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Post by Arthur Gordon Scratch on Dec 16, 2015 22:37:13 GMT -5
I would say quite a few, Brandon Graham currently being the best at this imho. But Alex Nino is no less impressive, so are Andrea and old school Kevin O'Neill... Good call on Brandon Graham. Alex Nino I take a bit of issue with, since I think he was a weaker storyteller than Druillet and far inferior to Kirby. I like Nino to a point and have lots of his work, but he is lacking a bit in the narrative meat IMO. Keven O'Neil is magnificent, but I confess I only know him as an artist rather than a writer. Taking Alex Nino's work from the past 15 years, I'd argue he's a better storyteller than Druillet, maybe even than Kirby, the guy is just slamming the competition imho. But most of those work were scripted by others, which is why I didn't select him. His Orc Treasure GN and the nautical zombie epic were just out of this world! |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Dec 16, 2015 22:55:12 GMT -5
On the Third Day of Classic Comics Christmas I give unto thee... Osamu Tezuka Known mostly for his excellent work on Astro Boy Tezuka was even better in Phoenix and Buddha which tackled much more mature themes.  Despite that however he maintained a clear and deceptively simple art style. At first glance his art comes off as almost childlike in its simplicity but when viewed closely the inner complexities are clear; although basic they are perfectly balanced which creates a very classical feel to his work which really keeps your eyes glued to the art almost to the exclusion to the text which is an awesome feat. In addition to that he has a really cinematic style when it comes to the way he portrays action: THIS is who just missed my list as well. Literally, he was the next one down. I've been exposed to it but have never read more than a few pages, but I love what I see. His take on Buddha is probably my favorite but Astro Boy is probably the most accessible, either way it's a lot of fun. |
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Post by thwhtguardian on Dec 16, 2015 22:56:16 GMT -5
Sam GlanzmanI wish I’d read more of his work when he used to frequent Ithacon, since he was always very open. He had a white ponytail that reached to the middle of his back and I think he’d sometimes make the trip on his motorcycle (this was in the 80s or 90s). Did you happen to see that autobiographical piece Glanzman did for the Twomorrows Streetwise one-shot back in the early 2000's? It is just as you say. Glanzman draws himself, long ponytail and all, making trips on his motorcycle to or from his home in the back country, often too with his dog (Lucky or Lady?) by his side. It was a real heart breaker when he recounts the death of his dog. It was a very sweet and endearing story. I like his war stories but those day in the life pieces are my favorites. |
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Post by hondobrode on Dec 16, 2015 23:52:27 GMT -5
Yeah, I know Astro Boy looks fantastic and I've heard the Buddha series is great.
I'm hoping more of this stuff eventually comes to Dark Horse digital, Comixology or Sequential. That's how I buy most of my stuff anymore.
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Post by Pól Rua on Dec 17, 2015 0:03:12 GMT -5
Tezuka's 'Dororo' was also really amazing, albeit with a very abrupt ending which was somewhat disconcerting. I'm also told I need to check out 'Black Jack'.
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Post by Pól Rua on Dec 17, 2015 1:02:50 GMT -5
My third choice slips just under the 2006 deadline, and as far as I know, is responsible for just one comic, but BOY! Is it a DOOZY! #10. FRANK ESPINOSAFrank Espinosa is mostly known as an animator, and has done extensive work for Disney and Warner Brothers, however, in the mid-2000's, he produced a comic for Image Comics called 'Rocketo' and WHAT A COMIC! 'Rocketo' takes place in a far, far, FAR distant future, where the Earth as we know it is all but unrecognizable. Most major land masses have been splintered into tiny archipelagos, the sky has been wreathed in an impenetrable mist through which no star is visible and the Magnetic Field is all but gone. Into this world comes our hero, Rocketo Garrison who is one of a sacred caste called a Mapper. He possesses a mystical gift called a Compass which allows him to unerringly plot courses and guide vessels across the weird and monster-haunted seas. Originally intended to be 48 issues long, and cover 4 separate adventures, the series was cancelled after the first 12, which means that, while we did get the complete tale of Rocketo's Journey the Hidden Sea, we may never get to enjoy his subsequent Journeys to the New World, the Broken Moon and finally, to Ultamo. However, even with that disappointment, this is a rich, glorious, delirious gumbo of mystery, menace, wonderment and delight. Rocketo's adventures are comparable to Genndy Tartakovsky's 'Samurai Jack', Carl Barks' 'Uncle Scrooge', Hugo Pratt's 'Corto Maltese' and E.C. Segar's 'Popeye'. It's eerie. Like a gumbo, there are hints of flavours, but before you can nail it down, another comes along, whether it's the unstoppable bombast and momentum of Jack Kirby, the oddly apocalyptic idylls of Hayao Miyazaki, the plunge into unrestrained sensation of image of Moebius, or a dozen other effortlessly blended tastes, it all comes together in a way that none of them clash with or overpower the others. His art is vaguely reminiscent of Darwyn Cooke, but with a loose, almost manic, kinetic style, and a minimal put amazingly effective use of colour (again reminiscent of Genndy Tartakovsky) which suggests rather then exhaustively delineates detail, with the result that you feel as if you are plunged headfirst into the adventure alongside Rocketo and his eccentric band of allies, foes, crewmates and monsters. Espinosa is a MAJOR artistic and creative talent, and I have been known to hang on people's ears singing his praises hoping against hope that maybe if enough people know about him, that we'll finally get to see the rest of Rocketo's amazing exploits.   In case you didn't notice, I freaking LOVE this series. |
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Post by hondobrode on Dec 17, 2015 2:15:05 GMT -5
Really under the radar talent and series. Got mine autographed by him at SDCC.
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Post by Pól Rua on Dec 17, 2015 2:32:20 GMT -5
You lucky, lucky duck.
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Post by Dr. Hfuhruhurr on Dec 17, 2015 11:24:07 GMT -5
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Dec 17, 2015 12:11:27 GMT -5
Random thoughts on day the third...
We've already talked about Dave Stevens, Gary Larson, Sam Glanzman, Winsor McCay, Herge.
And a few more I'm totally unfamiliar with, Michael Ramirez, Steve Dahlman, Phillipe Druillet.
George Perez...I was a fan of his art, but I've read less than a handful of books he's also written. A couple of his issues of Wonder Woman. He has just never written anything that I would likely be interested in.
Scott McCloud. I liked Zot. I'm not nuts for it...but I liked it.
Hembeck is an absolutely inspired choice. I'm deeply chagrined I didn't think of him.
V. T. Hamlin and Alley Oop are one of those strips that I've always wanted to read and have just never had the opportunity. I'm cheap and the collections never seem to come down to my price level.
R. Crumb is an underground artist that I'm at least fairly familiar with...but I still have read far too little.
Eisner made my list.
Ted McKeever I've tried to read. Unsuccessfully.
Linda Medley. I know that I've read at least one book or Castle Waiting. It doesn't seem to have stuck with me though.
Murray Ball I have heard of from friends down-under...but I've never read any of his work.
Watterson will show up a lot higher on my list.
Tezuki is one of those names I know. But I have just never been able to get into manga at all.
Linda Barry is another one of those names I know...but that I couldn't tell you what she does.
Awww...Frank Miller. He was probably perilously close to making my list for Sin City, Daredevil and DKR. But he fell short. Seldom has a creator fallen so far from such a height.
Larry Welz as a name would mean nothing to me. I do know Cherry Poptart peripherally. I've never read one of the books though.
Foxtrot was a strip that I followed for a while in the early 90s. I felt it was upper mid-tier for the time.
Pol...as usual...comes up with something I don't know...but now desperately want to know. So Frank Espinosa and Rocketo go on the list to find. Because Pol has never steered me wrong.
Tom Toles is definitely one of the better recent political cartoonists.
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Post by Prince Hal on Dec 17, 2015 18:55:54 GMT -5
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Post by thwhtguardian on Dec 17, 2015 22:03:52 GMT -5
Tezuka's 'Dororo' was also really amazing, albeit with a very abrupt ending which was somewhat disconcerting. I'm also told I need to check out 'Black Jack'. I haven't read all of Black Jack but what I have read is pretty good although much more episodic than what I've read elsewhere. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2015 22:04:38 GMT -5
MRP's Creator Slam day 3 Dave Stevens, as I said before, love his work but didn't think of him for my list. George Perez was my favorite artist when I was 8, 18, and even 28. At 46, I still love his work, and he is an excellent storyteller, but he has been surpassed by a number of creators in my personal pecking order. Scripting is still the weakest part of his cartoonist skill set for me though, and I like him as plotter and penciller, but not always as a scripter. Scott McCloud made my short list and may or may not turn up on the final list. Wait and see. Love Hembeck as a gag artist, but didn't think of him on my initial list. I've been less impressed with his longer form work as most of his jokes work better as quick hitter sight gags and one-liners, trying to string a bunch together for a whole comic doesn't work as well for me. I've said my piece on Larsen, McCay, Glanzman already. I remember Alley Oop from the funny pages as a kid, but couldn't have told you V.T. Hamelin was the creator. The longest lasting impression of Alley Oop for me was an episode of Sha Na Na where they covered the song and did a skit to it. Mike Grell made my initial list, but was one of the last cuts before I made my short list. I like a lot of what he does but he has a few quirks that get to me form time to time. Robert Crumb is another name whose body of work I respect, but I am just not familiar enough with it. Will Eisner-if you know me at all, you know it's a matter of where he is on my final list, not if he is on it. I've sampled a little of Ted McKeever's work and respect his ability, but it's not been my cuppa mostly. Not familiar with Murray Ball, Osama Tekuza (though I knew of Astro Boy), Michael Ramirez, Steve Dahlman, Lynda Barry, or Tom Toles Watterson was one of three strip artists who made my initial short list. I did however make a conscious choice to focus on longer form works so it's a wait and see to find out if any made the final list, but I am glad to see all have gotten some love somewhere in the first 5 days. Druillet, as I posted above, was the last name cut from my short list to get to my final list, and was in the first draft of the final list before I remembered another creator I wanted to spotlight (that was Dylan Horrocks btw). I have a love/hate roller coaster relationship with Frank Miller. There are times I just adore his work and cannot get enough-Dark Knight, Ronin, DD, Year One, Sin City, 300, etc., and then there are times I just can't read it. I haven't cracked open anything by him in a year or so and couldn't finish what I did read last time I tired, but I have been feeling an inkling to revisit some Miller here soon. But because of the roller coaster nature of my feelings towards his work, I didn't consider him for my list. Respect Larry Wetz's talent and boldness, just not my cuppa. Herge made my list on day 1, so obviously I like his stuff  Bill Amend's Fox Trot is a strip much like The Far Side for me. When it hits, I adore it, and I read it regularly for a long time, but there were long stretches were I was reading out of habit, waiting for something I liked to happen again because the jokes and stories were doing nothing for me. I have't read it for going on 4 years now. Not nominated, but Brandon Graham and James Stokoe are amazing. I've only read a little of their work but was blown away. Had I read more, and if there stuff was eligible in the 10 year rule, they might have received strong consideration. Espinoza looks like someone I need to check out. Hadn't heard of him before this, but am intrigued by Rocket-O. And that wraps Day 3 for me... -M |
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Post by Pól Rua on Dec 18, 2015 8:54:57 GMT -5
There were a bunch of people I'd love to have included, including Brandon Graham (and his erstwhile studio mates James Stokoe and Corey 'Rey' Lewis), Kagan McLeod and several others, but I just couldn't get them in under the 2006 cut-off point.
Actually, I think that'd make a nice addendum to the Classic Comics Christmas. Recent Cartoonists you WOULD have nominated if their work wasn't of too recent a vintage.
Francisco Francavilla was another...
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Post by Deleted on Dec 18, 2015 9:30:23 GMT -5
MRP's Creator Slam day 3 I have a love/hate roller coaster relationship with Frank Miller. There are times I just adore his work and cannot get enough-Dark Knight, Ronin, DD, Year One, Sin City, 300, etc., and then there are times I just can't read it. I haven't cracked open anything by him in a year or so and couldn't finish what I did read last time I tired, but I have been feeling an inkling to revisit some Miller here soon. But because of the roller coaster nature of my feelings towards his work, I didn't consider him for my list. And that wraps Day 3 for me... -M I have the same thoughts of Frank Miller and what you said in that short paragraph that I adore his work on Daredevil, Year One, Sin City, and Dark Knight. But, other times that I had a hard time reading some of his creations and therefore I debated long enough to include him in the 12 days of Classic Comics Christmas. What you said at the end ... the roller coaster nature of his work was mutual and I have to accept your thoughts and that's why I did not put him on my list. |
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