Art For Art’s Sake #5 – Finding The Very Best Comic Art For You!
by Richard Bruton
Every week, the huge team of researchers here at Comicon spend hours scouring the Internet for the very best comic art they can find. Or perhaps it’s just me. Anyway, the whole idea is to deliver as wide a range of comic art as I can find for you, some you might know, some you might not, but all of it looking superb!
It’s time for another Art For Art’s Sake…
Let’s begin with a master of the artform, Sergio Aragones, this one from MAD magazine, 1970
Nick Derrington – a little Batman sketch…
Dan McDaid, a little Venom kiss…
Yishan Li – Paradox Girl…
Steve Rude – Pete, MJ & Gwen…
Wonder Woman #184 Cover Recreation by Ramona Fradon (Via Browse The Stacks)
Enjoyed the Women’s World Cup? Wasn’t it incredible? Time to petition Rebellion to give us a Rocky of The Rovers series of graphic novels to go alongside the Roy of the Rovers ones! Art by Lisa Henke…
Medusa by Eric Canete
The late, great Steve Dillon gives you his Preacher characters in their TV incarnations…
And in their original comic versions…
Michael W. Kaluta – The Shadow #1, 1973
The wonderful Bitchy Bitch from Roberta Gregory…
Dick Tracy by Michael Avon Oeming – 2019 –
And Dick Tracy by Kyle Baker… they’re both pretty damn good.
Our Army At War #219, 1972 – The wonder that is Joe Kubert…
And now, a little Brian Bolland Sgt. Rock, from Scott Williams‘ collection…
Ladronn – Will Eisner’s The Spirit (2010)
Ramon Villalobos – Captain Marvel, Jamie McKelvie style, for Project Rooftop
And speaking of Jamie McKelvie… his designs for Captain Marvel…
Eddie Campbell art from the Alan Moore written From Hell, together with my favourite of all the many covers, the 2016 hardcover…
To end this week, one of my favourite artists on one of my favourite Marvel runs… Jim Steranko, whose art at Marvel and, especially on Nick Fury, was so wonderfully different, harking back to the burst of creative brilliance and totally different looks of Kirby and Ditko, but also full of other influences, from classic pulp through to surrealism. Yes, Steranko was, definitely, so much more than Nick Fury, and has had an incredible art career, but here I’m celebrating the incredible art of his Marvel S.H.I.E.L.D. tales, beginning with my absolute favourite…
Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #6 – November 1968 – this was a pure Wally Wood tribute, and Steranko even wanted Wood to ink it, something Wood later said he regretted not doing.
Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #7 – December 1968 – A cover drowning in surrealism, dripping with Dali-esque imagery.
And here’s the original art of that gorgeous cover, from Comic Art Fans.
Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 -1968
Strange Tales #166, spectacular artwork, innovation that still, almost 50 years on, looks fresh and incredible…
