Does comic art "speak" to you?

[Reno McCoy]

I've been having an email conversation with a buddy of mine. In essence, he appreciates comic art, but not outside of the comic page. As standalone art, he's not really into it. Sure, it looks good, but it doesn't speak to him or invoke any feelings.

 

He went on to say he likes darker imagery that works as a standalone image. He likes art that evokes emotion. He gave me this example:

 

 

He said the image clearly evokes the girl's wicked persona. You don't have to scan the image to derive some kind of narrative. All at once, it combines a sense of erotica with disturbing violence, something that has always fascinated me. The presence of the blood, and her nonchalance wiping her hand along the wall, and her evil but mischievous smile...it all combines into a portrait of forbidden sexuality that really speaks to me.

 

I said that Frazetta's paintings had a similar effect on me. You felt a sense of adventure. You understood the story immediately. But comic art...I'm not entirely certain why I appreciate it like I do.

 

So my question to you is this: Does comic are just look good to you, or does it speak to you somehow? Do you feel anything while looking at the images, or does it just look cool and that's that? Or is it simply about owning a piece of history? (I guess I'm just trying to find reasons why everyone here loves comic art and what about it makes it so fascinating.)

 

[Note: Apologies to Jason...I'm sure I butchered your thoughts on the subject.]

[jjeanius]

Interior pages don't speak to me that often. Granted, some of them do, but those are usually splashes...otherwise, it's about owning a piece of a story.

 

On the other hand, when it comes to covers, they HAVE to speak to me, or I'm not interested. Covers go up on my wall, and if they don't grab me and suck me in each time I look at them, then I don't need to drop the money on them.

[Kevin76]

I feel the same way about covers and splashes,If your gonna drop the cash,then you gotta love it. What doesn't "speak" to me is half naked/naked superhero women,and that's all I see.

[Reno McCoy]

How do you know you love a piece? Or rather, what about it makes you love it? Maybe that's what I'm trying to discover.

[jjeanius]

Let me just say this...when I look at my absolute favorite pieces, it almost hurts...because they are so amazing, and touch me on such an emotional level, that I wish there was some deeper way to experience them, other than just looking at them...perhaps a way to keep that feeling of awe and amazement even after walking away from the piece. I know how this sounds...but hopefully someone else knows what I'm getting at.

 

This certainly doesn't happen often, and, to me, defines exactly what a "grail" should be.

[alecholland]

How do you know you love a piece? Or rather, what about it makes you love it?

 

I've collected fine art for a number of years and just recently bought my first piece of original comic art. I'm not sure exactly how to answer your question, but I will tell you my personal experience when trying to decide whether to purchase a piece or not.

 

First, I think the work does have to be aesthetically pleasing. I have to believe it would be something I would want to look at over and over.

 

Second, it does have to "speak" to me at some level. Sometimes that may be on an emotional level, sometimes it's intellectual. I think both are valid. Artwork at any level is simply a means for a creative individual to communicate thoughts, feelings, ideas, etc... and that includes comic book art in my opinion.

 

With comic books and comic book art, I think for me it's mostly an emotional purchase though. I like the art because it makes me feel something at a gut level. If it doesn't, I don't want it. The piece I just bought is by Tony Moore from Fear Agent #1 page 4. I bought it because it is done in a style reminiscent of the old EC comics which I love. Although you can't see it clearly in the comic, Tony even signed the top panel with with Wally Wood's signature. I loved it and bought it. And I look at it every day.

 

With that said, before I buy any piece of art, I have made a habit out of leaving the gallery (or artist's table in the case of comic art) for at least an hour or two. I do this as a rule, no exceptions. I do this to take myself out of the heat of the moment and to ask myself how I would feel if someone else bought this piece while I was gone. Many times I have never gone back to the gallery. I guess that's how I personally decide whether I love the piece or not.

 

I don't know whether this answered your question or not, but thanks for letting me ramble.

[comicartfan]

So my question to you is this: Does comic are just look good to you, or does it speak to you somehow

 

 

Oh, comic art speaks to me alright....There are pieces out there that say "home equity loan ".......

 

Actually, it does have to speak to me on some level. Since I didn't grow up on comics like most collectors, I don't get the nostalgic feel for most items. But there are pieces that just WOW me and that is what I look for...Artist preferances play a factor and historical signifigance also factors in....but mostly, it's : Does it look cool ?

[delekkerste]

So my question to you is this: Does comic are just look good to you, or does it speak to you somehow? Do you feel anything while looking at the images, or does it just look cool and that's that? Or is it simply about owning a piece of history? (I guess I'm just trying to find reasons why everyone here loves comic art and what about it makes it so fascinating.)

 

Comic art "speaks" to me, because I am a fan of comic books. If I was not a comic book fan, I really don't think it would. For example, I can appreciate a nice Frank Miller DD page, because Miller's two DD runs are among my favorite comic books of all-time. But, frankly, I don't think the art is anything spectacular from an aesthetic standpoint and I certainly wouldn't expect a non-comic book fan to drool over it (if they did, I would probably be worried about them). Likewise, a panel page from X-Men #94 by Cockrum is not going to win any artistic awards, and from a purely aesthetic point of view, it's probably not even as good as a typical Byrne/Austin page - but, I can appreciate it as a comic book collector knowing the significance of the issue it came from.

 

So, yes, comic book art does "speak" to me, but in a much different way than, say, fine art does. I appreciate it as it relates to stories and characters I like, as it compares to other comic art, as it signifies an important point in continuity, etc. What I feel staring at a Vermeer or Rembrandt at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is quite different from what I feel looking at a Romita, BWS or Bolland piece. In the case of the former, it is more about aesthetics and importance to the development of art over the centuries; with the latter, it is much more about relating to the stories and characters.

[COI]

So my question to you is this: Does comic are just look good to you, or does it speak to you somehow? Do you feel anything while looking at the images, or does it just look cool and that's that? Or is it simply about owning a piece of history? (I guess I'm just trying to find reasons why everyone here loves comic art and what about it makes it so fascinating.)

 

Comic art "speaks" to me, because I am a fan of comic books. If I was not a comic book fan, I really don't think it would. For example, I can appreciate a nice Frank Miller DD page, because Miller's two DD runs are among my favorite comic books of all-time. But, frankly, I don't think the art is anything spectacular from an aesthetic standpoint and I certainly wouldn't expect a non-comic book fan to drool over it (if they did, I would probably be worried about them). Likewise, a panel page from X-Men #94 by Cockrum is not going to win any artistic awards, and from a purely aesthetic point of view, it's probably not even as good as a typical Byrne/Austin page - but, I can appreciate it as a comic book collector knowing the significance of the issue it came from.

 

So, yes, comic book art does "speak" to me, but in a much different way than, say, fine art does. I appreciate it as it relates to stories and characters I like, as it compares to other comic art, as it signifies an important point in continuity, etc. What I feel staring at a Vermeer or Rembrandt at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is quite different from what I feel looking at a Romita, BWS or Bolland piece. In the case of the former, it is more about aesthetics and importance to the development of art over the centuries; with the latter, it is much more about relating to the stories and characters.

 

I've said it several times before, but aesthetics is everything to me. The subject matter speaks to the comic fan in me, and aesthetically pleasing images satisfy the part of me that apreciates art. Both elements must be present or I won't buy a piece.

 

I showed my Dell'Otto paintings to a few friends who have no connection to comics, including a girl I just started dating, and they were all impressed. Having the best of both worlds is what makes this hobby worthwhile for me.

[Smokinghawk]

David Mack's "Echo" art speaks to me in a deeply profound way--more than "gee, that's cool art form a comic book" or "hey, that's a good drawing!"

 

As a therapist working with abused kids, I find a lot of meaning (and so do my patients) when I look at my office wall and see Mack's collages in their frames, along with the words: "I will take the inners parts of myself, the hurt parts, and I will bury them deep and see if something grows from them. I am done with those hurt parts, but I don't know if they are done with me." The words are juxtaposed over a beautiful drawing of a young girl surrounded by cut-out sketches of violence that have described her life.

 

That's side-by-side with another Mack collage about a sdtoryteller who has dreamed of a way to use words to heal. Seems appropriate for a therapist.

[Reno McCoy]

David Mack's "Echo" art speaks to me in a deeply profound way--more than "gee, that's cool art form a comic book" or "hey, that's a good drawing!"

 

As a therapist working with abused kids, I find a lot of meaning (and so do my patients) when I look at my office wall and see Mack's collages in their frames, along with the words: "I will take the inners parts of myself, the hurt parts, and I will bury them deep and see if something grows from them. I am done with those hurt parts, but I don't know if they are done with me." The words are juxtaposed over a beautiful drawing of a young girl surrounded by cut-out sketches of violence that have described her life.

 

That's side-by-side with another Mack collage about a sdtoryteller who has dreamed of a way to use words to heal. Seems appropriate for a therapist.

Any way you could share a picture of that? It sounds great.

[delekkerste]

I've said it several times before, but aesthetics is everything to me. The subject matter speaks to the comic fan in me, and aesthetically pleasing images satisfy the part of me that apreciates art. Both elements must be present or I won't buy a piece.

 

I feel much the same way, which is why my own collecting has veered more towards pieces that I really like aesthetically (e.g., Vampirella art by Enrich and Jose Gonzalez, Boris Vallejo fantasy pieces, etc.) versus artwork from my favorite comic books where my appreciation for the art might not be as high (e.g, Miller Daredevils, Byrne & Paul Smith X-Men, Simonson Thor, etc.) Though, I think that far more people approach comic art with a collector's mentality (e.g., published good, unpublished not as good; bad Neal Adams page still very valuable, good page by unknown artist less so; rarity matters, condition doesn't, etc.) than from an aesthetic point of view.

[delekkerste]

I've been having an email conversation with a buddy of mine. In essence, he appreciates comic art, but not outside of the comic page. As standalone art, he's not really into it.

 

I have grown to appreciate panel pages more than I used to, but I can definitely sympathize where your friend is coming from. It's harder for panel pages to stand on their own given that they are dependent on the pages that preceded and followed it. Also, they are a unique part of the art world in that they are sequential images and not like the single images you see in a painting, for example. I have such great admiration and respect for nice fine art paintings that I prefer my comic art to be singularly focused as well, which is why I most of my collection is covers, splashes and paintings. Though, I do respect the uniqueness of the comic art form, and panel pages are the best representation of that.

[Reno McCoy]

I've said it several times before, but aesthetics is everything to me. The subject matter speaks to the comic fan in me, and aesthetically pleasing images satisfy the part of me that apreciates art. Both elements must be present or I won't buy a piece.

 

Though, I think that far more people approach comic art with a collector's mentality (e.g., published good, unpublished not as good; bad Neal Adams page still very valuable, good page by unknown artist less so; rarity matters, condition doesn't, etc.) than from an aesthetic point of view.

 

 

I tend to agree and I find this very interesting. Now granted, we can't lump everyone into this one catgory, but it does seem that more people are interested in rarity or value over aesthetics. To me, that's somewhat disappointing. I mean, a piece of art is a piece of art. It should be appreciated because of the emotions it brings or the fact that it's pleasant to look at, not just because it's of monetary value.

[COI]

To me, that's somewhat disappointing.

 

Not to me, as it allows me to purchase some beautiful pieces from incredibly talented artists at a relative bargain. I don't see a point in shelling out big bucks to own something that others drool over, unless I'm drooling over it as well, so I'm not going to buy something just because it's highly valued within the OA collecting community. In other words, I don't use OA to indulge my Ego......that's what dating and going to the gym are for.