Tyler Kirkham - DC's newest hotshot

[Surfsup]

That guys artwork is downright awful, it reminds me of Rob Leifield's rubbish work. Why oh why do companies employ these guys? I really don't get it.

In answer to the second to last post, I do think that artists these days are as good as what comics had in the 60s and 70s. You have amazing talents like J.H.Williams III, Mike Deodato Jr, David Aja, Michael Lark, Ivan Reis, Alex Maleev, Steve Epting, Frank Cho and Sean Phillips. We've never had it so good!

[ctc]

>If artists today needed to work on two books a month to make a living, more of them would and in turn their work would be less detailed.

True; but I think some of 'em could meet the deadlines. Look at the insane schedule the old 2000 AD guys had to work under, and how great their stuff was. Although I've heard Carlos Esquezera was something of a freak who could produce prodigious amounts of art. 'Course if you want to go back to the 40's and 50's the schedule was even MORE intense....

Don C.

[madmarva]

Honestly, I don't believe artists are more talented today than they were in the 60s or 70s, however, the conditions they work under are certainly different.

Artists in the 1960s and 70s regularly worked on two or more titles and generally met their deadlines. Some worked on three.

Today artists generally work on a monthly and when deadlines aren't met instead of the company running a fill-in or replacing the artists, they just suck it up and put out a late book.

Inkers today generally honor the penciler more than in the past. Better paper and better color allow for details to mean more to the art than they did when all books were printed on the cheapest paper possible. In other words, there is more incentive for pencilers to put more detail in their work and more incentive for inkers to retain it.

If artists today needed to work on two books a month to make a living, more of them would and in turn their work would be less detailed. If the companies demanded deadlines be met, then they would be. Some folks might have gotten fired, the art wouldn't look as good, and a lot of the more popular guys might not be working.

So while companies desire or demand more in terms of the actual art than in the past working conditions are more favorable for the artists. Plus, artists are able to sell their art today and some no doubt make much more on their sale than on what they are paid to produce it. Others can at least supplement their pay with the art sales.

But it's a different day.

Also guys like Kirby and Adams and Byrne generally were in on a lot of the plotting of the books or actually plotted many of the books themselves in the Marvel style with the scripter/writer filling in the dialog. It's seems to me it would be easier to draw one's own plots than someone else's full scripts.

Having said all that, drawing a comic book is labor-intensive work and that's counting the imagination and intelligence it takes to complete the job.

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

Kinda reminds me of Freddie Williams II.

Don C.

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

I can't say I like the 'roid look much at all...

[torgospizza]

...(if you are a Charest fan, they are FINALLY going to be releasing his Metabarons Graphic Novel in English)...

Nice. I remember when he started that, years ago. I never knew he actually finished it. I just assumed he kind of dropped off into obscurity.

A lot of guys that started about the time he did just got wrapped up in playing video games and stuff and never completed their work and fell by the wayside. Some of those guys still have a fanbase, though--I'm not sure why, because a lot of the Image/Wildstorm stuff was of questionable quality, to begin with. In those days, anyone that could heft a pencil could get their own book, it seemed.

I'm not dissing Charest here, by the way. His talent is amazing--possibly the most talented person to come out of Wildstorm--but it seemed he just lacked focus and might have had a case of performance anxiety.

[samurainoir]

The first time I'd ever seen Hitch's work was a fill-in on WildCATS for Travis Charest, and Wildstorm had obviously told him to ape TC's style. It was okay and passable, but not as good as Charest. Now, however, I prefer Hitch. Not only does he have genius chops, but he actually turns out work.

Although let's not forget how Charest's work on Wildcats evolved as well! Starting with that Jim Lee clone-style in the annual and even on James Robinson's arc around the teens of that title. (if you are a Charest fan, they are FINALLY going to be releasing his Metabarons Graphic Novel in English)

Anyone notice how Alan Davis' stuff in Avengers Prime is starting to look a bit more like Hitch's? Or is that down to the inker? Either way, it's a bit oddly full circle.

[torgospizza]

...Bryan Hitch was the biggest Alan Davis clone ever back in the day...

The first time I'd ever seen Hitch's work was a fill-in on WildCATS for Travis Charest, and Wildstorm had obviously told him to ape TC's style. It was okay and passable, but not as good as Charest. Now, however, I prefer Hitch. Not only does he have genius chops, but he actually turns out work.

[jds1911a1]

I particulary dislike the "roids" veins for superman that show through the costume. It's one thing to be way too cut the way he was drawn in the 80's but really what can a modern superman with his nearly limitless power do to grow his muscles like that short of crushing asteroids

[Earth 2 Chris]

The old guys had the chops to draw this type of stuff to. Just look at their stuff outside the code, at EC, at Warren. Just as horrific as Blackest Night. You didn't see it in Super Hero books back then because there were limits of good taste back in the day.

Chris

[kingdom warrior]

As much as I love Adams and Lopez, a storyline like Blackest Night would have been unrederable to those guys. Founding artists and legends as Buscema, Ditko, Starlin would be in over their heads despite the talent level they possess(ed). Bottom line, the writers are as much to blame for the artistic changes as the artist themselves.

Scott

Kirby could. The King could draw virtually anything with no reference in front of him and knock out three pages in one day that would have today's artist spinning. Kirby's out put is mind boggling. He came up with things that no one in their right mind could come up with.

You can't really say that about the old masters because they could draw and understood storytelling far better than many of today's Hotshots.

They were just in a different time.

[samurainoir]

Although wouldn't it be kind of an awesome kick to see how someone like Kirby might interpret Blackest Night in an Elseworlds/What If kind of way? (as long as Vince Colletta wasn't sitting there erasing stuff at the ink stage )

Atrocitus would have a page-boy haircut, I'd imagine his Sinestro would kind of look like Desaad. His rendition of the Cyborg Superman would be terrific.

Who would you guys get to draw the different parts of Blackest Night in "retro" style?

I'm thinking I'd choose Ditko at the height of his trippy Doctor Strange phase to draw Larfleeze/Orange Lantern.

George Perez circa his near burnout on Infinity War to do the Star Sapphire issues... scantily clad space amazons 'nuff said.

John Byrne for the Sinestro War. He seemed to have a flair for the character in an otherwise uneven run on Wonder Woman.


and no question I'd have the Swamp Thing triumverate of Bissette/Totleben/Vietch doing Black Lantern stuff.

[Random Axe]

It's all just simple evolution of talent, style and taste.

Comic artists are responding to publisher demands based on what sells. Hyper detailed and often exaggerated physiques put cash into the tills almost every time. Whether you are a fan of contemporary art or not, you have to be able to see the talent level has increased exponentially. Panel-to-panel story telling has not been the same since McFarlane, and the entire industry has shifted it's direction to accomodate the readers desires.

Now, the artists aren't the only major change. BK and I were discussing this last night. writers are constantly coming up with outlandish demands of their artists with huge storylines and concepts that require a certain type of art style to complete. As much as I love Adams and Lopez, a storyline like Blackest Night would have been unrederable to those guys. Founding artists and legends as Buscema, Ditko, Starlin would be in over their heads despite the talent level they possess(ed). Bottom line, the writers are as much to blame for the artistic changes as the artist themselves.

Scott

[Sandman9580]

I know who Doug Mahnke is, thanks. (It was a bad day for me when Major Bummer got canceled.)

It's not so much an issue of "nostalgia" as it is artistic preference, and lately mine has been going more for the classic stuff -- to the extent that I pick up a comic at all anymore. I think most modern-day comic book art looks trashy, garish and obnoxious. A lot of people disagree with me, and that's fine.

[samurainoir]

I wrote that ...
And if you also read the rest of my post , That's in Reference to people who Claim " Comics are not as good as when, and yada" . There isn't Nobody , That writes something like that,... That I believe Know Who he is.

Ah! Sorry, my bad. I guess two decades would make him a newbie if you only like stuff from the seventies and eighties! 8)