, I’m just surprised they haven’t turned out the vote here. I love Mask 1 and a few others, but some of his covers are so amped up they exhaust me. 

Well he wasn't the best considering the competition. Even the biggest fans would probably agree. Most of his comic covers were basically shock value to get people to buy. You've probably seen some of his other work which is very different from his comics. He really was a great artist as far as detail and realism, especially with nature and animals art.  

[Professor K]

On 8/8/2023 at 10:29 PM, bronze johnny said:

It’s not a knock on Schomburg to say that Raboy was better. Look carefully at Mac’s work and you see just how incredible it is. Raboy was on a level that only a handful of his contemporaries could come close to.

Totally agree. 

 

Edited August 9, 2023 by Professor K

[bronze johnny]

On 8/8/2023 at 10:31 PM, Professor K said:

Well he wasn't the best considering the competition. Even the biggest fans would probably agree. Most of his comic covers were basically shock value to get people to buy. You've probably seen some of his other work which is very different from his comics. He really was a great artist as far as detail and realism, especially with nature and animals art.  

Personally love a number of L.B. Cole covers and Contact Comics 12 is one of my all-time favorite covers but the other Cole was the superior artist and I’m not a big fan of Plastic Man. Not basing my decision on what my preference is. 

[N e r V]

Well if I had approached this thread as a popularity contest of who my favorite artists of those on that list I’d have picked Alex Schomburg, LB Cole and Matt Baker in no certain order. All three of those are highly thought of too on these boards but that’s actually not always the case.

I started collecting Alex Schomburg first in the 1970’s due to his large amounts of Timely covers. One of the knocks on him by other collectors over the years was his work was often repetitive with his figures having a waxy look to them. I first heard that term “waxy” decades ago and was reminded of it recently when his work was being discussed on another comic book board I follow.

I started collecting LB Cole material by the late 1970’s. When he had his coming out party with fandom around 1981 he was better known for his poster style work with those popping colors. Outside of that he’s still criticized by some for actually being more of a nice layout artist with those colors covering up some of his artistic shortcomings as a skillful artist in the technical respect.

Finally Mr. Baker who few if any knew who he was a few decades ago. My how the times have changed. I was needled by several of my collector friends over the years about his work also being slightly repetitive as well. The argument being he has a very limited scope with his female faces that often get used,reused over and over again. I was once told by a fellow collector that he only needed 1 Matt Baker comic in his collection because  all his girls looked alike anyway. At least he picked Cinderella Love #25 for his one Matt Baker comic.

 

I love the CGC boards still but they aren’t always completely reflective of everything that occurs outside of them. 

Edited August 9, 2023 by N e r V
Spelling

[Cat-Man_America]

There are a lot of artists deserving of more attention. While I've already added my voice to those placing Alex Schomburg at the top there are others who catch my eye as well. While I love Lou Fine's work he definitely ran hot & cold; when he ran hot his work was dynamite and he turned out a lot of impressive interior work that deserves more attention. Jack Kirby was also an artist whose covers ran hot and cold (mostly hot) and his dynamic GA interior art was groundbreaking, evoking Orson Welles' Citizen Kane. Every publisher wanted artists who could work as creatively with panel design and flowing action sequences.

One of the most underrated artists today seems to be Reed Crandall, his covers and interiors were consistently excellent, dynamic in motion, perspective and anatomy. I've already mentioned Mac Raboy's exceptional cover and interior art; his uncanny ability to convey effortless flight deserves special mention. Another personal favorite is Jack Binder, while he isn't credited directly with a lot of work via signing or attributions, his hand was in much of the work produced by his art shop and jobbed out to various publishers. The best of Binder's work reminds me of the flawless structural perspective and whimsey of Winsor McCay.

Just for the "halibut" I'll post an example or two of Reed Crandall's and Jack Binder's cover work (not that anyone around here hasn't seen these posted before!) 

While dropping the names of artists given short shrift as GA favorites, let me also mention Craig Flessel... 

While not expecting these artists to get GA favorites list votes, they're deserving of honorable mention! 

 

Edited August 10, 2023 by Cat-Man_America
Ale!

[sfcityduck]

Schomburg drew great covers. But cover art is illustration not art unique to comics, especially when airbrushed. Covers require no facility with panel continuity, pacing, etc.  I am bit sad at the notion we would assess the greatness of a comic artist just on covers.

If the focus is just covers then we might as well consider pulp and book cover artists, probably also movie poster artists, because they are all the same except for size.

Did Schomburg draw great interior art?  Nothing that leaps to my mind.

I love his WWII Timely covers, some of the best ever, but that is not enough to beat out a guys like Everett and Eisner etc. who could did it ALL at a high level. For comics, interiors should be everything because that is the comics part of a comic book.

 

 

Edited August 9, 2023 by sfcityduck

[sfcityduck]

On 8/9/2023 at 12:12 AM, Cat-Man_America said:

 

While dropping the names of artists given short shrift as GA favorites, let me also mention Craig Flessel... 

 

And Leo O’Mealia:

 

 

[Robot Man]

On 8/8/2023 at 7:29 PM, bronze johnny said:

It’s not a knock on Schomburg to say that Raboy was better. Look carefully at Mac’s work and you see just how incredible it is. Raboy was on a level that only a handful of his contemporaries could come close to.

Apples to oranges…

Schomburg’s work is very busy and somewhat “cartoony”. Raboy’s work is more sedate and “illustrative”.

Both are masters and deserve to be on the list. I know I spend a lot more time looking at Schomburg’s work and less on Raboy’s.

Personal preference…

[Ryan.]

On 8/8/2023 at 9:03 PM, GreatCaesarsGhost said:

I agree with you and @MrBedrock, but based on the level of fervor over in some other threads, I’m just surprised they haven’t turned out the vote here. I love Mask 1 and a few others, but some of his covers are so amped up they exhaust me. 

As a slavish Cole fanboy I would love to vote him #1 but he did very little interior work and I can't vote someone who mainly did covers as the greatest artist overall. From an art perspective I find Cole's work with color and his ability to be eye catching to be really artistically appealing, though I find his figure work to be somewhat lacking. His surreal and Sci fi covers are most appealing to me. With that said, he did produce some real mediocre work, which is bound to happen when you draw something like 1500 covers.

Baker was second only to Frazetta in his ability to capture a moment, except Baker had a unique way of pulling the viewer into the scene to evoke a sense of nostalgia that I don't think any other artist, of any age, can touch. Unfortunately he also didn't produce much interior work and what he did doesn't really stand out.

Edited August 9, 2023 by Ryan.

[pmpknface]

This is not easy for me, but I voted other wanting to give it to Everett.  I'm a HUGE LB Cole fan owning well over 400 of his covers, but the way the question was phrased I can't give him the nod here.  If Schomburg didn't have much interior work I'd have to pass on him for the same reason.  Wood was a very close second for me.  I also like the other names pointed out that weren't on the main list, Jack Cole was one that stood out to me.  

If nothing else it gives us all another reason to post more pretty pictures.  

[bronze johnny]

On 8/9/2023 at 10:12 AM, Robot Man said:

Apples to oranges…

Schomburg’s work is very busy and somewhat “cartoony”. Raboy’s work is more sedate and “illustrative”.

Both are masters and deserve to be on the list. I know I spend a lot more time looking at Schomburg’s work and less on Raboy’s.

Personal preference…

Yes, and I’ve made the point before about the title of this thread being changed to which artist to you prefer. It’s generally about preferences when comparing artists but you can’t tell me that Charles Wilson Peale was a better portrait artist than John Singleton Copley (check out their portraits of George Washington). He wasn’t. I can go on about other artists to further my example if you want? Raboy was the superior artist who could draw just about anything including “cartoony.” There’s no way Schomburg could match Raboy’s “illustrations.” 

[Sarg]

On 8/8/2023 at 9:03 PM, bronze johnny said:

Wondering if the popularity of Timely/Marvel has something to do with some placing Schomburg at the top? Yes, Schomburg did great WW2 superhero covers but there’s no way he comes close to Raboy who was superior in every aspect as an artist. Raboy’s art is on a higher plane. Still, Mac didn’t work for Timely and never had the chance to draw Superman. Imagine the Raboy Superman? It would have been an incredible sight!

Yeah. I (like many, I suspect) overlook Mac Raboy because Captain Marvel, Junior is such a minor character. It's a shame because Mac was undoubtedly a great, great artist. I wish he'd done Superman or Batman. 

[bronze johnny]

On 8/9/2023 at 5:58 PM, Sarg said:

Yeah. I (like many, I suspect) overlook Mac Raboy because Captain Marvel, Junior is such a minor character. It's a shame because Mac was undoubtedly a great, great artist. I wish he'd done Superman or Batman. 

The “Raboy Superman” would have been the greatest rendition of the Golden Age Superhero followed by the “Baker Wonder Woman.” Just imagine how amazing they would have been…