comics!! good
TRANSCRIPT
What Defines A Comic?
Comics are a sequence of images that tell a narrative
Comics tend to display everyday life lessons
•There is a dominance of images over text
•Text is represented in word or thought bubbles
Spiderman Comic
Why People Read Comics
Allow people to dream and fantasize escaping hardships of everyday life
Short stories allow people who are visual learners to easily become engaged in the story
The Significance of ComicsComics provide society with ideals:
•Superman as an icon reflects the stereotypical hero (cape, boots, muscular)
Alex Ross. Superman
History of Comics•The earliest form of a narrative told through sequential pictures include:
Greek friezes
Athena and Alcyoneus, (frieze) Greece 180 BCE
Eqyptian hieroglyphs Roman Columns
Trajan’s Column, (Column) Rome, Italy 113 CE
(Heiroglyphic ) Dendera, Eqypt
•Began as simplistic Sunday strips and as they grew in popularity they became daily strips
•In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s comics were introduced in America and Europe
The Upside -Downs. Sunday Press. 1903-1905
•Today comics can be found in newspaper, magazines, comic books, graphical novels and on the internet
•Comics established itself as an art form in the late 19th and early 20th century
Comic book
Newspaper
Internet comic
Basic Art Styles Found in Comics
Freestyle (Cartoony) :
•uses a variety of line widths
Adventure style (realistic):
•Uses a more literal or realistic interpretation of the human anatomy•Characters
have a rounded simplified anatomy
Alex Ross. Joker tintin
Carl Barks. Walt Disneys Comics, (Dell) 1948
Wayne Boring. Action Comics ,1954
Freestyle Adventure Style
Steps To Creating A Comic
Idea :
-can result from a question
-based on a character
-concept (ex .time travel)
Wonder Woman
Penciler:
-uses only pencil to create comic
-responsible for overall look to comic
-pencil used to make future changes
Sketch of Spiderman
Inker:
-takes penciled art and goes over in ink to make final
-ink adds a 3D look
-by inking easier to copy and colour
Spiderman
Colourist:
-adds colour, lighting and shading
-important because the colour needs to remain consistent
-brings life and creates a look
Todd McFarlane. Amazing Spiderman
Progression of Comics Throughout the Ages
The progression of comics can be classified into three ages:
Golden Age
Captain America. 1941
Silver Age
Stan Lee. Fantastic Four. 1966
Bronze Age
Todd McFarlane. Spawn
•Very simplistic cartooning style
•The archetype of a superhero was defined and created (ex. Superman , Batman, Captain America)
Golden Age (1930’s- 1950’s)
Fred Ray. Superman. 1942
•1954- Comics Code Authority was created to regulate content in comic books
Silver Age (1956- 1970)
•Superheroes were re-introduced
•Comics were blamed for the rise of juvenile crime
Gil Kane. Green Lantern
•More mature themes ( drug use/ alcohol/sex)
Bronze Age (1970- 1985)
•Minority heroes were introduced (ex. Luke Cage)
•Realism
•Darker plot elements were introduced
Luke Cage
Will Eisner
Will Eisner
•As a boy sold newspapers and read the comics called pulps found in the papers
•Inspired by movies, the pulps, and New York environment
•He enjoyed comics and wanted a more mature expression so he created the graphic novel: the Father of the Graphic Novel
•Born Brooklyn, New York (1917- 2005)
He is also know as the creator of The Spirit (popular in 1940s)
Will Eisner, The Spirit. 1947
He was recognized for his ability to create captivating atmospheres ex. night sky, fuming sewers
Recognized for style (splash-pages) - one picture filling the page like a movie poster with the lettering fully integrated into the image
•The Will Eisner Comic Industry Award- given to artists who show great creativity in American comic books
Eisner Award
Osamu Tezuka
Japanese artist inspired by the Western World –primarily Disney
Osamu Tezuka
Born Osaka, Japan (1928-1989)
Osamu Tezuka, Astro boy. 1952
Kazuki Takahashi, Yu Gi Oh. 1998
His art style was also Disney inspired- known for his large saucer eyes which has become a staple in manga
Walt Disney. Mickey MouseDavid Mc Kay. Philedalphia 1931
Tezuka is a pioneer to creating the cinematic feel to manga which is continued today
His composition and assortment of images and close-ups and perspectives created this feel
The use of these many frames creates a mood Large
eyes Osamu Tezuka, JUNGLE TAITEI. 1997
Osamu Tezuka. Kimba the White Lion. (Anime, Mushi Prodcutions) America 1965
Don Hahn. The Lion King, (film, Walt Disney Studios) Florida 1994
Bob Kane
Bob Kane
•Born New York City, New York (1916 – 1998)
•He is credited for the creation of Batman
•Bill Finger (salesperson who dreamed of becoming a writer) helped design Batmans costume
Bill Finger
•Bob made Batman a super-hero vigilante and Finger made him a scientific detective
•DC wanted more heroes to match the popularity of Superman, in response he created Batman
Bob Kane. The Batman. DC comics 1939
Batman was an immediate hit because he was different
Bob Kane. Comic book. Batman. 1940
He was unique in the 1940s because he did not have any powers- regular human
Batman's success has led to several comic books, a newspaper strip version, movies, and several television series
Bob Kane and Batman
Gil Kane Born Riga, Latvia (1926-2000)
Gil Kane
He is recognized for his emotionally charged characters and innovative staged fights
He was a thoughtful spokesperson for the comic industry and helped it get the attention it deserved
Gil Kane later years
Primarily worked on westerns, science fiction
Gil Kane. All Star Western. June 6 1958Gil Kane. Strange Adventrues. 1950s
Science fiction Western
Greatest contribution is that he redesigned the look of many super hero characters (costumes)
Gil Kane. Green Lantern. 1959.
Shledon Moldoff. Green Lantern. 1940.
Kane also challenged the Comics Code and had it re-vamped for his work on the Amazing Spiderman issues 96-98
Issue very controversial because mention of drugs is forbidden (character overdoses on LSD)
Jim Lee
Born in Seoul, South Korea (1964)
Jim Lee 2007 San Diego
He went to Princeton University and obtained a degree in Medicine
As a child he always loved art. After his degree he decided to take an art course and decided to go into comics
Jim Lee. cover art. X-Men(late 1980s early 90
His work on X-Men with Marvel gave him great success having sales of 8 million copies in the first issue
He is well known for his work on X-Men
Lee designed new costumes for many X-Men characters which led to his popularity. He defined the look of X-Men for years to come.
Jack Kirby. Cyclops Jim Lee
Art style:
•crisply hatched line •rigid
•idealized anatomical forms
Jim Lee. The DC Comics and Wildstorm Art of Jim Lee. 2010
He established a new stylistic standard for super hero comic book illustration, (idealized anatomy) he also introduced penned inking instead of brushed inking
Bob Kane. Batman . 1940
Jim Lee. Batman
Jean GiraudBorn Val-de-Marne, France (1938)
Jean Giraud
He reached fame with his real name and fictitious Moebius
Influential french artist who brought comics to an adult audience
Ligne Claire:
-Clear line
-Uses clear strong lines to outline things of importance
-Cartoonish characters on a realistic background
Tin Tin
Giraud used extreme realism in beginning of career working on Westerns
Jean Giraud. Adventures of Lieutenant Blueberry
Metal Hurlant (Screaming Metal)
One of first expressions of adult oriented comics
Horror and science fiction stories
Frank Miller
Frank Miller
Born Maryland, U.S. (1957)
The nature of his works appear dark and mature
Inspiration often came from his environment:
New York´s Hells Kitchen influenced: Daredevil, Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again
Los Angeles influenced: Sin City
The comic industry was in need of change and Miller expanded the relationship between adults and comics
•Darker plot elements
•More realistic stories
•Mature: sex, profanities
Frank Miller. Sin city
Batman The Dark Knight Returns and Batman Year One have had the greatest impact on modern comics
Batman is redefined in these comics
Frank Miller. Batman The Dark Knight Returns. 1986
Frank Miller. Batman Year One. 1987
Miller created a darker Batman filled with corruption, politics, and conflicts of the human spirit
Batman The Dark Knight Returns
Complex characters, more realistic resembling common street dwellers with a thirst for killing
Shows a very aggressive and angry batman
Miller wanted to bring out the dark and tortured side of Batman in these works
Batman Year One
Sin City directed at the adult audience
Sexually graphic novel involving strip clubs and various sex scenes
More adults began reading comics
Sin City
Frank Miller. Hell and Back Frank miller. That Yellow Bastard
Several volumes of Sin City. Uses different colour to draw attention to an area or character. Not always red!
Older heroes come out of retirement to fight crime in the 80´s
Referred to as heroes but none actually have powers except Doctor Manhattan
Watchmen
Alan Moore. Watchmen.
Watchmen´s heroes are said to stray from tradition (ex. sexually motivated)
Alan Moore. Watchmen.
Very mature, dark (violent)
This series deconstructed the concept of a hero by building up its heroes with gadgets, costumes, secret identities to let that concept collapse on itself showing that super heroes are impossible and aren´t needed
Dave Gibbons. Watchmen
Watchmen deconstructs the hero by developing its heroes . . . to the point where the reader comes to understand that these fantasies, realized, become nightmares.“
- Ian Thomas (Deconstructing the Hero)
Todd McFarlane
Born Calgary, Alberta, Canada (1961)
Is a writer, artist, manufacturer, and media entrepreneur
Unique art style and controversial story telling led to his success
Todd McFarlane
He left Marvel to form Image Comics were he created Spawn
Spawn became 90´s most popular hero
Todd McFarlane. Spawn. 1991
1994 He founded McFarlane Toys creating Spawn action figures and then branched out to sports, animation, video games
Spawn Football Player Elvis
Alex Ross
Alex Ross
•Born Portland, U.S (1970)
•A painter known for his photorealism
•He has brought realism to classic comic heroes
•Inspired by his mother who was a commercial artist and after seeing Spider-man for the first time he was in love with the idea of colourful characters performing good deeds
Spiderman. Television
series. 1967
Sketch by Andrew LoomisAlex Ross. Painting.Batman
•He was influenced by the realism of Andrew Loomis which led him to his realistic style
•He often uses photo references, and hires models or uses friends and family to pose so that he can get specific poses, proper lighting, and the creases in the clothing
Alex Ross. Superman Peace on Earth. 1999
He does more covers and posters because of the time needed to make a picture.
Alex Ross. Justice. 2005 Alex Ross. Green Hornet.
ComparisonGold Silver Bronze
A hero has been redefined, becoming more realistic.
Bob Kane. Batman. 1939
Jim Lee. Batman
Frank Miller. Batman The Dark Knight Returns
Bronze Age Heroes
Alex Ross. Superman Peace on Earth. 1999
Frank Miller. Jim Lee. Batman and Robin The Boy Wonder
http://abovethestore.blogspot.com/2009/02/rewinding-watchmen.html
Works Cited
http://comicssilverage.org/
http://lambiek.net/artists/m/miller.htm
http://superherouniverse.com/wiki/Jim_Lee/index.html
http://www.lambiek.net/artists/k/kane.htm
http://www.willeisner.com/biography/index.html
Sabin, Roger. Comics, Comix and Graphic Novels A History of Comic Art. London: Phaidon Press Limited, 1996.
http://bing.search.sympatico.ca/?q=Bob%20kane&mkt=en-ca&setLang=en-CA