Thursday, October 17, 2019

Bernie Wrightson - Mangled Men, Monsters, and the Macabre!


 
I'm not vain enough to think I have anything to say about the brilliance and talent of Bernie Wrightson that hasn't already been said. So I'm just gonna slide out of your way and let you enjoy the output of a man gone too soon.

Thanks to those who own these images and have made them available.





 
Original pencils to the Bruce Jones/Bernie Wrightson masterpiece "Jenifer", from Eerie #63.




A Fitting Tribute Piece



 


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5 comments:

  1. pfgaviganOctober 17, 2019 at 10:08 PM

    Hiya,

    Just a little bit of trivia so that we all might appreciate the time, effort, skill and PAIN that went into these masterpieces . . .

    I was talking with a professional inker who lived in Madison WI at the same time as myself. We were conversing regarding a Limited Series that Mr. Wrightson was providing the artwork for. It was a bit out of his usual venue as it featured many of the DCverse heroes. As to be expected his art was first rate, but, as I said to my associate, there was just something a little off about it.

    "That's understandable," he said.

    "Why's that," I replied?

    "Bernie's developed an allergy to the metal that holds the hairs at the tip of the brush. It literally rots his skin to hold them."

    "Why doesn't he coat it with nail polish or wear a glove?"

    "He says that affects the quality of his artwork."

    pfgavigan

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    Replies
    1. Edo BosnarOctober 18, 2019 at 3:18 AM

      O.k. PFG, this post already had me a bit down because it just reminded me that the masterful Wrightson is no longer with us, and now your anecdote just made me feel even worse...

      Delete
    2. DougOctober 18, 2019 at 7:21 AM

      Ironic that a guy who specialized in drawing rotted skin would be afflicted with... rotting skin.

      What a talent Bernie was. And a pro's pro, it sounds like.

      Doug

      Delete
    3. pfgaviganOctober 18, 2019 at 1:46 PM

      Hiya,

      He was pure professionalism from all accounts.

      And, judging from an interview that I tracked down after posting, he did indeed start applying nail polish to his brushes and was able to preserve his artistic standards. And his fingers.

      Seeya

      pfgavigan

      Delete
  2. RedartzOctober 19, 2019 at 7:38 AM

    Man, illustrative artwork just doesn't get any better than this. The sheer drama embodied in Wrightson's work is truly matchless. Indeed, words fail me.

    But that Old Witch rendering is phenomenal...

    ReplyDelete