Gene Colan - Born for Black & White

An artist for whom my appreciation has grown throughout my comics reading life is Gene Colan. It's tough to recall where I first encountered Gentleman Gene's work - it was most likely in Daredevil, though we all know he had lengthy tenures on Iron Man and Captain America (Tales of Suspense, as well as their solo titles), and of course Tomb of Dracula. I am less familiar with his time at the Distinguished Competition, though DC fans I'm sure have fond memories of his Batman and Wonder Woman output.

If ever there was a penciler who could look better in black & white, it's Gene Colan. His mastery of both motion and shadow make his work really pop without colors. Hopefully the samples I've provided today show this. And if I ever find a little extra cash laying around, I'd love to be able to purchase a copy of the IDW Artist Edition that showcases Colan's Dracula series.

Many thanks to all the wonderful people around the World Wide Web who have posted their Gene Colan treasures - they retain all ownership of these resources.

 

John Byrne - Sketches Across the Marvel Universe

Few creators in comics history have been the beneficiaries of an adoration for their work as most collectors hold for John Byrne's run on the X-Men. Following a wonderful run by Dave Cockrum, Byrne (in collaboration with inker Terry Austin) launched Uncanny X-Men into the stratosphere. From that point, Byrne parlayed his success into lengthy runs illustrating the Fantastic Four and then on to DC where he was allowed to revamp the Superman mythos. At times controversial, Byrne never shied from either the spotlight or from speaking his mind (or from creative decisions such as his dismantling of the Vision).

Today I am featuring sketches of Marvel characters (and thanks to the various owners of these pieces for making them available on the Web); perhaps at some future point we'll take a look at some DC characters as rendered by Byrne.

From the standpoint of my own satisfaction, I tended to enjoy Byrne's work most when he had an inker who would exert some degree of positive influence. Whether Joe Sinnott, Austin, Bob Layton, or Dick Giordano, I wanted an inker to add some boldness to Byrne's lines. During his Fantastic Four tenure, and then on into some creator-owned projects like Next Men, I felt that Byrne left to his own devices could produce work that seemed a bit scratchy. My eyes prefer "polished", and that is what Austin, et al. lent to Byrne's pencils. Feel free to disagree with me in the comments below.

Onward!

Jack Kirby - A King with or without Colors!

 

True confession: As a kid growing up in the mid-1970s, I didn't "get" Jack Kirby. I was asked on Twitter a few weeks ago if I was in the market for the Kirby Returns King-Size Hardcover. Nope, I am not. While I already own the Behold: Galactus! hardcover and would like to get the Kirby is Mighty King-Sized Hardcover and the Kirby is... Fantastic! King-Sized Hardcover, I really hold no love for the King's return to Marvel. For that matter, I couldn't say I'm a fan of his short tenure at DC - but that's more to the fact that those years fall just before I became a regular reader of comics. But even then, it was mainly Marvel Comics. So the DC stuff has always been on my "I should really check that out someday" list. Perhaps that's my loss, because I know there are those who absolutely love Kirby's Fourth World and Kamandi.

My childhood memories of Jack Kirby are his fingers - chunky and boxed on the ends. I'd often look at my own little hands and wonder who had hands with square fingers? Of course Kirby's Silver Age material was always in print, in Marvel's Greatest Comics, for example, as well as in the Origins of Marvel Comics series of trade paperbacks from Fireside Books. I always liked the older FF and Captain America art I'd seen, and often wished that the then-present stuff still looked like that. But up against the Bronze Age's young guns? Kirby's art seemed distant to me. Of course, the years have shown me how immature I was, and I have a much greater appreciation for Kirby across his career.

Today I just want to celebrate some of Jack Kirby's pencil work, mainly in the form of convention sketches. Even here, when the King might have just banged out an image in a couple of minutes, we feel the energy. Jack never left his fans wanting in that category, and I hope you'll feel likewise today. Thanks to the wonderful folks across the Interwebs who have shared these works that I in turn bring to you today.

Our Pal Sal - a Bronze Age Great!

John Buscema's little brother? One could say that, but Sal Buscema has certainly made a name in his own right. Known as a dependable professional, Sal had long stints on the Spider-Man titles, the Defenders, Captain America, and of course the Incredible Hulk. Changing his style through the years to keep pace with reader sensibilities, Sal remained a fixture on Marvel's monthlies into the 21st century. One of my favorites - reliable ol' Sal. I always knew what I was going to get, and that was his endearing trait as an artist.