Spotlight On... Pick a Creator Day!

In the past, we've discussed many, many creators. Among them are: Barry Windsor-Smith, Chris Claremont, the Filipino masters, Frank Robbins, John Buscema, Jack Kirby, Gil Kane, Rich Buckler, Sal Buscema, and Steve Englehart. Toss out a few more for conversation today!

Spotlight On...Sal Buscema

Karen: Perhaps the patron saint of Marvel's Bronze Age, Sal Buscema was a true go-to guy, handling the penciling chores on numerous titles, such as The Incredible Hulk, Peter Parker The Spectacular Spider-Man, The Defenders, The Avengers, Captain America, Marvel Team-Up, and many more. Buscema brought solid story-telling and a dynamic style to his work (the famous 'Sal Buscema Blast' has frequently been referenced here at the BAB). Sal was also a terrific inker, and was one of his big brother John's preferred inkers.  Thoughts on this Bronze Age mainstay?

Buscema-blasted!!

Spotlight On... Keith Pollard

Doug: If you were reading Marvel Comics in the late Bronze Age, then you were looking at Keith Pollard's pictures. With extended runs on Amazing Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, and Thor, as well as work on the Inhumans, Master of Kung fu, Captain America, and seemingly a million one-offs. Pollard was everywhere. And how about this distinction? Pollard was the penciler on the 200th issues of Amazing Spider-Man and Fantastic Four, as well as on the 300th issue of Thor. That's an honor. Thoughts?

Readers' Choice: Spotlight On... Steve Ditko

Karen: Well today is the last reader DIY column while Doug and I are on our vacation, and I decided to make it a "Spotlight On..." one, to give you a chance to sing the praises of a particular comic artist, writer, inker or other comics luminary that you feel needs to be noted for their contributions. Please try to avoid anyone we've spoken about in the past. I've compiled a list of these folks to help you out:

Dave Cockrum

Steve Englehart 

Steve Gerber

Frank Robbins

Neal Adams

Chris Claremont

E. Nelson Bridwell

Rich Buckler

Barry Windsor Smith

John Byrne 

Joe Sinnott

Jim Steranko

Gil Kane

Mike Ploog 

Jim Aparo

Gene Colan

Walt Simonson

John Romita Jr.

Frank Miller

Spotlight On: Dave Cockrum

Karen: We've frequently discussed the work of this fabulous artist, whether it be his outstanding early years on DC's Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes, or his revival of the X-Men with Len Wein, and later, Chris Claremont. Cockrum was a wonderful costume and character designer, creating new looks for many of the Legionnaires that have persisted for years, as well as designing most of the original all-new, all-different X-Men. He created dozens of other characters' looks though, including the striking black outfit for Ms. Marvel. Cockrum was an artist who could handle big team books and do them well. He excelled at action, but also knew how to portray quiet moments. Although Cockrum did not have particularly long runs on any single book, he had memorable ones on the Legion and X-Men, and he also drew many covers for Marvel in the late 70s. His style is instantly recognizable.

Karen: Dave Cockrum passed away in November 2006. But he left an incredible legacy, one that we here at the BAB continue to delight in and will take the opportunity to discuss whenever we have the chance -like today. Please share your thoughts on the work of this talented artist.

Love Rollercoaster

Doug: No Ohio Players in this post, kids. But, we often discuss artists who have hit high notes for us, and then we have noted periods of decline when those same artists fell out of our favor. Worth mentioning would be Don Heck, Carmine Infantino, and even John Byrne. Today we'd like to throw this open to our readers with the opportunity for you to talk about the rise and fall, and maybe rise again of particular artists. Shoot, depending on who you want to discuss, this may even go fall, rise, then fall!

Doug: I may have mentioned that I've pre-ordered the next installment in DC's hardcover series dedicated to specific creators who've left their mark on the Dark Knight. Carmine Infantino's fete is due out in June, and to be honest I am quite looking forward to it. Back in 1989 (I'm sure I've also told this story a time or three) I got a steal of a deal at a flea market -- a longbox stuffed with Batman comics from the Silver and Bronze Ages for only $35. The box contained a who's-who of Caped Crusader creators, with many stories by Neal Adams, Don Heck, Frank Robbins, Jim Aparo, and of course Carmine Infantino. Those "new look" stories from the mid-60s hold a special charm as Carmine sought to bring an updated feel to the Batman mythos while not crushing the silliness of those immediate years prior. That being said, I am among the many who've remarked that Carmine's work at Marvel in the mid-70s was a real downer.

Doug: Similarly, I've said how much I've continued to enjoy Don Heck's turns on Iron Man and the Avengers in the Silver Age, but how dreadful I found his work in the high Bronze Age. Unfortunately, to this guy's eye, the Dashing One never "got it back".

Doug: Think of the first time you saw George Perez. For me, that would have been in Avengers #141, inked by Vinnie Colletta. While he was an upgrade from George Tuska's work on the previous few issues, this wasn't the George Perez we'd love only many months later once under the line of inkers like Joe Sinnott. From there Perez really took off and grew as an artist and storyteller exponentially.

Doug: So here's the drill for today -- we're looking for the rollercoaster ride that is/was particular artist's careers. Pick an artist and tell of your opinion the first time you saw his or her work and then other times when (for you) it was better or worse -- and this doesn't have to be chronological by the date of publication; it's your discovery of said artist. Was it the inker's influence? I'll say that while I love the 3-part Count Nefaria story in Avengers #'s 164-166, I wish Byrne had been inked by someone other than Pablo Marcos. Was it the artist's age that might have contributed to a perceived period of decline? Was it your age as a factor? Or, do you think that stories you love may have been the result of a herculean effort, while stories you didn't care for may have been rushed or without much enthusiasm? What we aren't looking for today are rip jobs on particular creators... we truly want you to celebrate those times that scored, while giving a constructive opinion on those times that for you, flopped.  Thanks in advance!

Spotlight On: Steve Englehart

Karen: It seems only fitting as we're currently reviewing the Secret Empire saga from the pages of Captain America to throw our spotlight on super-scribe Steve Englehart. The Stainless One was a prolific writer for both companies and produced some of the most memorable and beloved works in comics (and he's a big favorite here at the BAB).  He had noted runs on Avengers, Defenders, Dr. Strange, Captain America, Detective Comics, Justice League of America, Green Lantern, and so many others. His work was layered and his characters were complex. He could write down-to-Earth guys like Cap or Batman, or go way out there with the likes of Dr. Strange. You name it, Steve could write it, and make it all seem exciting and fresh. But let's hear from you -what are your favorite titles and stories by  Stainless Steve?

Readers' Write (12): Spotlight On... Steve Gerber

While Karen and Doug are on vacation in January, our readers have been entrusted with carrying on the daily conversations.  Today's "Spotlight On..." is a do-it-yourselfer.  As we've done in the past, the first commenter gets to pick today's topic of conversation.

Generally speaking, "Spotlight On..." is for single creators.  For example, in the past we've started conversations on Rich Buckler, John Romita, and Joe Sinnott.  We'd appreciate conversations that lean toward the positive side of things; rip jobs should be avoided.  This is not to say that we don't tolerate honesty, but let's try to keep the focus on the meritorious aspect of a life spent in comics.

Thanks for holding it down for us!

Edo Bosnar puts today's Spotlight on Steve Gerber.

Readers' Write (6): Spotlight On... Frank Robbins

While Karen and Doug are on vacation in January, our readers have been entrusted with carrying on the daily conversations.  Today's "Spotlight On..." is a do-it-yourselfer.  As we've done in the past, the first commenter gets to pick today's topic of conversation.

Generally speaking, "Spotlight On..." is for single creators.  For example, in the past we've started conversations on Rich Buckler, John Romita, and Joe Sinnott.  We'd appreciate conversations that lean toward the positive side of things; rip jobs should be avoided.  This is not to say that we don't tolerate honesty, but let's try to keep the focus on the meritorious aspect of a life spent in comics.

Thanks for holding it down for us!

Matt Celis boldly asks for your comments on Frank Robbins.

Spotlight On: Neal Adams

Neal Adams - NOT from Phoenix, though

Karen: Over Memorial Day weekend, my husband and I went to the Phoenix Comic Con and I had the chance to meet legendary comics artist Neal Adams. Everyone here knows of my fondness (OK, obsession) with the Kree-Skrull War and a big part of that was Adams' exceptional, dramatic artwork. As some of the earliest comics I was exposed to, it set a high bar for all that came to follow. I was lucky to come across Adams at a slow period; he was sketching and no one else was really around. They were running a pretty sweet deal at his booth: buy 3 prints for $50 and Neal would sign all of them. There were so many great prints to choose from, I had a hard time making up my mind; most were DC characters, a lot of Batman, Superman, and Green Lantern drawings. There were a handful of Marvel characters, but I didn't find them appealing. But I was almost knocked out by a couple of great Bruce Lee prints, especially one depicting the martial arts master from Enter the Dragon. I scooped up that one and a couple of Batman prints and went over to Adams. 

Karen: Adams was friendly. He shook my hand and we chatted a bit as he signed the prints. He even personalized them. I've added a photo of them to this post. I told him how much I enjoyed his work on Avengers and he said thanks, then said I should be reading Batman:Odyssey. I had to politely say I wasn't really reading new comics and he said I should be, because he was back. I laughed and smiled and thanked him again. Later, my husband and I ran into a friend and he saw the Adams prints and asked, "Oh boy, Adams, did he even smile at you?" He'd had a bad experience with Adams before and was surprised when I told him how pleasant he'd been. But he was fine with me and I was glad to have met the man and gotten some very nice prints signed by him. In my book, he's still one of the best comics artists of all time.

Karen: Adams is a controversial figure in many ways, partly for his role in trying to organize the industry, and also for his theories about the Earth,  but leaving that aside, let's just talk about the man's work: when I think of Adams, the words that come to mind are realistic, cinematic, stylistic, dramatic. Long before Alex Ross, Adams brought a sense of realism to comics. Not only his figures and faces but his backgrounds were firmly entrenched in the real world. His storytelling style embraced risk taking, with unusual angles and panel layouts, all done in order to achieve the most dramatic effect. He was actively involved in the plotting of most of the titles he worked on, and in some cases, came up with the stories himself.  He worked for DC and Marvel at the same time, something no one had done, openly, before. He's touched a lot of favorite characters: Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, the X-Men, the Avengers. He's also taught a large number of artists who have been a part of the industry, and he's been emulated by countless numbers of pros and would-be pros. And of course, he's still active today.

Karen: Some of my own favorite work by Adams (besides the K-S War) would include his Batman efforts, particularly the Bat and the Demon (which we reviewed starting here), his X-Men work with Roy Thomas, and I'm also fond of his covers for Adventure Comics featuring the Legion back in the late 60s.

Karen: Now it's your turn. What do you have to say about the prolific Mr. Adams?

Readers' Choice -- It's All Yours Today on the BAB!

Any of our categories are yours for the taking today -- Discuss, Who's the Best...?, Face-Off, the Open Forum, and Spotlight On...  Have fun with it!  -- Karen and Doug

Spotlight On: Chris Claremont

Doug:  Chris Claremont is a guy whose name is almost synonymous with the Bronze Age, and unfortunately also with everything that went wrong with comic collecting in the 1990's.  We all know him from his quality runs on Iron First, Marvel Team-Up, and of course the All-New, All-Different X-Men.  He showed up a few times in the Sean Howe book we recently discussed, Marvel Comics: The Untold Story.  We won't bore you with our own personal rehashing of Claremont's career -- nope, that's your job today.  You can use this link to see a chronological listing of his writing -- you may be surprised where he showed up back in the day!

Doug:  So share with us some personal favorite moments from his career, as well as some low points that maybe left you cold.  If you're like me, his increasingly convoluted X-universe drove me not only away from the mutants, but was a step on the way toward quitting new comics altogether.  I now prefer to dwell on his output from the 1970's, which is of course the general focus around these parts of cyberspace.

Spotlight On... Who Will It Fall On Today?

While Karen and Doug are on vacation in January, our readers have been entrusted with carrying on the daily conversations.  Today's "Spotlight On..." is a do-it-yourselfer.  As we've done in the past, the first commenter gets to pick today's topic of conversation.

Generally speaking, "Spotlight On..." is for single creators.  For example, in the past we've started conversations on Rich Buckler, John Romita, and Joe Sinnott. However, today we're going to focus in on a specific title.  Yesterday, regular reader Inkstained Wretch was beat out (literally by one minute) to set the day's topic.  Since his question actually works just fine under today's category, we're going to run it.  Here it is --


What's the best Silver Age into Bronze Age transition? That is, which established Silver Age comic best maintained -- or even improved -- its quality as it ventured into the Bronze Age?

Thanks for holding it down for us!

Spotlight On... Your Call Today

While Karen and Doug are on vacation in January, our readers have been entrusted with carrying on the daily conversations.  Today's "Spotlight On..." is a do-it-yourselfer.  As we've done in the past, the first commenter gets to pick today's topic of conversation.

Generally speaking, "Spotlight On..." is for single creators.  For example, in the past we've started conversations on Rich Buckler, John Romita, and Joe Sinnott.  We'd appreciate conversations that lean toward the positive side of things; rip jobs should be avoided.  This is not to say that we don't tolerate honesty, but let's try to keep the focus on the meritorious aspect of a life spent in comics.

Thanks for holding it down for us!