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Who're your fav pencillers?

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Tom Meyer

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Jun 29, 2002, 12:14:47 AM6/29/02
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I've been reading through my JLA comics, and looking at Bryan Hitch's
drawing, I remember a while back that I was surprised that a lot of people
liked Hitch, because I had always thought, and still think, that Bryan
Hitch's stuff just looks kinda plain. So it made me curious, and I figured
I'd lob an easy question across the plate for the rac newsgroups: who're
your guys' favorite pencillers, and if you can place it, why? I don't know
anything about the storytelling aspect of pencilling, so that part of a
penciller's job is invisible to me. I can't really tell who the good
storytellers are, I guess the good ones just make a comic flow and make me
want to keep buying the comic. Me, my favorites right now are:

Oscar Jiminez: He's been my favorite artist for a long time. I have the
Flash run he did, and I absolutely love how loose and natural his pencils
are. Even his less detailed panels look terrific.
Doug Mahnke: don't know why, I've just loved his style since I first saw it
in JLA #50, and I've never seen anything like it so far.
Kieron Dwyer: again, don't know why, but I really like his only stuff I've
seen, the last few Avengers comics I've bought.
Tom Grummett and Mark Bagley: I placed these two together because I think of
them the same way: not real flashy, but instead really solid, great stuff.
and Joe Madureira: I guess some people don't like his manga-esque look, but
I still think it's great eye candy.

Tom


Chris

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Jun 29, 2002, 3:42:52 AM6/29/02
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"Tom Meyer" <fa...@email.address> wrote in
news:MtaT8.296$2w.4...@twister.kc.rr.com:

> Who're your fav pencillers?

Not directly in answer to your question, as I don't think I've read enough
comics yet for me to say 'I really like that artists work' but I can tell
you what I don't like. I hate the more 'kiddy' look that some artists use,
tends to be these 'just out of education, new on the scene, first job'
artists. I prefer to see realistic art like the stuff that Mark Texiera
pencils. The artist I hate is, without a doubt, Chuck Austen :o( Take
Elektra for instance, you see the well drawn covers, open the comic and
Elektra looks like a bloke! Not just her, but other women in the book look
like blokes - he just doesn't draw women too well IMO. Its not just that
though, I just don't like his style. I'm glad they've changed the artist
on that book now :o)

--
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Chris Flowers

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Kyle L. Dennis

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Jun 29, 2002, 6:21:20 AM6/29/02
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"Tom Meyer" <fa...@email.address> wrote in message
news:MtaT8.296$2w.4...@twister.kc.rr.com...

I would have to say my all time fave is Dale Keown followed closely by Jack
Kirby.

Later,

Kyle


david

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Jun 29, 2002, 9:26:27 AM6/29/02
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there are tons of em' list could go for days
artists in general:
Kieron Dwyer stuff looks really good on Avengers
Adam Kubert esp.his Hulk and Wolverine(dont really read Ult.X-men)
Doug Mahnke
Mark Texiera
Sam Kieth
Bruce Timm
Darwyn Cooke
Joe Quesada
John Mcrea
J.G.Jones
Simon Bisley
Frank Frazetta
Mike Mahyew
Bill Sienkiewicz
Frank Quitely
Mike Zeck
Walt Simonsen

Weird Kid

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Jun 29, 2002, 10:28:01 AM6/29/02
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Bill Sienkiewicz. David Mack (his pencil work is really nice).

And I'm REALLY impressed with Maleev's work in Daredevil right no, but I'm
not sure what process he's using, or whether credit goes to him or to his
colorist. Or to whoever's Photoshopping photos for his backgrounds. Whatever
it is, I'm liking it.


--
--
http://www.riverandtheweirdkid.com - Free web comic with no ads, celebrating
childishness and juvenile humor.
"Adults don't like it when we do childish things to be more like
them." -Roger


"Tom Meyer" <fa...@email.address> wrote in message
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Clint

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Jun 29, 2002, 12:49:58 PM6/29/02
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Sal Buscema.

He is the best Captain America Artist.

And Jack Kirby is a close 2nd.

Dweller


"Weird Kid" <riverw...@cox.net> wrote in message
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Jeremy Henderson

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Jun 29, 2002, 2:09:54 PM6/29/02
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On Fri, 28 Jun 2002 23:14:47 -0500, "Tom Meyer" <fa...@email.address>
wrote:

>I've been reading through my JLA comics, and looking at Bryan Hitch's
>drawing, I remember a while back that I was surprised that a lot of people
>liked Hitch, because I had always thought, and still think, that Bryan
>Hitch's stuff just looks kinda plain. So it made me curious, and I figured
>I'd lob an easy question across the plate for the rac newsgroups: who're
>your guys' favorite pencillers, and if you can place it, why?

Current favorites: John Cassaday, Frank Quitely, Mike Allred, Kyle
Baker, P. Craig Russell

All-time: Joe Kubert, Neal Adams, Alan Davis, Jack Kirby, Bernie
Wrightson, Brian Bolland.

Drofel

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Jun 29, 2002, 4:10:05 PM6/29/02
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"Weird Kid" <riverw...@cox.net> wrote in message news:<RtjT8.49873$PW.1...@news2.central.cox.net>...
> Bill Sienkiewicz. David Mack (his pencil work is really nice).
>
> And I'm REALLY impressed with Maleev's work in Daredevil right no, but I'm
> not sure what process he's using, or whether credit goes to him or to his
> colorist. Or to whoever's Photoshopping photos for his backgrounds. Whatever
> it is, I'm liking it.

Apparently, Maleev's Daredevil work is completely digital. Or at least
so says the most recent Wizard.

Andrew Ryan Chang

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Jun 29, 2002, 5:22:37 PM6/29/02
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Tom Meyer <fa...@email.address> wrote:
>I've been reading through my JLA comics, and looking at Bryan Hitch's
>drawing, I remember a while back that I was surprised that a lot of people
>liked Hitch, because I had always thought, and still think, that Bryan
>Hitch's stuff just looks kinda plain. So it made me curious, and I figured

I can't describe Hitch's work as plain; he does a few things maybe
a bit too often (say, characters looking straight into the camera while
tilting their heads), but in general, he's great at backgrounds, anatomy,
faces, poses, and camera angles. ISTR him saying that his JLA work wasn't
his best, though.

I like Hitch, John Paul Leon (while thinking that his poses are
often too relaxed for superhero stories), Adam Hughes, and (older) John
Byrne a lot. P. Craig Russell's great. Michael Zulli's work is
outstanding. So is Charles Vess'.

--
The American people's allegiance to democracy should be greater than our
fealty to a court that has just spat in its face.
-- Gary Kamiya, "Supreme Court to democracy: Drop dead", Salon Dec 14, 2000.

Shawn Hill

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Jun 30, 2002, 12:58:28 AM6/30/02
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In rec.arts.comics.marvel.xbooks Tom Meyer <fa...@email.address> wrote:

: Tom Grummett and Mark Bagley: I placed these two together because I think of


: them the same way: not real flashy, but instead really solid, great stuff.
: and Joe Madureira: I guess some people don't like his manga-esque look, but
: I still think it's great eye candy.

Storytelling, at least partially, deals with making the action easy to
follow and dramatic rather than fussy, mannered, indirect or confusing.

I tend to prefer artists with a recognizable, distinctive (even
cartoonish, mannered a bit) style, who apply THEIR look to whatever book
they do.

So, for solid, three-dimensional anatomy: Gary Erskine, Stuart Immonen.

For visual flow and inventive costumes: Alan Davis, Mark Bagley.

For unbelievable detail: Chris Weston, Phil Jiminez, J.G. Jones.

For believable facial expressions and bodies, good action sequences,
accurate costumes and awe-inspiring crowd scenes: George Perez.

For clean, efficient lines and solid composition: Dan Jurgens, JR Jr.,
John Byrne (when not inking himself).

Acquired (but fertile, vibrant, creative) tastes, and quirky charm:
Kordey, Allred, Quitely, Art Adams, Kelley Jones, Oscar Jiminez, Howard
Porter, Coipel, Buckingham.

Shawn


Dreighton

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Jun 30, 2002, 1:35:09 AM6/30/02
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"Shawn Hill":, Kelley Jones

D: is he currently working on anything. I really loved his
Batman....strange stuff, but it worked for me.

My current art favs: Ed Mcgunnis (sp? the Superman artist), Jim Lee, the
Kubert Brothers, JRJR

All time: John Byrne (the Xmen and FF days), Gil Kane, Neil Adams, Ross
Andru, Jack Kirby, Jim Lee


Eric Northcutt

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Jun 30, 2002, 1:47:40 AM6/30/02
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"Dreighton" <dday...@adelphianospam.net> wrote in message
news:hMwT8.6528$071.1...@news1.news.adelphia.net...

>
> "Shawn Hill":, Kelley Jones
>
> D: is he currently working on anything. I really loved his
> Batman....strange stuff, but it worked for me.

He's drawing the Vertigo series "The Crusades".


Julian Solis

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Jun 30, 2002, 2:59:11 AM6/30/02
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personally i think joe madureira is the best artist out there (even if
his battle chasers book is as good as dead), with marc silvestri
(another one that spent years in semi-retirement from pencilling while
managing his top cow studio)

apart from those two i think adam kubert, pat lee, ed mcguinnes and
gary frank (even if his figures look kinda stiff in some panels) are
good ones too

Scott Bierworth

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Jun 30, 2002, 9:50:32 AM6/30/02
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"Tom Meyer" <fa...@email.address> wrote in message
news:MtaT8.296$2w.4...@twister.kc.rr.com...
> I've been reading through my JLA comics, and looking at Bryan Hitch's
> drawing, I remember a while back that I was surprised that a lot of people
> liked Hitch, because I had always thought, and still think, that Bryan
> Hitch's stuff just looks kinda plain. So it made me curious, and I figured
> I'd lob an easy question across the plate for the rac newsgroups: who're
> your guys' favorite pencillers, and if you can place it, why?

In no particular order, my favorites are:

George Perez
Phil Jiminez
Neal Adams
Dan Jurgens
Paul Ryan
Jerry Ordway
Tom Grummett
Keith Pollard
Dick Giordano
June Brigman
Butch Guice
Wendy Pini

There are many others. It basically boils down to one thing. A nice,
clean, realistic style with a good sense of storytelling. That makes my
least favorites any manga-influenced artists, scratchy (Liefeld) artists or
blocky/abstract artists.


Weird Kid

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Jun 30, 2002, 11:35:31 PM6/30/02
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"Drofel" <news...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:ff1f9c14.02062...@posting.google.com...


Damn! So that means no original art to collect? Oh well, it's still
gorgeous. The blue hues of his rainy night scenes with Daredevil are
perfect.

Bjorn Kuykhoven

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Jul 1, 2002, 3:45:32 AM7/1/02
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Strange nobody mentioned John Buscema Yet.


Xis

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Jul 1, 2002, 11:08:01 AM7/1/02
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John Romita Jr.


DarcyQ77

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Jul 1, 2002, 11:10:31 AM7/1/02
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The only reason I always disliked a bit Brian Hitch art is that it was
an Alan davis clone.

My list (trying not to put 200 names... only 10):

Carlos Pacheco
Adam Hughes
Alan Davis
Chris Bachalo
Madureira
Jim Lee
Dale Keown
Oscar Jiménez
Scott Campbell
Romita JR


"Tom Meyer" <fa...@email.address> wrote in message news:<MtaT8.296$2w.4...@twister.kc.rr.com>...

Glenn Simpson

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Jul 1, 2002, 1:17:25 PM7/1/02
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"Scott Bierworth" <Kama...@NOSPAMaol.com> wrote in message news:<afn2b...@enews1.newsguy.com>...

After reviewing the above list, I have to agree with those choices for
myself as well.

Shawn Hill

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Jul 1, 2002, 1:01:30 PM7/1/02
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In rec.arts.comics.marvel.xbooks Bjorn Kuykhoven <bu...@planet.nl> wrote:
: Strange nobody mentioned John Buscema Yet.

Never liked him. Only for nostalgia. I enjoy Sal more, actually.

Shawn


Eric Northcutt

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Jul 1, 2002, 1:36:10 PM7/1/02
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"Shawn Hill" <sh...@fas.harvard.edu> wrote in message
news:afq1ta$1db$3...@news.fas.harvard.edu...

> In rec.arts.comics.marvel.xbooks Bjorn Kuykhoven <bu...@planet.nl> wrote:
> : Strange nobody mentioned John Buscema Yet.
>
> Never liked him. Only for nostalgia. I enjoy Sal more, actually.

I'm the opposite. I've always prefered John's clean art to Sal's clunky,
heavy lines... I do like Sal's inking however.


JTS

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Jul 1, 2002, 6:50:27 PM7/1/02
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"Tom Meyer" <fa...@email.address> wrote in message news:<MtaT8.296$2w.4...@twister.kc.rr.com>...
> Lets see:

George Perez
John Byrne ( when he draws and nothing else)
Carlos Pacheco
Rags Morales

Joshua James Elderkin

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Jul 2, 2002, 3:05:29 AM7/2/02
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sagn...@erols.com (JTS) wrote in message news:<236a848d.02070...@posting.google.com>...

bruce timm is the best ever!

Matthew Shepherd

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Jul 2, 2002, 11:06:42 AM7/2/02
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"Tom Meyer" <fa...@email.address> wrote in
news:MtaT8.296$2w.4...@twister.kc.rr.com:


Top Two Of All Time:

Sienkiewicz.
Kyle Baker.

No wonder I was the only fan of the DC Shadow series of the late
eighties/early nineties...


--
Kick the crap out of me to respond...
...or visit www.man-man.org!

Elayne Riggs

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Jul 4, 2002, 9:31:45 PM7/4/02
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On Fri, 28 Jun 2002 23:14:47 -0500, quoth "Tom Meyer"
<fa...@email.address>:

>I've been reading through my JLA comics, and looking at Bryan Hitch's
>drawing, I remember a while back that I was surprised that a lot of people
>liked Hitch, because I had always thought, and still think, that Bryan
>Hitch's stuff just looks kinda plain. So it made me curious, and I figured
>I'd lob an easy question across the plate for the rac newsgroups: who're
>your guys' favorite pencillers, and if you can place it, why?

Bryan's certainly up there, but next to my husband I'd say my favorite
is Alan Davis. He's not only a pleasure to read visually, but he can
articulate his reasons for doing everything, and it's pretty
educational if you're a "process wonk."

- Elayne
--
www.soulmateproductions.com
remove "OSPAM" from e-mail address to reply

CB

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Jul 5, 2002, 2:23:09 AM7/5/02
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My Favourites would have to be:

Tang Eng Haut (Doom Patrol)
Doug Mahnke (JLA, Mjor Bummer)
Kevin McGuire (JLI, FKAJL)

Detailed, good facial expressiveness, anatomically quite good. Clear
and quite dynamic, good storytellers.

Henrik Löfquist

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Jul 29, 2002, 5:28:10 PM7/29/02
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Being the old-school-fan that I am, I'd have to go for John Byrne, all-time.
Always liked Rick Leonardi too, in the issues he did here and there way back in
Uncanny. Paul Smith was good when he had Uncanny even further back, too, and in
the few issues he did around the whole Shadow King/Muir Island-thing. Oh, and
Jim Lee was great, although he had the tendency to over-exaggerate every male
x-characters jaw, so they'd all look like they were chewing gum copnstantly...


Samy Merchi

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Jul 29, 2002, 6:05:34 PM7/29/02
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I like artists that have a (slightly?) angular style combined with a
very very clear lines and figures. Jim Cheung is awesome. Salvador
Larocca's otherwise good but he occasionally clutters his panels up
too much. Rick Leonardi is good. Carlos Pacheco is a god. Walt
Simonson is (was? Haven't seen anything by him in a long time) great
as well. Sal Buscema for that brilliantly solid old-school feel.

On the less angular field my preferences are broader. Arthur Adams, of
course, is divine. 1980s John Byrne. Bill Sienkiewicz is stunning at
dark and moody (when I'm the writer-editor for X-FORCE I'll hire him
to illustrate my Gosamyr/Spyder revisited story). George Perez when
you reallly want supreme versatility combined with great quality. Gary
Frank is excellent. Kevin Maguire has his specialties as well, of
course. And I'll cap off with my favorite X-Forcers, Greg Capullo and
Tony Daniel.


--
Samy Merchi | sa...@iki.fi | http://www.iki.fi/samy | #152235689
Reader of superhero comic books, writer of superhero fanfiction
"*Astrolabe*...whirls...*twirls*!"

Brian Doyle

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Jul 29, 2002, 6:28:53 PM7/29/02
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"Samy Merchi" <sa...@iki.fi> wrote in message
news:Xns925BAFCAB...@130.232.1.14...

> Bill Sienkiewicz is stunning at
> dark and moody (when I'm the writer-editor for X-FORCE I'll hire him
> to illustrate my Gosamyr/Spyder revisited story).

Please tell me they both die horribly and painfully as soon as they appear? Pretty
please!! (They shot Doug and gave us Bird Brain and THIS freaking airhead bimbo,
curse you Louise Simonson!!! Ahem, sorry, residual angst, and don't get me started on
Brett Blevins!!)

Having the pair of them be eaten, messily, by the Demon Bear works just fine for me!

Uli Kusterer

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Jul 29, 2002, 7:13:42 PM7/29/02
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Paul Ryan (I hope I got the name right). He did a great job on the early
Ravage 2099 as well as on Iron Man (the Mandarin/Fin Fang Foom stuff
etc.).

-- M. Uli Kusterer

(I do not wish to receive spam or unsolicited commercial e-mail)

Samy Merchi

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Jul 30, 2002, 1:18:31 AM7/30/02
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"Brian Doyle" <brian...@afdigest.freeserve.co.uk> wrote on 30

> "Samy Merchi" <sa...@iki.fi> wrote in message

>> dark and moody (when I'm the writer-editor for X-FORCE I'll hire


>> him to illustrate my Gosamyr/Spyder revisited story).
>
> Please tell me they both die horribly and painfully as soon as
> they appear? Pretty please!!

Sorry. :) I think both have potential as concepts, especially Gosamyr,
even if that potential didn't come even close to being realized in
their appearances. Not to mention Sienkiewicz could do a
mindblowingly, stunningly eerie visual of Spyder.

Robbert Graner

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Jul 30, 2002, 4:24:30 AM7/30/02
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My favorites are Salvadore Larroca (he did a wonderful job at Excalibur and
the Crimson Dawn LS, and today he draws X-Treme X-Men of course) and Carlos
Pacheco.
Others whose art I like, are: Alan Davis, Ken Lashley, Ian Churchill,
Pascual Ferry, Ron Lim, Pablo Raimondi and Trevor Scott.

Robbert "Rayeye" Graner


Brian Doyle

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Jul 30, 2002, 4:55:45 PM7/30/02
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"Samy Merchi" <sa...@iki.fi> wrote in message
news:Xns925B54612...@130.232.1.14...

> "Brian Doyle" <brian...@afdigest.freeserve.co.uk> wrote on 30

> > Please tell me they both die horribly and painfully as soon as


> > they appear? Pretty please!!
>
> Sorry. :) I think both have potential as concepts, especially Gosamyr,
> even if that potential didn't come even close to being realized in
> their appearances. Not to mention Sienkiewicz could do a
> mindblowingly, stunningly eerie visual of Spyder.

Samy, Bill S could do a mindblowingly, stunningly eerie visual of Bambi! Sypder would
almost be too easy! :)


Ronald J. Rickard Jr.

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Jul 30, 2002, 5:18:03 PM7/30/02
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My 6 favorite artists are:

1. Bernie Wrightson
2. John Buscema
3. John Byrne
4. Walt Simonson (again, an acquired taste as I first hated his stuff
on Thor the second time around)
5. Mike Mignola (his Dark Horse stuff)
6. Rags Morales

for whatever reason, I always find myself gravitating toward books from these
artist. Bernie Wrightson is the master of horror comics. Swamp Thing #1-10
are some of the best comic books ever produced and Wrightson in Unexpected,
House of Mystery, House of Secrets, etc. is a treat. John Buscema is a great
old-school artists. John Byrne's art is still fun to look at and he has the
ability to add interesting detail to a page (nobody draws dirt or something
blowing up like Byrne!) Walt Simonson took some getting use to when he took
over Thor the second time around, but I appreciate the dynamic storytelling.
Mike Mignola at Dark Horse (especially his Hellboy stuff) is also a great
dynamic storyteller, but I'm not too keen on his early work (especially Alpha
Flight, yuck!) And finally, I really liked Rags Morales work over at Valiant
and wish Marvel would get him to do a monthly book (he's doing the cover of
an upcoming Avengers comic.)

RJRJR

Eric Northcutt

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Jul 30, 2002, 12:39:03 PM7/30/02
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"Ronald J. Rickard Jr." <rj...@localhost.localdomain> wrote in message
news:slrnake0tl...@localhost.localdomain...

And finally, I really liked Rags Morales work over at Valiant
> and wish Marvel would get him to do a monthly book

No thank you :). I wouldn't want to lose him on Hawkman...he's doing the
best stuff of his career there right now.

CleV

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Jul 30, 2002, 7:17:23 PM7/30/02
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Tough (in no particular order) ...

People producing their best work right now (watch them make history as
we speak!):
Alan Davis (and that's saying a lot, considering his long history)
Bryan Hitch
JH Williams III

People who have the made the medium their own:
John Byrne (specifically inking himself on AF and FF)
George Perez (inking himself on the covers to Wonder Woman)
Jim Lee
Kevin Nowlan
Bill Sienkiewicz
JRJr

Dan

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Jul 31, 2002, 5:10:02 PM7/31/02
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John Buscema (FF, Thor, Avengers, Sub-Mariner, Silver Surfer etc. All
outstanding stuff, he made any character look great.)
Sal Buscema (Captain America, Hulk, Avengers, Sub-Mariner, Defenders, all great
work)
John Romita SR (The best Spiderman artist by far.)
Ron Frenz (When he draws like John Buscema. i.e. his work on Thor circa 384 or
there about)
Jack Kirby (although I found his work inconstitant at times)
George Tuska (only his Ironman work)

"Henrik Löfquist" <henrik....@telia.com> wrote in message
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Henrik Löfquist

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Jul 31, 2002, 6:29:42 PM7/31/02
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"Ronald J. Rickard Jr." <rj...@localhost.localdomain> skrev wrote in message
news:slrnake0tl...@localhost.localdomain...
>

>John Byrne's art is still fun to look at and he has the
> ability to add interesting detail to a page (nobody draws dirt or something
> blowing up like Byrne!)
>
>

I actually thought of this too. Byrne makes it look like something IS actually
blowing up, not just a bunch of sparks flying around. Also, Art Adams' action
scenes were great. He's got this fairly original style too, when he draws for
instance explosions and so.

Just realized that by this message, you'd think that I' a pyromaniac ;-)


starblood

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Aug 2, 2002, 5:08:35 PM8/2/02
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"Ronald J. Rickard Jr." <rj...@localhost.localdomain> wrote in message
news:slrnake0tl...@localhost.localdomain...

> Mike Mignola at Dark Horse (especially his Hellboy stuff) is also a great


> dynamic storyteller, but I'm not too keen on his early work (especially
Alpha
> Flight, yuck!)

I blame Gerry Talaoc's sloppy inking for that. Mike's covers were still
great.


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