Who's your favorite comicbook artist?

[The Toyroom]

I respect Kirby but I'd never have him on my Top 10 favorite artists....He might squeeze in on a Top 20, I dunno....

[kingdom warrior]

For me when I see Kirby's work I see the definition of what a Superhero comic book artist should be.....the dynamics, the Power of his images....his heroes looked powerful and the page it's self couldn't contain them....plus you can see he was making it up. there is no machine that look like Kirby's machines even his buildings were different and no one but no one drew hero's coming straight at you like Kirby....

He has pages that just take my breath away especially when you see them in person they are amazing......

[ctc]

>Frank Frazetta, Berni Wrightson, John Romita, Frank Miller, Jim Steranko, Neal Adams, Mike Kaluta, Dave Stevens, Dave Cockrum and John Buscema

Y'know.... it's weird.... I love Frazetta's art, but I never liked his actual comic pages. They always feel kinda off to me. Something about his layouts and poses; there's little actual narrative to the art. Stevens was fantastic. Odd bit: I found some older stuff by Matt Baker that reminds me of his style:

http://digitalcomicmuseum.com/index.php?cid=1018

The inking is different.... and VERY Golden age, but there's something about the design and composition.... I wonder if that's coincidental. (Not that I think Stevens was ripping this dude off; but I wonder if there was some influence somewhere along the way.)

>Kirby's style isn't my favorite.

Kirby's an interesting case. I don't consider him a great artist per-se.... but I DO think he was an astounding storyteller. He could pull some amazing feel and depth out of the skill he had, and in doing so created something completely different. I suspect that's why his methodology.... and not his style.... became the basis for so much of the N. American comic industry.

In that respect, I consider him and Tezuka analogs. One way or another the two of them are probably responsible for 80% of the comics produced on Earth since 1960. ('Cept maybe from France and Italy.... they've always had their own thing going on.)

I once read that you could never truly critique a Kirby pic, 'cos his stuff existed within it's own world where the normal rules of art didn't apply.

>Ploog

Oh man! There's another awesome artist. It always made me sad that guys like him, Corben, Nino.... were considered B-listers here.

Don C.

[cactus725]

Neal Adams, John Romita, Alex Ross!!

[madmarva]

Kirby is the D.W. Griffith of comics storytelling, action and design. Just like Griffith pioneered visual techniques for film that everyone after him used and built upon, Kirby did the same with comics. His influence is incomparable.

But, I got into comics in the mid 70s and compared to other artists at the time his work looked weird to my uneducated eye. I was an Adams fan and liked the artists who fell more into his school of art. Kirby's style particularly in the 70s on was a little out there for my young tastes.

As I learned more about the history of comics and read his FF and Thor comics in back issues and reprints, I acquired a taste and great appreciation for his work. The same for Gil Kane, Ditko and other more stylized artists. As a kid, I naively thought that such artists weren't talented enough to draw strips that looked like "real" people, and it actuality artists, whose work I loved like Adams and Byrne among others all named Kirby, Ditko and Kane and others as influences.

Reading that those artists admired Kirby and others made me take another look at their art again and begin to learn how wonderful and influential their work was. Eventually, my eyes were opened to the fact that while I may not like a certain artist's style, that doesn't make him "bad" or a hack. Once I realized this I really became more open to enjoying various styles of art.

But the more "realistic" style that Adams popularized in the 70s defines my favorite artists.

[kingdom warrior]

Stevens was fantastic. Odd bit: I found some older stuff by Matt Baker that reminds me of his style:

http://digitalcomicmuseum.com/index.php?cid=1018

The inking is different.... and VERY Golden age, but there's something about the design and composition.... I wonder if that's coincidental. (Not that I think Stevens was ripping this dude off; but I wonder if there was some influence somewhere along the way.)

I got to meet Dave Stevens and one of the questions I asked him was who influenced you? He answered: "many artist did" he said the usual classic artist , but when he mentioned Matt Baker in particular (who I knew his work from his Phantom Lady and Jungle comics work) The light over my head went off......in that Canteen Kate book if you were to put Dave's name on it...you could almost pass the work as his.....and I would never say he was ripping anyone off.

Every artist has their one guy that they love to pay homage to or they love to study what they did. With many modern artist you can always ask them who was the one artist that was "it" to you and you will see them light up and say so and so was and Oh i wish I could do what they did....

Dave was/is one of my influences his brush work was stellar and I always sit and study his work. one of the things Dave told me was not to use a dip pen on my work he said use brushes especially if you want to make your work flow. he said Pens don't have the flow or the weight like a brush has you can vary it with the pressure in your hand....

[Blue Meanie]

If I had to choose 1 it would be George Perez. What he produces truly is ART. The amount of detail he puts into his work just boggles the mind.

That said...I have to say that there is a longer list for me:

Nick Cardy...defined the ORIGINAL Teen Titans and Aquaman. Also was THE cover artist for DC in the late 60's and early 70's.
Neal Adams...anything Pre Continuity I would get. So, anything pre-83/84.
Jerry Ordway....the guy can do it all. Inking/Penciling/Writing. Makes a comic LOOK like a comic.
Alex Ross...really changed what can be done in comics. Comics can be completely painted and still not look "stiff". I've bought books just for his covers.
Jack Kirby...60's Marvel. Truly was the "KING".

Honorable Mentions:

Alan Davis...Quirkiness made his books fun to read.
Bryan Talbot....INTENSE is the only way I can describe his work. Find a copy of "The Adventures Of Luther Arkwright" and you'll see what I mean.
John Totleben...same thing. Miracleman 15...nuff said.
Murphy Anderson...Hawkman, Spectre and sooooo many other great DC books.
Wally Wood...another guy that could do anything...and did anything. From EC to his own self published books. Just incredible.

There are more...can't really think off the top of my head right now.

[Marvelmania]

I always loved Kirby but my fav will always be Sal Buscema. Mainly because his art appealed to me in my favorite comics as a kid.

[johnnystorm]

Classic artists: Kirby, Wood, Infantino (inked by Murphy Anderson), Al Williamson, Eisner, Gil Kane, Cockrum, Dick Dillin

Currently, I favor Amanda Conner, Darwyn Cooke, Jordi Bernet, and Francisco Francavilla.

[suspense39]

also Marie Severin, great with Hulk and Surfer, my favorite with those characters after Kirby. She's super under rated IMO

[aquatroy]

Classic artists: Kirby, Wood, Infantino (inked by Murphy Anderson), Al Williamson, Eisner, Gil Kane, Cockrum, Dick Dillin

Currently, I favor Amanda Conner, Darwyn Cooke, Jordi Bernet, and Francisco Francavilla.

Francesco Francavilla's Black Coat is truly awesome!

[Brue]

Neal Adams
-least favorite Jim Lee and every imitator

[Bizarro Amy]

Darn you guys, I had a list, but you keep reminding me of other greats. I'd have to put Jack Kirby and George Perez at the top. But I'm also a big fan of Terry Moore, no matter if he's drawing his own characters or superheroes. Another big one for me is Barry Kitson. Both he and Terry have such gorgeous, clean style.

[Bizarro Amy]

There are also artists who come to mind for specific characters, like Marshall Rogers/the Joker or Dick Giordano/Wonder Woman.

[Blue Meanie]

There aren't many new artists that I care for. Only ones that I can think of that I would buy almost anything they do is probably Frank Cho and Gene Ha. Gene Ha's work on Top 10 was incredible...and Frank Cho draws probably the most beautiful female superheroes in the business. George Perez is probably the only one that can draw them better in my opinion.

Marie Severin was brought up and I completely agree...one of the most underrated Silver Age artists out there. She was a great cover artists and complemented Kirby and Trimpe in the early Hulk run from Marvel. Another one of those artsits that did EVERYTHING. She was an inker/artist/colorist and could do every genre in comics. Here art on Not Brand Echh is FANTASTIC. I think she also was the only female artist in comics during the 50's/60's. Definitely was a pioneer for future female artists.