Creators: Mike Mignola

Creators

A growing list of influential Artists, Writers, Poets, Filmmakers, and Creatives.

Mike Mignola

This one was a long time coming.  Some of you who know me may have heard me talk about this guy before.  Almost every time I get into a discussion about great comics, I will mention his name.  Mike Mignola is the comic book artist and writer behind the character Hellboy, the BPRD, and many other monsterific stories.  He is a visual storyteller of the highest caliber and a master of his chosen craft.  Secure your goggles and flippers kids, because we are about to dive in!

Creators: Jack Kirby

Creators

A growing list of influential Artists, Writers, Poets, Filmmakers, and Creatives.

Jack Kirby

 This guy has often referred to as the King of Comics, and by gum, he may just be that! 1936 was the year he entered the scene, and even then so much promise could be seen in his work. He worked as an animator, did weekly strips, but eventually he got to do what he was meant do; epitomize comic book storytelling. Creating great characters and stories for both Marvel and DC comics, without a doubt, he left an enormous impact on the art form.

Jack Kirby was without a doubt talented, influential, and prolific, but he also exemplified the quality that all artists, especially comic artists, need: Hard Working. Jack Kirby had one of the most intense work schedules in comic history, and I'm truly baffled at how much he did and how good it turned out. During his heavy days at Marvel and DC, he would complete more than three pages a day and sometimes more than twenty a week.  With how quickly he completed the work, you would think his quality would have dipped, but the opposite was actually true. He always got better.

Creators: Cliff Chiang

Creators

A growing list of influential  artists, writers, poets, filmmakers, and creatives.

Cliff Chiang

Today I wanted to spotlight one of my favorite artists that's currently hard at work making amazing art.  And who should be up today but Cliff Chiang, the fabulous artists behind DC's current run on Wonder Woman (which is awesome by the way!).  Cliff's work is a beautiful balance of classic line-work with a contemporary dynamism that makes his style right for almost anything.

Creators: Alan Moore

Creators

A growing list of influential Artists, Writers, Poets, Filmmakers, and Creatives.

Alan Moore

I like this guy, he's weird.  He's the oddball who cut his name out of the movie adaptations of his works and refused to accept the money for it.  He has weird religious beliefs (more on that Friday), a bizarre dress code, and he thinks comics are the best kind of art (can you guess what I think of him?). Alan Moore is one of my favorite comic writers because he consistantly challenges himself and the medium with complex characters, morally ambiguous stories, and vivid visual storytelling. To keep things brief, I will list off a few of my favorite works by him.

Creators: Alex Ross

Creators

A growing list of inspirational artists, writers, poets, filmmakers and creatives.

Alex Ross

For my return to the blogging world, I will do  my creator piece this week and a favorite of mine, as well as many others, Alex Ross.  Ross has made his reputation for his lifelike watercolor representations of superheroes.  The painting he's working on the above picture is this one.

Yeah, that's watercolor.  His work always looks impressive, and from what I can tell, its a result of an excellent use of reference and a dedication to craft.  In many ways, every one of his images is iconic and eye catching. He goes great pinups.

...beautiful group shots...

...and sweet composites...

Awesome right?  But like I have said before, there are plenty of artists who can make eye popping pinups and groupshots, and others can make killer covers, but the true test of an artists skill are the grueling trenches of interior artwork.  There are plenty of famous artists in the industry (even much beloved ones) that can't tell a coherent story with their artwork.  Does Alex Ross have what it takes?

Yes.

Yes he can.

No Doubt.

Ross does a great job with emotion, expression and body language.  Each image is beautiful on its own.  He has strong compositions which help to make every labor intensive painting worth the effort.

I have a strange relationship to his artwork.  I've often said to others that when it comes to artwork, that I appreciate realism for what it is, but ultimately I prefer stylization and interpretation.  to look at something and draw it as it is strikes me as easier than interpreting what is seen and adding your own flair.  But what makes Ross a special case is his use of composition.  He has dynamic and emotional images that feel at home in a comic book and also feel like your looking into a world not so far from here.  

Though it frustrates me that he is usually put on Cover duty, there are some fantastic books with him rocking the interiors.  A few are: Marvels, Kingdom Come, Justice, the FIRST issue of Masks, and a few large format specials called Batman: War on Crime, Superman: Peace on Earth, and Wonder Woman: Spirit of Truth.

Though i don't foresee copying his style, I hope to one day to look down at my art board and see something that I feel as proud of as he surely does when he looks at his work.  There is no shortage of his artwork out there, so go out and look at it.

Look at IT!

See you Friday.

Creators: Don Bluth

Creators

A growing list of influential Artists, Writers, Poets, Filmmakers, and Creatives.

Don Bluth

Master of his chosen craft, Don Bluth is the animator responsible for many of my fondest childhood memories of movies.  For all who don't know his work from another's, I'll enlighten you on his signature stuff.

Robin Hood (1973)

His first work for Disney started way back with some assistant work on Sleeping beauty (one of my favorites) and then later he did some major work on two of my favorite disney movies ever.  Robin Hood is up there on my list of great animation, as well as The Rescuers, which he also worked on.  Both were watched a squillion times in my childhood.  

An America Tail (1986)

This one was a frequent watch when i was a kid.  But the part of it that I didn't like is what I think makes it stand out as a great story.  When he loses his family, I always got scared and sad for Fievel, and I think that's strength in a story, when you can make people feel unpleasant emotions for a fictional character.

Fievel Goes West (1991)

The goofy sequel has some heart to it, but is mostly entertaining because Jimmy Stewart plays a burping hound dog.

The Land Before Time (1988)

I watched this movie a zillion times and can occasionally hear ducky saying, "yep yep yep" in the back of my brain.  If you didn't see this one (the first one) I pity your deprived childhood, and if you plan on having kids, be sure to share it (the first one) with them.  Most of Bluth's stories get you involved quickly with the characters and then put them in great peril to up the stakes of your involvement. 

Dragon's Lair (1983)

Without a doubt, the first time I saw this game, it left a big impression on me.  Bluth's Idea for this one was grand: Create an animated videogame that played out like a animated movie, but is based off a player's choices.  I felt so inspired when I played through it, and its an amazing bit of animation anyway, let alone for an arcade game from the 80s. 

I started studying animation anatomy and technique after seeing it.

The sequel was even better.

Dragon's Lair 2: Time Warp

Love the piano scene.

Thumbelina (1994)

Thumbelina was watched in my house often thanks to my sister.  This song always hit me where it dances. 

Anastasia (1997)

Anastasia was by far his biggest success, and I have to agree with that, since it is absolutely gorgeous to look at.

And that is Don Bluth in a nutshell.  He did many other great animated movies like The Secret of Nimh and All Dogs go to Heaven, but I stuck to the ones that left an impression on me.  Check out his stuff, you really can't go wrong.

Creators: Bob Kane

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A growing list of influential artists, writers, poets, filmmakers, and creatives.

Bob Kane

I've already covered the creators of Superman, the original superhero, now I'll show my respect for part of the Dynamic Duo that created that weird creature of the night... Batman!  Kane was another Jewish kid with bold ideas and a pen in his hand.  He was high school friends with Will Eisner, and spent much of his earlier career freelancing his skills as an artist (kinda like me).  After Superman bounced onto the scene, Bob along with so many others rushed to create their own costumed superheroes.  Bob's idea came from 3 specific sources:

Douglas Fairbanks as Zorro (from "The Mark of Zorro")

Da Vinci's Ornithopter design

and "The Bat Whispers" from 1930, which gave Kane this...

and this...

and whatever the HELL that is.

So, when Kane put it all together he got...

...this.

Needless to say, we're all glad that his writer pal Bill Finger gave him a few suggestions to improve the look of it.  So by May of 1939, kids would get to look on the stand and see something from their nightmares swinging off the page.

 

For 10 cents back in 1939 you could buy the first issue of Batman.  Kane and Finger went on to establish the look, feel, and prowess of their new detective, and quickly found that their character struck a chord with its readership.

Though fairly crude, his artwork became a standard of comic work, and like all artists got better with time.

I love Bob's Joker.  There's no silliness here, he's just downright scary.

and he'll kill you!

Robin was apparently supposed to be the Watson to Batman's Sherlock.  but why didn't he wear pants?

Besides, Batman works better alone.

To make a long story short (too late) Bob the humble artist left a pretty enormous impact on the world with his funnybook idea.  That's my plan too.

 Long live the Bat-Man!

Creators: Ray Harryhausen

Creators

A growing list of influential artists, writers, poets, filmmakers, and creatives.

Ray Harryhausen

This week, I've come back to the blogging game, and I couldn't think of doing a creators post about anyone other than Ray Harryhausen (1920-2013), the father of special effects and stop motion animation.  The man is responsible for the state of digital effects we have today due to his own innovation and implementation of stop motion effects.  Peter Jackson, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and so many others wouldn't have been inspired to create bigger without the movies the Harryhausen added his magic to.

But enough talk, lets get to showing off why Ray will never be forgotten.

Mighty Joe Young (1949)

Now lets be clear, he didn't invent the process of stop motion animation.  Willis H. O'Brien invented the process for the film The Lost World (1925) and made famous in King Kong (1933).  Harryhausen was inspired by what he saw, and decided to get into animating.  What Ray did with stop-motion that set him apart was his ability to integrate complex creatures and actions into equally complex live-action sequences.  Mighty Joe Young was just the beginning.

The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms  (1953)

 

This one has one of my favorite Harryhausen creatures.  Who doesn't love a giant rampaging lizard.

It Came From Beneath the Sea (1955)

You don't really need a plot for this one.  Giant octopus attacks San Francisco: GO.  Here we see Harryhausen's love of tentacled monsters first come out.  We'll see more of this later.

The Animal World (1956)

 Now here is a gem.  This sequence is full of old science and illogical anatomy, but Ray makes you believe those movements.  its in the details, the moving while remaining still that trick you into thinking its alive.

This brief clip was a test for one of his dream jobs, animating effects for a War of the Worlds rendition.  Sadly it never happened, but its still neat to see an animators fan art.  So lets move on from giant raidioactive monsters and get fantastic.

Earth Vs the Flying Saucers (1956)

No tentacles here, just spinning saucers.  Highly influential on Tim Burton, I must say.

The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)

This is all kinds of Harryhausen awesome.  I love the movement of the cyclops the most.  Take a moment to realize that he had to think of these movements one frame at a time, at 30 frames per second. 

Mysterious Island  (1961)

Watch for the bee, its amazing.

Jason and the Argonauts (1963)

 Dynarama!

Now here is the most jaw dropping scene Ray ever did, in my opinion.  just enjoy it.

One Million Years BC(1966)

Dinosaurs and Raquel Welch: what more could anyone ask?

The Valley of Gwangi (1969)

 Gotta love Cowboys and dinosaurs. Watch that tail swish!

The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974)

Six armed sword fighting goddess... Take that General Grievous!

Clash of the Titans (1981)

Here we have arguably the most famous of his works.  Here we see Harryhausen, going out in style, by pulling out every trick he learned in his career: undulating snakes, flapping birds, jittery insects, graceful men, and twitching tentacles.  Here is the last example of his patented Dynarama, being put to good use.  I think his mind always existed in myth and fantasy; in the distant past or far into the future.  He lived through his imagination so we could expand our own.

Lets send him off right.  We'll miss you Ray.

Creators: Shel Silverstein

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A growing list of influential artists, writers, poets, filmmakers, and creatives.

Shel Silverstein

There are some people that just have so much stuff inside them that they nearly burst with it.  And finding just one way to let it out isn't enough, they have to keep trying different ways to let it out.  That "it" is extremely important to them.  "It" is so important that it must be shared any way they can.

That is the way Shel Silverstein was.

There is much to be inspired by here.  By his artistic craft, his poetry writing, and his idea construction.  There is something about the way he writes that makes it whimsical enough for children yet profound enough for adults.  He has a flair for silliness as well as sensitivity.  I once tried to write poetry like he did... I couldn't quite master it.
But, he was not only a poet and an artist, but he was also a playwright and songwriter.

Here's him with Johnny Cash Singing the song he wrote" a Boy Named Sue."  I still laugh whenever I here him sing.
His work is widely known, so I don't think I need to explain it, so I'll just share some favorites.

It doesn't take much to be hilarious.

The giving tree, in search of selflessness.

Some things are worth listening to.

So long.

Creators: Tim Burton

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A growing list of influential artists, writers, poets, filmmakers, and creatives.

Tim Burton

Whether you like him lately or not, at some point you loved something that this guy had a hand in.  Some think that he has "jumped the shark" or has become a parody of himself, but in spite of either I can't help but admire Tim Burton for being an artist that's true to himself... or at least, a version of himself.  

But hell, I wouldn't have chosen to talk about Tim Burton as an artist/filmmaker that I admire if I just wanted to gripe about him.  To be honest, there's a lot more to like about Tim Burton and his work than to dislike (as far as I'm concerned.

I'll start with the fact that he was a Disney animator back in the 80s, with apparently some uncredited work on that horrible Black Cauldron movie and not much else.

He was let go for wasting too much time animating his own pet project called "Frankenweenie."

Soon after he directed a version of Aladdin that involved Robert Carradine from Revenge of the Nerds, Leonard Nimoy, and James Earl Jones.  Never thought all of them would be together for a project?  You can definitely see the budding style that Burton will come to be known for.  Plus, freaking Darth Vader as the Genie... Awesome.

Next on this list is a childhood favorite of mine, Pee Wee's Big Adventure.  If you've never seen this, or haven't seen it since you were a kid, you're due for a rewatch. You have only yourself to blame if you hate it.  I still will occasionally tell people "Large Marge sent me."

BEETLEJUICE!  I have to say, I wish Keaton was still making movies with Burton, because I think he would liven them up...

...like this.

Burton's Batman movies are my favorite live action versions of the character.  I love Nolan's trilogy, but the Gothic Gotham and graphic designs of Burton's two films feel like batman.  It also helps that Keaton is my favorite Bruce Wayne/ Batman.  He plays it weird and detached like Batman aught to be.

I think Returns is my favorite of the two.

Can't talk about Tim Burton without talking about his stop motion.  I attribute any stop motion film done today as resulting from the creation of this movie.  It made stop motion a viable storytelling medium rather than an outmoded special effect tool.

There are many more Burton creations I could laud (Ed Wood, Edward Scissorhands, Mars Attacks, Sleepy Hollow) but I think I'll just skip to the one I like most.

Big Fish is a spectacular film.  In some ways it doesn't feel like a Tim Burton movie, and I think that is why it has such a transcendent feeling about it.  He didn't get caught up in his "Schtick" and worked hard to tell a story well.  There were a few Burton-y moments, but the overall palette of this movie is much more colorful than most of his other work. Instead of getting only the gloomy and subdued parts of life, we see life in its full spectrum: From gloom and mystery to triumph and wonder.  In big fish, we see the artist in Tim get out of his comfort zone and express something that reaches out beyond his usual audience and strikes a chord with the world beyond Edward Gorey's neighborhood.

So long.