Tell Us About Your Favorite Comic Book Artist

[horrorhunter]

I was going to post this in the Kirby vs. Toth thread, but I thought it more appropriate to just begin a new thread for it. My favorite is Bernie Wrightson. I think his best work was his earlier work, from when he did the Frankenstein graphic novel and before. The work he did in the late '60s/early '70s for DC, Marvel, fanzines, and Web Of Horror, was the best monster comic art I've ever seen. His Warren stuff was also spectacular. I don't think anyone else quite reached the level of inspiring creepy, macabre, feelings as Bernie. I love many others: Graham Ingels, Neal Adams, Jeff Jones, Wally Wood, The Gurch, Ralph Reese,etc..., but for comics Bernie's THE MAN. My favorite MONSTER artist is Frank Frazetta (with Jack Davis, Basil Gogos, and James Bama looming fearfully close), but just concerning comics it's gotta be Wrightson. His zombies are the absolute BEST, even better than Ingels (by an undead hair).

So, everyone, who is your favorite, and why?

[Phantom Stranger]

Neal Adams (greatest Batman artist ever, just don't let him write)
Gene Colan (his Dracula was amazing)
Mike Kaluta (his Shadow is the best)
Bernie Wrightson (his Frankenstein...brilliant)

[Scary Terry]

Wrightson's SWAMP THING remains a favorite -- remarkable drawing in those books -- and his B&W stuff for Warren is killer.

As for my favorite, I don't know if I can pick just one -- but my top choices are Jack Kirby, Jack Davis, Wally Wood, Steve Ditko, Dick Sprang, Will Eisner, Frank Robbins, Joe Kubert, Kurtzman/Elder and Johnny Craig.

I got to meet Kirby a few times and was struck by how humble he was. He'd say, "You kids are gonna do things in comics I never even thought of." Sure, Jack, sure....

Sprang I got to know quite well, and was thrilled to become friends with him and his wife. He was quite supportive of my work, even once saying the three current cartoonists he liked most were Joe Kubert, John Byrne -- and me (!?!)  Such a sweet guy to say such a silly thing. Best fanboy moment of my life -- getting to introduce Dick to Jim Aparo at a Chicago Con -- two of the GREAT Batman artists, and they'd never met before.

Oddest fanboy moment -- at a con in Detroit, standing at a men's room urinal, doing what one does, and slowly realizing the guy doing the same to my right -- was Harvey Kurtzman. I waited until later to introduce myself!

[horrorhunter]

Wrightson's SWAMP THING remains a favorite -- remarkable drawing in those books -- and his B&W stuff for Warren is killer.

As for my favorite, I don't know if I can pick just one -- but my top choices are Jack Kirby, Jack Davis, Wally Wood, Steve Ditko, Dick Sprang, Will Eisner, Frank Robbins, Joe Kubert, Kurtzman/Elder and Johnny Craig.

I got to meet Kirby a few times and was struck by how humble he was. He'd say, "You kids are gonna do things in comics I never even thought of." Sure, Jack, sure....

Sprang I got to know quite well, and was thrilled to become friends with him and his wife. He was quite supportive of my work, even once saying the three current cartoonists he liked most were Joe Kubert, John Byrne -- and me (!?!)  Such a sweet guy to say such a silly thing. Best fanboy moment of my life -- getting to introduce Dick to Jim Aparo at a Chicago Con -- two of the GREAT Batman artists, and they'd never met before.

Oddest fanboy moment -- at a con in Detroit, standing at a men's room urinal, doing what one does, and slowly realizing the guy doing the same to my right -- was Harvey Kurtzman. I waited until later to introduce myself!

Don't be so modest, Terry. My favorites among the original art I own are two of your pieces: Scary Monsters #39 cover (that purple background vampire themed painting is beautiful, with Bob Burns' Mad Mummy playing guitar to boot); and Monster Memories #10 cover (great tribute to Jack Davis' Creepy #1 cover). I bought those from Dennis about ten years ago and have enjoyed them in my living room since. When I posted my appreciation for your work in the Happy Birthday thread that was no BS. You are very talented, and even more importantly, we can feel your love for monsters, and great monster artists, in your work.

[Scary Terry]

Thanks for the kind words.  I'm not all that modest -- just aware that I don't quite rank with Joe Kubert, is all!

Oh - and I have a Kubert story, too.  A bout 1983 or so I was a guest at a small con in Kansas City. I was flown in from my then home in Iowa -- and put up at a motel out in the boonies -- as were all the other guests.  Most of us were stuck there, having no cars -- and there a day before the  convention started.  I had work with me, so hung in my room, drawing (I think) "Wild Dog" pages -- and when I stepped outside to go to the soda machine, the sight that greeted me was Joe -- having dragged a chair out of his room -- sitting in it, leaning back, the chair propped against the motel's exterior -- shirtless, soaking up rays. "Workin' on your tan, Joe?" Joe nods head in the affirmative.

[Illoman]

So many,

Jim Steranko's Captain America (especially inked by Tom Palmer)
Gene Colan's Tomb of Dracula
Jim Starlin's Warlock
Barry Smith's Conan
Nestor Redondo's anything!
Neal Adam's anything old
Berni Wrightson's Swamp Thing
Michael Kaluta's Shadow
Paul Chadwick's Concrete
Craig Russell's Killraven
Kevin Nowlan's Batman

The majority of these names in a credit box made my early teen heart race at the drug store! I couldn't wait to ride my bike home and get lost in that wonderful artwork. Especially when Marvel started doing their Treasury Edition's which allowed the art to be viewed in a larger format. Seeing Barry Smith's Red Nails in that format completely blew my mind!

[Flower]

I met Ramona Fradon  ... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramona_Fradon  .. at a show a couple of years ago (or a bit longer) and she was very sweet ... I believe that she's often over looked.

Here's a nice article on her ...

http://www.bobgreenberger.com/index.php/2012/02/07/me-and-the-art-of-ramona-fradon/

[Hepcat]

Ramona's first big gig was doing Aquaman for DC in Adventure Comics in the fifties:



Here's a more recent cover she did for Marvel of another undersea character:

[Illoman]

So many,

Jim Steranko's Captain America (especially inked by Tom Palmer)
Gene Colan's Tomb of Dracula
Jim Starlin's Warlock
Barry Smith's Conan
Nestor Redondo's anything!
Neal Adam's anything old
Berni Wrightson's Swamp Thing
Michael Kaluta's Shadow
Paul Chadwick's Concrete
Craig Russell's Killraven
Kevin Nowlan's Batman

The majority of these names in a credit box made my early teen heart race at the drug store! I couldn't wait to ride my bike home and get lost in that wonderful artwork. Especially when Marvel started doing their Treasury Edition's which allowed the art to be viewed in a larger format. Seeing Barry Smith's Red Nails in that format completely blew my mind!

To continue:

Dave Stevens' Rocketeer
Mike Ploog's Frankenstein and King Kull
Jack Cole's Plastic Man
Will Eisner's Spirit
Michael Gilbert's Mr. Monster
Frank Brunner's Doctor Strange
Steve Ditko's Spider0-Man and Doctor Strange
Jack Kirby's Fantastic Four and Captain America
John Buscema's Conan and Avengers

It just seems like artists of that caliber are long gone. I just don't see the individualized styles that existed in that era of comics any more.

[horrorhunter]

To continue:

Dave Stevens' Rocketeer
Mike Ploog's Frankenstein and King Kull
Jack Cole's Plastic Man
Will Eisner's Spirit
Michael Gilbert's Mr. Monster
Frank Brunner's Doctor Strange
Steve Ditko's Spider0-Man and Doctor Strange
Jack Kirby's Fantastic Four and Captain America
John Buscema's Conan and Avengers

It just seems like artists of that caliber are long gone. I just don't see the individualized styles that existed in that era of comics any more.

I totally agree. The magic time for comics was the '50s through the '70s. It seems comic art, like many other things, started to appear more "samish" and watered down from the '80s on. This is painting with a very broad brush, and I realize much comic art still retains an unusual style to a point, but overall that "turn 'em loose and let 'em draw" attitude doesn't seem to be as prevalent as it was back then. Maybe the corporate influence felt by big comics companies has a lot to do with it. They made cars all look the same.

[Scary Terry]

Argghh! How could I forget to mention Ramona!!! Her Metamorpho was an early favorite, and had a big influence on my drawing. Got to ink her pencils a couple years ago for the graphic novel "Adventures of Unemployed Man."

[Scary Terry]

Illoman: I saw that some publisher (not IDW) is planning an Artist Edition-style book on Red Nails -- full size repro of the Barry Smith original art.

[Illoman]

Illoman: I saw that some publisher (not IDW) is planning an Artist Edition-style book on Red Nails -- full size repro of the Barry Smith original art.

Terry, I've already started saving for it. Gotta have a copy of that one.

[Flower]

I like this ...

[Zackuth]

I was reading comics from 1973-1985 and the only ones that interested me was the Marvel titles.  I read Kirby titles from reprints and I have always liked him, but three from that era that I really liked was George Perez, Rich Buckler, and John Byrne

Almost forgot about Ross Andru.  Drew Spider-Man for the first 6 (?) years I read the book.