How do you see DC Comics?

That actually made me laugh! It's still sad, though...

I am glad I've wrestled myself free of the Collective.

Glad I made you smile!

In answer to the question posed, I see DC Comics...from a safe and rapidly increasing distance.

Did you do this, Randy? Because this is brilliant.

Yes.

Guess I need a life.

Ok, THAT was good. Nicely done, sir!

One of the things that really irks me right now is how DC sees themselves as celebrities. They're comic book writers!!!

randy77tx wrote:One of the things that really irks me right now is how DC sees themselves as celebrities. They're comic book writers!!!

The cult of celebrity infected the comics industry in the 1990s and it's been getting worse ever since. That's why supposedly 'hot' creators can get away with taking on projects and then continually missing deadlines or even abandoning series' midway through to go and work for other companies, on ly to return and pick up where they left off years later. In my day, if an artist couldn't get an issue out on time, he'd be sacked and replaced by someone reliable, like Sal Buscema.

Or Don Heck.

randy77tx wrote:Or Don Heck.

Yep. Neither Sal nor Don ever seemed to get the level of respect due to them. I don't think I can recall either of them ever missing a deadline (unlike fan favourites of the time like Neal Adams).

We could make a whole list of veterans.

My all-time favorite DC artist will always be Dick Dillin. No matter what was thrown at the guy, he did it. And successfully, I might add. He was the artist to make me believe there were two versions of the trinity. (I can post some examples later, lol.) I loved him paired with Dick Giordano, it was a match in comic book heaven. They complimented each so well. (A lot like Staton and Layton.)

What got me on this was seeing some posts of Jim Lee and he's in a tuxedo and everyone going ga-ga like he's the second coming of Christ. I don't really think Lee is that talented. He's better than Rob Liefeld -- I will give him that.

Seems the late 90s saw comic book art splinter into two spinoffs of mainstream comic book art -- the exaggerated cartoony amateurish look and Liefeld look with equally exaggerated features and impossible poses.

Face it: we're old.

Liefeld:

There's a blog out there somewhere that lists 20 of Liefeld's worst illustrations, and that one really should be on it. He has no idea how a human body works, or how it should look. Where is that woman keeping her internal organs? how is her spine alone supporting that massively overdeveloped top half? At best, anyone built like that would be in a wheelchair and a neck brace.

tony ingram wrote: There's a blog out there somewhere that lists 20 of Liefeld's worst illustrations, and that one really should be on it.

http://www.progressiveboink.com/archive/robliefeld.html

A true internet classic.

Just brilliant. Everything you need to know about Liefeld's 'art', right there. Do you think he knows?

tony ingram wrote:Just brilliant. Everything you need to know about Liefeld's 'art', right there.

That is one of the funniest things I've read in forever. The level of snottiness is off the charts, but it's great!

Mbast1 wrote:

tony ingram wrote:Just brilliant. Everything you need to know about Liefeld's 'art', right there.

That is one of the funniest things I've read in forever. The level of snottiness is off the charts, but it's great!

It may be snotty, but it's accurate!

tony ingram wrote:It may be snotty, but it's accurate!

Snotty might not have been the right word. It wasn't so much sarcastic, but it was all phrased in a demeaning way. And I get that that was the point, and as far as I could see (and from my own reading of Liefeld's works) it's right. Just really funny in how it was written.

Just think: somewhere in the vast outer reaches of the internet, there's a blog labelled "Why Rob Liefeld is the Greatest Comic Artist on Earth". There's bound to be.

There are some weird people on the internet...

the commentary for number 18, the torch / thing drawing, is one of the funniest things i've ever read. i saw this blog when it first came out, and it still makes me laugh til i cry when i read it.

freedumbdclxvi wrote:the commentary for number 18, the torch / thing drawing, is one of the funniest things i've ever read.

I agree. A LOT of it was funny enough to take my breath from laughing, but that one was great.

You know, we've been talking about history and heritage and how DC has abandoned these. And, as you know, I'm determined to write THE Earth-Two history. Well, digging through the earliest issues of DC Comics, I'm blown away at how many characters there are right from the start. Of course, back then, the anthology New Fun Comics was trying to appeal to readers by presenting a wide array of genres -- from funny animals to swashbuckling heroes to detective to Flash Gordon-like characters.

I'm really having a blast discovering DC in its infancy. I wish I had the actual issues and not depending upon secondary sources, but still, this is a wild ride. I highly recommend this blog:

http://comicsodyssey.blogspot.com/

I have a few early issues of World's Finest, and there's more in one issue than in you'd get three or four comics these days!

I have a bunch of scans. (Yeah, I know.) I have a complete run of All-Star Comics and Justice League. And scattered assorted issues. I love the old golden age issues. All of DC's had that heading! And of course, there are sites now with public domain titles. (I even found a site with public domain movies!)

You know, I really miss the anthology titles. I miss the 100-pagers. I wish DC had not given up reprinting the giants and facsimiles. A wonderful way of exploring its deep heritage flushed down the drain. It really makes me sad.

Just look at this!

That is beautiful artwork Have you checked out the classic covers thread we had knocking around here somewhere? I think I posted some GA stuff on that awhile back...

randy77tx wrote:I'm really having a blast discovering DC in its infancy. I wish I had the actual issues and not depending upon secondary sources, but still, this is a wild ride. I highly recommend this blog:

http://comicsodyssey.blogspot.com/

I've always loved reading the GA stuff, it's fun. Do you know that not only can you find them in reprints, but they have also been saved to microfiche? Sometimes you can find them on Ebay. I've never bothered to buy any, but I think you could find a cheap reader and find some good material.

randy77tx wrote:And of course, there are sites now with public domain titles. (I even found a site with public domain movies!)

Archive.org is great for PD stuff. But, I know of a couple of sites with PD GA material (non-DC, of course) and some of it is just great. It's material that's likely never to be reprinted, but it so much fun to get to see and read. I always like finding more.

Mbast1 wrote:

randy77tx wrote:I'm really having a blast discovering DC in its infancy. I wish I had the actual issues and not depending upon secondary sources, but still, this is a wild ride. I highly recommend this blog:

http://comicsodyssey.blogspot.com/

I've always loved reading the GA stuff, it's fun. Do you know that not only can you find them in reprints, but they have also been saved to microfiche? Sometimes you can find them on Ebay. I've never bothered to buy any, but I think you could find a cheap reader and find some good material.

That's how I first came in contact with Jerry Bails. I had some of the microfilm. I donated them to my then local library. It cost a lot of money but I was determined to have a complete run of All-Star Comics. I don't regret a penny. The old golden age material is great. Like I said, you had EVERY thing. Stories were quick, simple. I didn't need to know what happened before, and if something came up, the writer would explain it. It was a marvelous time. That's why I love DC's old 100 pagers.

I used to love those oversized JLA issues that had Golden Age JSA backups. The first one i ever read was "Evil S tar Over Hollywood". Evil Star... Star Sapphire... Hal Jordan' s rogues gall ery weren't averse to stealing other villains' names, were they? .

Uh, is DC trying to cash in on The Avengers? I just noticed how much the JL's first story arc parallels Avengers.

Which goes to show you that Geoff Johns has never had an original idea in his life. This takes "make mine Marvel" to the extreme. JL is basically the Avengers movie. And because Thanos is teased at in the end, DC hauls out Darkseid. Johns is like the Borg. He assimilates everything into the DCU. He did that with Superman the Movie, The Walking Dead, and now Avengers.

The first story-arc of the New 52's Justice League concluded two months ago. The Avengers movie was released two days ago. How could Geoff have ripped it off? Did he see the script early or something? I'm honestly asking, because I feel like I must be missing something.

Geoff Johns is a Hollywood man. I'm sure he could have seen a script. I could be wrong, but too, too many similarities for me.

Oh, okay, yeah. I suppose that makes sense. I haven't seen the movie yet so I haven't had a chance to compare them myself. I forgot Geoff was a movie guy before he was a comic guy.

In hindsight, there are a lot of similarities from plot to timing to background villain.

WARNING: Don't read if you can't tolerate typos.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/03/27/dan-didio-celebrates-his-ten-years-as-a-dc-comics-executive/

Sam_Vimes wrote:WARNING: Don't read if you can't tolerate typos.

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/03/27/dan-didio-celebrates-his-ten-years-as-a-dc-comics-executive/

Smug, self congratulatory and self deluding are the phrases which immediately spring to mind. Hard to believe that one man could achieve so much to the detriment of so many in just ten years.

I know, right? He's done so much damage that I don't know if DC can ever be fully repaired, and he's got the nerve to be PROUD of it. Oy vey.

randy77tx wrote:

It's been removed...can someone let me in on the joke?

It was a series of pictures showcasing how different groups of people view DC. DC, for example, viewed itself as Geoff Johns accepting and award and looking like a celebrity, and its fans as the Borg. I don't remember the rest, unfortunately.

tony ingram wrote:Just think: somewhere in the vast outer reaches of the internet, there's a blog labelled "Why Rob Liefeld is the Greatest Comic Artist on Earth". There's bound to be.

I googled "Why Rob Liefeld is the Greatest Comic Artist on Earth", but thankfully didn't find any such thing.
(If there was one, I guess it disappeared by now . . . )

MajorHoy wrote:

tony ingram wrote:Just think: somewhere in the vast outer reaches of the internet, there's a blog labelled "Why Rob Liefeld is the Greatest Comic Artist on Earth". There's bound to be.

I googled "Why Rob Liefeld is the Greatest Comic Artist on Earth", but thankfully didn't find any such thing.
(If there was one, I guess it disappeared by now . . . )

And if there was, it was probably written by Rob Liefeld.

Just to have fun sometimes, here's a "new" link for the worst (40, this time) Rob Liefeld drawings ever....:

https://www.progressiveboink.com/2012/4/21/2960508/worst-rob-liefeld-drawings

Barry_Allen wrote:Just to have fun sometimes, here's a "new" link for the worst (40, this time) Rob Liefeld drawings ever....:

https://www.progressiveboink.com/2012/4/21/2960508/worst-rob-liefeld-drawings

Brilliant! Rob is such a nice guy, it's a shame he can't draw.

I don't now.

I made a break with DC with the New52 and just don't see a reason to go back unless continuity is restored.

Spektre wrote:I don't now.

I made a break with DC with the New52 and just don't see a reason to go back unless continuity is restored.

But most of it has been restored. The JSA and the Flash family are back, the history of the Titans and the Justice League is back, most of the New 52 stuff has been forgotten about or folded into the previous continuity.

tony ingram wrote:

Spektre wrote:I don't now.

I made a break with DC with the New52 and just don't see a reason to go back unless continuity is restored.

But most of it has been restored. The JSA and the Flash family are back, the history of the Titans and the Justice League is back, most of the New 52 stuff has been forgotten about or folded into the previous continuity.

I thought the idea that "most of it <continuity>" has been restored" was more along the lines of DC saying "everything happened", but not necessarily committing to a firm past history / timeline for all writers to follow. It sounds more like any writer can make use of whatever they want from the past, even if some of the past events contradict other ones.
(Sort of "it happened somewhere" so some characters may have a memory of it.)

As for the JSA is back, well . . . it's not like they have a series of their own. And we had a tease of a planned project that never went any further and doesn't seem all that likely at present. Maybe after Dork Crisis is finished DC might do something, but I don't have all that much confidence.

Several of the JSA had a significant role in Infinite Frontier, and Jay is currently appearing in Flash, so they are around.