Russ Heath, DC War legend, passes away at 91 3 3

[KirbyJack]

Cross-post, but this cover is worth it.

Edited August 25, 2018 by KirbyJack

[ComicConnoisseur]

RIP.

Will be missed.

[jools&jim]

And, let's not forget (as if we could!), that war comics were only part of his vast and genre-spanning portfolio...

Edited August 25, 2018 by jools&jim

[The Lions Den]

8 minutes ago, jools&jim said:

And, let's not forget (as if we could!), that war comics were only part of his portfolio...

Great, as usual...

[tv horror]

Is it not amazing that so many of the greats reached such an age in the comic industry, if they ever find out what the secret is they should bottle it for the rest of us mere mortals. 

[Mr Sneeze]

Rest in Peace. He will be well thought of and remembered. Just an awesome body of work. Wow!

[The Lions Den]

2 minutes ago, tv horror said:

Is it not amazing that so many of the greats reached such an age in the comic industry, if they ever find out what the secret is they should bottle it for the rest of us mere mortals. 

I hope it's partly because they were doing what they loved to do...

[Zevgoli]

[Zevgoli]

[oakman29]

[tv horror]

21 minutes ago, The Lions Den said:

I hope it's partly because they were doing what they loved to do...

Someone should try to document the lives of the remaining comic pioneers in a documentary before it's too late, think of the knowledge that these people have and the lives they led. I'm somewhat new to the history of the comic industry and I'm the first to admit that I learn something new everyday on this forum. So I for one would enjoy supporting such a project.

[jools&jim]

29 minutes ago, The Lions Den said:

I hope it's partly because they were doing what they loved to do...

Sadly, I fear it's more like they did what they had to do to get paid and survive.  Remember that Wally Wood (an all-time great if there ever was one) once said that if he had to do it all over again, he'd cut off his hands!

It's VERY important to understand (or to be reminded) that comic book artists--even the best of the best--haven't always been venerated the way they are today, and that for many of the old timers, any accolades or (better) financial rewards were late in coming (at best), if at all...

[Senormac]

2 hours ago, jools&jim said:

Oh my.

The fact of the matter is that the man was simply incapable of drawing anything badly.  A true Olympian.

And with this story (and these two pages, below, among many, many others), he was also the artist, who, for a glorious period of time in the 1970s, presided over the aesthetic apotheosis of DC war comics.

So much has been lost; so much has been forgotten.

There will never be another.

Ave atque vale...

J&J......Do you own that ?!!      

I was going to post those exact pages only the color ones from the comic

Edited August 25, 2018 by Senormac

[jools&jim]

16 minutes ago, Senormac said:

J&J......Do you own that ?!!      

I was going to post those exact pages only the color ones from the comic

I wish!

No, very sorry...nicked it from here:

http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1085834

Bad form, maybe...but I hope the owner won't mind, given that it's in sincere and heartfelt tribute to a fallen great... 

Edited August 25, 2018 by jools&jim

[Senormac]

13 minutes ago, jools&jim said:

29 minutes ago, Senormac said:

J&J......Do you own that ?!!      

I was going to post those exact pages only the color ones from the comic

I wish!

No, very sorry...nicked it from here:

http://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1085834

Bad form, maybe...but I hope the owner won't mind, given that it's in sincere and heartfelt tribute to a fallen great... 

It's ok with me.  That's an excellent and awesome display of the Heath work that staggered me as a kid !!  I'm glad you showed it !!  I'm searching for my scan of the color work . 

For sale status:  Nope. Really, nope 

Edited August 25, 2018 by Senormac

[Paul © ® ⚽️💙™]

Russ must have had an absolutely phenomenal body of work in his lifetime. It seemed he could draw any genre, and draw it exceedingly well.

I hope comic books gave him a comfortable life and gave him satisfaction. He deserved at least that, after all he gave to us readers and admirers over many, many years.

His family must be devastated but very proud. He had a long life (that's something), I hope it was a happy one.  

[Murphman13]

This makes me very sad. RIP

[MusterMark]

33 minutes ago, Grantley Goddard said:

Russ must have had an absolutely phenomenal body of work in his lifetime. It seemed he could draw any genre, and draw it exceedingly well.

I hope comic books gave him a comfortable life and gave him satisfaction. He deserved at least that, after all he gave to us readers and admirers over many, many years.

His family must be devastated but very proud. He had a long life (that's something), I hope it was a happy one.  

Hero’s Initiative was very helpful these last many years in providing further care and companionship to him.

[HouseofComics.Com]

4 hours ago, jools&jim said:

Oh my.

The fact of the matter is that the man was simply incapable of drawing anything badly.  A true Olympian.

And with this story (and these two pages, below, among many, many others), he was also the artist, who, for a glorious period of time in the 1970s, presided over the aesthetic apotheosis of DC war comics.

So much has been lost; so much has been forgotten.

There will never be another.

Ave atque vale...

Thanks for posting this. As soon as I saw the thread I wanted to post that this story from OAAW 244 is the best art job in war comics history. IMO. At a Wondercon long ago, Marv Wolfman related how Russ drew this while living at the mansion in Chicago and that when they arrived in the mail the whole office stopped in its tracks and it was passed around in awe.

Note that he has -script credit on this too.

Russ was a lot of fun to talk to and a joker too. I was in an elevator with him once and he asked the guy closest to the buttons to hit 12 for him. But the hotel only had 8 stories.

 

[Ken Aldred]

4 hours ago, jools&jim said:

 

Yup.

Son of Satan 8. My favourite single issue by Russ Heath, and an overlooked gem, as discussed in a recent thread.

Such inventive, surreal artwork.

A master.