Pool C
- Jim Lee
- Jim Steranko
- Sal Buscema
- Bernie Wrightson
- Art Adams
- Mike Mignola
- David Mazzuchelli
- Dave Stevens
- Mike Grell
- Paul Smith
- Chris Bachalo
- Dave McKean
- Tim Bradstreet
- Akira Toriyama*
- Joe Madureira
- John Cassasdy
- Jim Lee vs. John Cassady: Another first-round drumming here. Jim Lee beats the brakes off Cassady. Don’t get me wrong: I love Cassady’s work –especially on Planetary. He was meant to draw that book. But Jim Lee is probably the most influential comic book artist since John Byrne and George Perez. His work has truly evolved over the years, and I can say that he has created an expectation of detail and rendering excellence for all comic book artists to follow.
- Jim Steranko vs. Joe Madureira: Joe Mad’s manga influenced artowrok inspired a generation of artists and helped to create a new look for the entire American comic book industry. But this is Jim Steranko. His ability to flat out draw is amazing. Superior sense of composition, excellent use of negative space, and a master at application of the ink on the page. Even thogh he hasn’t done anything in three decades, he wins this match-up easily.
- Sal Buscema vs. Akira Toriyama: This is a hard one! Both of these artists were prolific. One has inspired a generation of magakas around the world for more than twenty years, and the other has inspired artists and fans for over thirty years. Buscema, to me, has the definitive Hulk (and that’s saying something as there have been a bunch of great artists to draw the Hulk).
- Bernie Wrightson vs. Tim Bradstreet: An apt battle. I swear I didn’t put these two together on purpose. Ink master vs. ink legend. Let’s face it: Bernie Wrightson curb-stomps Tim Bradstreet here. Tim Bradstreet is among my personal favorites of all time—seriously. So, it pains me to say that there is another artist more adept at using ink than he. But let’s face facts: On the Hulk dvd, Tim Bradstreet was seen tracing (painstakingly) photographs of his images. Some would frown upon this. On the otherhand, Bernie Wrightson created some of the greatest ink drawings of all time in the illustrated Frankenstein—no hyperbole. His work on that project was even compared to Howard Pyle. That should say it all right there! Winner: Wrightson.
- Art Adams vs. Dave McKean: Ouch! I hate to say it, but this is a another 5-12 upset here (just there always seems to be in the tournament
). Dave McKean was a true innovator. Again, please don’t misconstrue my feelings for Art Adams: he is a superlative comic book artist (and probably the most under rated inker in the history of comic books). He is among my very favorites. And if anyone has read earlier blogs, then he already knows that I believe Art Adams has drawn some of the very best comic books in the history of American drawn comics. - Mike Mignola vs. Chris Bachalo: The creator of Hellboy has been called “the comic book artist’s artist” (whatever that means…). His use of spotted blacks, expert composition, and simplified forms have garnered him a place among the comic book elite. Chris Bachalo, on the other hand, has a technique that is part Kirby influence (and I mean that in terms of the history of American comic book artists and their approach to drawing comics) part manga influence yet his art remains neither. What it is, however is great to look at. Unfortunately, his story telling has really seemed to have suffered over the years in light of making pages that are well-designed beautiful things to look at—that Steampunk project was next to indecipherable (but nonetheless gorgeous). While I believe that Bachalo is the superior artist, my winner here is Mignola.
- David Mazzuchelli vs. Paul Smith: Two artists who have had very notable runs on different comic book titles, but who haven’t spent a great deal of time drawing many projects in the industry as a whole. The naturalistic, chiaroscuro approach of Mazzuchelli against the super clean straightforward approach of Smith. In an overtime win, Mazzuchelli sneaks by Smith.
- Dave Stevens vs. Mike Grell: Wow, these 8-9 match ups are killing me! Dave Stevens—master of more that just “good girl” art. His work is sharp, precise, and detailed (without having a sense of clutter or an overly laborious nature to them). And at the end of the spectrum is Mike Grell whose detail at times is busy. His double page spreads (often of landscapes) created a sense of awe for those looking at the pages. His loose hatch work (loose compared to Stevens) loaned his pages a sense of energy and motion even for his static scenes. Dave Stevens takes this for me—just for brining back a pin-up girl/Betty Page look and making it look good (not to mention he always had some of the most attractive models at his booth during conventions).
Pool D coming very soon!
2 Comments
. So in light of the NCAA basketball tournament, I have a field of sixty-four comic book artists from which I will conduct a “tournament” of sorts. I tried to pick a mixture of artists that are recognized as superlative in the entire comic book industry for their talents and contributions to comic book art and those who are my personal favorites. However, here is whom I left off the list (because of their talents and contributions to comic book art and illustration, these artists, in my humble opinion, are pretty much beyond reproach and would win every “tournament” like this one):
