CAPTAIN AMERICA #113 - It's all about the Art!
I bought this beat up copy for $7.50
I may have my issues with Steranko the 'person', but he certainly created some of the most memorable handful of issues ever made in comics. Probably no artist in history has less work that is more popular than Jim Steranko.
Captain America #113 was the third of 3 issues he did in 1969 - the first two #110 and #111 interrupted by the origin retelling in #112 that Jack Kirby reportedly had to do in a weekend because Steranko was late.
That's of course what you get from people who are more geared toward design and interesting artistic expressions.... they tend to be a lot LESS geared towards deadlines and structure.
NOTE: According to the ever eager to promote himself Steranko, he penciled, inked, colored and lettered the cover and on the inside, plotted the story (dialogued by Stan Lee), penciled it, had Tom Palmer ink it (other than the 2 page spread that HE inked and lettered), while Artie Simek lettered all but the center spread.
(CAPTAIN AMERICA #113 - cover dated May 1969, on newsstands February 4th, 1969 with cover art by Jim Steranko)
In the issue, we see from the opening splash page, the type of work that would inspire artists for the next couple of decades. Steranko was inspired by a creative genius' from HIS younger days, the amazing Will Eisner, who had a real flair for opening pages in his Spirit stories.
Combined with his obvious love for movies, this opening splash makes perfect sense. 20 years later Frank Miller would beat this idea to death in DKR.
(CAPTAIN AMERICA #113 - cover dated May 1969, on newsstands February 4th, 1969 with art by Jim Steranko)
Speaking of influencing Frank Miller, why doesn't anyone ever mention Steranko's influence on his Sin City? Isn't it obvious?
This is a great sequence from an art perspective, but from an editorial point, it... sure does take up a lot of room to put forth a simple idea. That's why I'm NOT a big fan of editors - it's COMIC books, not BOOKS... it should ALWAYS be about the art and the design and the ability to tell the story with the ART. This does it amazingly.
(CAPTAIN AMERICA #113 - cover dated May 1969, on newsstands February 4th, 1969 with art by Jim Steranko)
Same thing here... what's with all the wasted space?
Well... it LOOKS cool. That's what it's supposed to do. Really, when it comes right down to it... there are really only a handful of comic book STORIES that are worth saying are really GREAT. Most of of them just follow the basic guideline of - Bad Guy shows up, looks like he'll win, Hero beats him.
So make it LOOK good.
(CAPTAIN AMERICA #113 - cover dated May 1969, on newsstands February 4th, 1969 with art by Jim Steranko)
Now THAT is a two page spread. Steranko was great at these...
Really, did we criticize the Image Comics guys for the wrong reasons? Wasn't all of that art supposed to LOOK cool. Did it really matter that the STORIES were... regurgitated drivel? What are Marvel and DC's stories? Regurgitated drivel.
Make it LOOK good.
(CAPTAIN AMERICA #113 - cover dated May 1969, on newsstands February 4th, 1969 with art by Jim Steranko)
I may have my issues with Steranko the 'person', but he certainly created some of the most memorable handful of issues ever made in comics. Probably no artist in history has less work that is more popular than Jim Steranko.
Captain America #113 was the third of 3 issues he did in 1969 - the first two #110 and #111 interrupted by the origin retelling in #112 that Jack Kirby reportedly had to do in a weekend because Steranko was late.
That's of course what you get from people who are more geared toward design and interesting artistic expressions.... they tend to be a lot LESS geared towards deadlines and structure.
NOTE: According to the ever eager to promote himself Steranko, he penciled, inked, colored and lettered the cover and on the inside, plotted the story (dialogued by Stan Lee), penciled it, had Tom Palmer ink it (other than the 2 page spread that HE inked and lettered), while Artie Simek lettered all but the center spread.
In the issue, we see from the opening splash page, the type of work that would inspire artists for the next couple of decades. Steranko was inspired by a creative genius' from HIS younger days, the amazing Will Eisner, who had a real flair for opening pages in his Spirit stories.
Combined with his obvious love for movies, this opening splash makes perfect sense. 20 years later Frank Miller would beat this idea to death in DKR.
Speaking of influencing Frank Miller, why doesn't anyone ever mention Steranko's influence on his Sin City? Isn't it obvious?
This is a great sequence from an art perspective, but from an editorial point, it... sure does take up a lot of room to put forth a simple idea. That's why I'm NOT a big fan of editors - it's COMIC books, not BOOKS... it should ALWAYS be about the art and the design and the ability to tell the story with the ART. This does it amazingly.
Same thing here... what's with all the wasted space?
Well... it LOOKS cool. That's what it's supposed to do. Really, when it comes right down to it... there are really only a handful of comic book STORIES that are worth saying are really GREAT. Most of of them just follow the basic guideline of - Bad Guy shows up, looks like he'll win, Hero beats him.
So make it LOOK good.
Now THAT is a two page spread. Steranko was great at these...
Really, did we criticize the Image Comics guys for the wrong reasons? Wasn't all of that art supposed to LOOK cool. Did it really matter that the STORIES were... regurgitated drivel? What are Marvel and DC's stories? Regurgitated drivel.
Make it LOOK good.
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