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Post by Deleted on Nov 16, 2020 23:25:42 GMT -5
Today would have been Darwyn Cooke's 58th birthday. Let's celebrate his work instead... Darwyn is one of my favorite comic creators bar none. There is a beauty in the simplicity of his style, yet it is one that paints a most evocative narrative and his characters speak volumes without a word of dialogue. He excelled at portraying both kinetic action... and quiet character moments... He could move from portraying childhood favorites... to more adult fare... and produced some of my all time favorite comics... He was taken from us too soon, but may he rest in peace as his legacy lives on. -M
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Post by Slam_Bradley on Nov 17, 2020 10:56:08 GMT -5
Also one of my favorite creators. And his issue of “Solo” may be my favorite single issue of a comic.
I’ve said before that I’d happily have handed Cooke the keys to the DCU and just let it be his playground.
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Post by tarkintino on Nov 17, 2020 11:32:43 GMT -5
Cooke--by nature---had no choice except to create his own, jaw-dropping path in the world of comic book art--the trait of the truly brilliant artists in comic book history.
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Post by DubipR on Nov 17, 2020 12:19:58 GMT -5
I had the honor of meeting and working along with the late artist. I've experienced his smiles and bad side and everything between. I have 2 fond memories of Darwyn and they make me smile to no end:
First one was back in 2008 at Wizard World Los Angeles. Helping out at the Hero Initiative booth as always, I had a some free time to get my stuff done around the floor (sketches, signatures, etc). Going over to Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti's booth to get some books signed, Darwyn's hanging around, talking and enjoying being a visitor and not behind the table. I approach him and begin to talk about New Frontier (DVD was just coming out at the time) and other projects. I sheeplishly ask if I can ask him for a sketch. He politely says he's not drawing. Amanda then leans over and taps me the shoulder and says "Leave the book with me" I head back to the booth to work. Few hours late I come back and Amanda hands me the book and says look inside (see accompanied photo). Darwyn, in typical Drawyn humor, says "Thank goodness you had this lovely lady ask to draw in your book. If you had that goomba over there..." points to Jimmy, "you'd be shit out of luck" They he lets out a huge laugh. That's how Darwyn was.
Second story was at Long Beach Comic Con and the Hero Initiative brought out Darwyn for the Parker Definitive Collection. He was painting blue noir photos for the fans. I was at the booth, corralling the fans and we're talking Silver Age books and enjoying the show. He asked me the time and I gave it to him. "Holy Shit! My didn't you tell me that. I'm 25 minutes late for a panel! I specifically told you I need a hard out...and let out a little colorful language at me. He leaves for the panel and I head to my car to sulk in the parking lot. I return to the booth and continue to do my business. Couple hours later, Darwyn comes back to me, puts his arm around me and says "I'm sorry I yelled at you. I'm trying my best to control my anger and didn't mean to take it out on you." He hugged me and then sat down and went back to work....
He was a beautiful man. I cherish the small time I had with him over the years.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2020 13:35:56 GMT -5
What is that Doctor Fate page from?
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Post by DubipR on Nov 17, 2020 13:47:26 GMT -5
What is that Doctor Fate page from? JSA All-Stars #3; back-up story
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Post by beccabear67 on Nov 18, 2020 21:40:11 GMT -5
This is an artist I'm only learning about after the fact, along with Mike Parobeck and Bruce Timm, and I like what I've seen of all of them. Definitely in the same general rank as the Hernandez bros, Toth and Joe Kubert, which is high praise. I'm just sad to have found out about he and Parobeck only after they are gone, but glad others made their appreciation known to them when that was possible!.
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Post by Duragizer on Nov 18, 2020 22:15:54 GMT -5
The New Frontier's the only work of his I've read so far, unfortunately. But it's excellent work, no doubt about it.
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Post by brianf on Nov 19, 2020 16:07:33 GMT -5
The Parker adaptations are amazing. If you like crime comics these are top of the heap.
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Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 9,533
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Post by Confessor on Nov 19, 2020 19:49:24 GMT -5
I've not read many Darwyn Cooke drawn comics, but the ones I have I was sharply split on their merits. His work on The New Frontier was fantastic, but I hated it when he did an issue or two of Jonah Hex back in the mid-2000s. His style really didn't work in the gritty, old west setting, but it was perfect for Silver Age DC heroes.
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Post by codystarbuck on Nov 19, 2020 22:44:11 GMT -5
Here's one of my favorite pieces of Cooke work, from outside of comic...
I was lukewarm on the actual series (it improved, over time); but, that opening sequence was awesome. Kind of Katsuhiro Otomo-meets-Alex Toth, with a bit of Doug Wildey and Dan Spiegle thrown in, for good measure.
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Post by codystarbuck on Nov 19, 2020 22:57:13 GMT -5
ps, the thing I appreciated about The New Frontier was not so much the story, or his renderings of the Silver Age heroes; it was how he captured the Atomic Age architecture and design, for the Gookie/Space Age signs, the stuff like Noguchi tables, to fashions, the cars, and the aircraft. I especially like the B-58 Hustler for the Challengers of the Unknown. My dad served in the Air Force and was always an aviation enthusiast and we had his aircraft model magazines, our World Book Encyclopedias, and other sources of 50s and 60s aircraft. That series looked like the early 60s and was so immersive. It's pretty rare to see that level of casual detail. Even when you see Mike Hammer on tv, it looks sorta like Darren McGavin. I would have loved to see Darwyn do a whole mini of the 50s adventure characters, like King Faraday, the Suicide Squad, the Challengers of the Unknown and just let him go to town, without any spandex types intruding. Just look at this page, from issue 2, in Las Vegas... Notice the brickwork by the bar, the curve of the room, the windows, the space age shapes to the lamps...it all screams 1960s. Then, Barry Allen's apartment...
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Post by berkley on Nov 20, 2020 0:10:26 GMT -5
Very talented artist, but I haven't felt motivated to read any of his stuff so far. New Frontier's subject matter, DC's superheroes, doesn't attract me much and I don't think his style suits superheroes anyway: the backgrounds and settings look fantastic but not the characters themselves. And while I think the subject matter of of the Stark books is spot on for Cooke's aesthetic, I'd rather read the novels themselves first.
But I'm sure there's something of Cooke's out there that I'll want to try, because I do like his style, or at least certain aspects of it. I think there's a book he did in collaboration with Gilbert Hernandez, I should have a look for that one.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 20, 2020 0:15:33 GMT -5
Very talented artist, but I haven't felt motivated to read any of his stuff so far. New Frontier's subject matter, DC's superheroes, doesn't attract me much and I don't think his style suits superheroes anyway: the backgrounds and settings look fantastic but not the characters themselves. And while I think the subject matter of of the Stark books is spot on for Cooke's aesthetic, I'd rather read the novels themselves first. But I'm sure there's something of Cooke's out there that I'll want to try, because I do like his style, or at least certain aspects of it. I think there's a book he did in collaboration with Gilbert Hernandez, I should have a look for that one. Twilight Children -M
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Post by berkley on Nov 20, 2020 0:21:17 GMT -5
That's the one. I should move that up nearer the top of my to-read stack
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