Mount Rushmore of Comic Artists 4 4

[kav]

8 minutes ago, THE_BEYONDER said:

https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/the-enduring-greatness-of-curt-swan-the-forever-superman-artist

Thank you.  This brought a tear to my eye.
His run on Adventure and World's Finest is some of the best comic work ever done.

[VintageComics]

I never could come to like Curt Swan's art.

It really does matter WHEN you're introduced to the artist. If you were a Superman fan as a kid you're going to have an emotional attachment.

I couldn't get over how wide Superman's waist always was. As someone who followed bodybuilding, his Supes just wasn't as virile enough for me.

Edited December 11, 2020 by VintageComics

[B2D327]

2 hours ago, wisbyron said:

Yeah, it's all subjective regardless of majority view. As I said earlier, Al Milgrom's Hulk stands out to be because I vividly remember buying those issues at 7-11 when I was 7 years old and being captivated by them. I'm sure many people have similar experiences that lends to their appreciation of an individual artist. I've always found Byrne really bland and not that captivating. 

Funny thing about Milgrom is that I hated his work until I’d seen some of his early projects that impressed me. His appeal suffered when he started doing every other cover and book when Marvel needed deadlines met and everything he did started to look rushed. Granted, the right inker can make heavy pencils and roughs into a masterpiece, which is where I place Byrne’s later work too. Loved his bronze age stuff but it too looked like he was no longer so enthusiastic about some things into the coppers and moderns.

[B2D327]

Swan was the definitive Superman artist in my eyes but his “simple” style probably wouldn’t last too long after guys like Kneel Atoms came along and started influencing more artists styles that were more appealing to collectors. Example: the cover to Superman 233 fetches a premium price because of the Adams cover even though the interior art by Swan and Murphy Anderson looks fantastic. I don’t think it gets the same attention had they done the cover.

[s-man]

If you were to make an actual Mt. Comicmore IRL, you would need more than just the four spots, at least two or three more.  And you couldn't limit it to just artists because there is no way you could leave off Stan 'the man' Lee on something like that.

[lordbyroncomics]

Honestly, I think the majority of fandom can be fickle and it's just like a person who only listens to one genre of music. I think you can enjoy Neal Adams and Curt Swan and neither have to compete with each other. I think you can dig 70s' Bronze Age Marvel books and critically acclaimed Fantagraphics books; but it's always the one-or-the-other thinking that limits the medium. 

[MGsimba77]

59 minutes ago, VintageComics said:

I never could come to like Curt Swan's art.

It really does matter WHEN you're introduced to the artist. If you were a Superman fan as a kid you're going to have an emotional attachment.

I couldn't get over how wide Superman's waist always was. As someone who followed bodybuilding, his Supes just wasn't as virile enough for me.

This is right on. I think maybe Kirby would be the only to transcend any age divide. 

As far as the wide waist thing goes, you're probably aware bodybuilding was in its infancy in those days. The "V shape" wasn't really popularized before the mid 60's when Mr. Olympia started. The physical depictions were a reflection of the times. One of the biggest changes in physical depiction from time of creation may have been Flash. 

[kav]

1 hour ago, VintageComics said:

I couldn't get over how wide Superman's waist always was. As someone who followed bodybuilding, his Supes just wasn't as virile enough for me.

Body shaming!!

[VintageComics]

2 minutes ago, MGsimba77 said:

This is right on. I think maybe Kirby would be the only to transcend any age divide. 

Bingo.

Kirby was the person I thought of as well that transcended all eras and emotional attachment.

4 minutes ago, MGsimba77 said:

As far as the wide waist thing goes, you're probably aware bodybuilding was in its infancy in those days. The "V shape" wasn't really popularized before the mid 60's when Mr. Olympia started. The physical depictions were a reflection of the times. One of the biggest changes in physical depiction from time of creation may have been Flash. 

That totally makes sense.

I was born in 1970 and didn't start following until the late 1970's while I was in grade school so that would have been as Arnold, Sergio Olivia etc were starting to peak.

Flash is a great example as well.

3 STARS!

[thunsicker]

34 minutes ago, s-man said:

If you were to make an actual Mt. Comicmore IRL, you would need more than just the four spots, at least two or three more.  And you couldn't limit it to just artists because there is no way you could leave off Stan 'the man' Lee on something like that.

Well you would probably need more than 4 realistically on a real Mount Rushmore and the 4 selected probably aren't the top 4 anyway.  Not that I'll go into it more than that for obvious reasons.  That said the point is you have to arbitrarily choose a number of faces for your mountain and have to arbitrarily choose which faces.  For this thought exercise it's 4 faces and it's artists.  Give it a go!

[s-man]

1 minute ago, thunsicker said:

Well you would probably need more than 4 realistically on a real Mount Rushmore and the 4 selected probably aren't the top 4 anyway.  Not that I'll go into it more than that for obvious reasons.  That said the point is you have to arbitrarily choose a number of faces for your mountain and have to arbitrarily choose which faces.  For this thought exercise it's 4 faces and it's artists.  Give it a go!

I've tried over the last few hours and its impossible because past Kirby all others are really up to individual tastes.  Maybe it should be Mt. Kirby and leave it at that!

[lordbyroncomics]

Well, as it specifies comic artists you could leave off 'Stan the Man'. 

If anyone wants to start a Mount Rushmore of Editors, Writers, Colorists, Letterers, we could get real nuts!  

[kav]

Will this Mt Rushmore have a secret chamber that leads to the declaration of independence and gold and stuff?

[lordbyroncomics]

That depends; who has access to the secret chamber? If there's a specific sect of us who are part of this inner circle I would like to be considered for inclusion. We can have the chamber door be at the Mt Rushmore of letterers, with the entrance panel right below the sculpture of Artie Simek. (Joe Rosen would just be too obvious)

[kav]

Just now, wisbyron said:

That depends; who has access to the secret chamber? If there's a specific sect of us who are part of this inner circle I would like to be considered for inclusion. We can have the chamber door be at the Mt Rushmore of letterers, with the entrance panel right below the sculpture of Artie Simek. (Joe Rosen would just be too obvious)

Sorry it will be determined by who can solve all the puzzles left behind by the founding fathers of comic art.  Like a secret chamber will be discovered in the original Marvel and DC offices that have a map that can only be read by UV light and a mass spectrometer.

[Aman619]

hurry up and decide the other three!  Construction has begun!

fe=rustrating cause I couldn't find one  picture of Stan at the same angle as George !. He always seemed to pose looking down a bit.

Edited December 11, 2020 by Aman619

[B2D327]

15 hours ago, kav said:

Will this Mt Rushmore have a secret chamber that leads to the declaration of independence and gold and stuff?

No, but it will have the original cover artwork by Kirby for the 1st appearance of Woodgod in marvel premiere

[Chaykin Stevens]

Doesn't Mount Rushmore have six heads?

[F For Fake]

On 12/9/2020 at 8:58 PM, PopKulture said:

I was just asking elsewhere if you can still invoke the concept of Mount Rushmore? If so, this is my Rushmore of comic artists. Now, these aren't necessarily my favorites, although I do love them all. I am trying to be a little objective about it:

Jack Kirby - nobody comes close in sheer output and influence. Utterly dynamic and a great storyteller. An irresistible force. 

Neal Adams - the greatest delineator ever. Probably the second most influential after Kirby. Do you remember the first time you saw one of Adams' faces, in all its expressive and realistic glory?

Will Eisner - the godfather. Probably the best storyteller ever in comics, and an amazing draftsman. Influential as an artist, art director, editor, studio head...

Carl Barks - we have to remember: the overwhelming majority of comics didn't feature superheroes! He's the most gifted artist, cartoonist, draftsman and storyteller to work outside the narrower world of the men-in-tights. A sheer delight.  

So, what did I get wrong?  

Very solid list. I'm not a Neal Adams guy, so I'd say

Barks

Kirby

Eisner

and if we're allowing strip artists, Charles Schulz.

My PERSONAL list would be Kirby, Barks, Walt Kelly, and Los Bros (I'm sneaking in two for one!)

Edited December 11, 2020 by F For Fake

[kav]

For sheer importance and also based on value of #1 books it would be
Shuster (superman)
Whoever bob kane got to draw batman (rushmore face would be a blank)
Ditko (spider man)
Kirby (Cap)