Artists who don't suck when they get old.

[StoneGold]

Sadly, most artists have a quality drop off after they hit a certain age. Whether it be due to arthritis, failing eyesight, or they just start to suck, it happens. Sad, but a fact of life.

That said, there are some old-timers out there that can still pencil with the best of them. This is less about the guys who have fallen apart, more about the few who can still amaze you with their regular sequential work (pinups don't count, because half the time, it seems like they can still do that, but their sequential work is terrible). So what older guys (or girls, because IIRC from the last time I saw her work, Marie Severin still has it), who's still got it?

[howyadoin]

Carried over from the other thread - Joe Kubert and Tony De Zuniga.

[StoneGold]

Carried over from the other thread - Joe Kubert and Tony De Zuniga.

I don't think I've seen any of De Zuniga's work recently. What's he done lately?

[howyadoin]

I don't think I've seen any of De Zuniga's work recently. What's he done lately?#s 5 and 9 of the latest Jonah Hex book.

[Loren]

So what older guys (or girls, because IIRC from the last time I saw her work, Marie Severin still has it), who's still got it?

Speaking of which: John Severin.

I don't think I've seen any of De Zuniga's work recently. What's he done lately?

I know he's done some fill-in issues for "Jonah Hex."

[Ray R.]

Carried over from the other thread - Joe Kubert and Tony De Zuniga.

Kubert hell yeah.

I'm pretty sure Carl Barks didn't start drawing ducks until he was in his early forties (he did other jobs and Disney animation first).

Eisner might have gotten better as a storyteller after he turned sixty and concentrated on graphic novels.

George Tuska started in the late thirties and probably did his best work in the late sixties and seventies. I think he might still do commissions....

[Kid Omega]

John Severin
Any of the MAD guys
Eisner

I dunno... I mean, how old are we talking here?

[DubipR]

Gene Colan still looks damn sharp these days.

[howyadoin]

Speaking of which: John Severin.Oh yeah, definitely.

[DoctorDoom]

I agree about Joe Kubert. And the MAD artists.

[Slam_Bradley]

I dunno... I mean, how old are we talking here?


That's kinda what I was wondering. I mean Alfredo Alcala didn't start doing American comics until he was right at 50.

[Kid Omega]

That's kinda what I was wondering. I mean Alfredo Alcala didn't start doing American comics until he was right at 50.

Moebius just turned 70.

[Slam_Bradley]

I'm pretty sure Carl Barks didn't start drawing ducks until he was in his early forties (he did other jobs and Disney animation first).


Barks was 40 or 41 when he did his part of Donald Duck Finds Pirate Gold. He was 67 when he retired from drawing comics. His later paintings were gorgeous, however.

I haven't seen anyone named so far that I disagree with.

I'd add Sam Glanzman who gets far too little work.

[morna]

I submit Stan Sakai who IMHO just keeps getting better.

[StoneGold]

Moebius just turned 70.

Honestly, his stuff has dropped off. Or at least, his art in the Halo graphic novel wasn't as good as the other stuff of his I've seen.

[DubipR]

Jordi Bernet's sill got it. His work today looks just as good as it did in some issues of Spirou back in 65/66

[Kid Omega]

Honestly, his stuff has dropped off. Or at least, his art in the Halo graphic novel wasn't as good as the other stuff of his I've seen.

I would say that two pages is no indication of what he's up to.

Especially two pages of an obvious, work-for-hire, don't-give-a-shit book.

When he puts out another book of hgis own, we'll be able to judge.

I only brought him up becaus ethe parameters for what constitutes "old" are unclear.

[StoneGold]

I would say that two pages is no indication of what he's up to.

Especially two pages of an obvious, work-for-hire, don't-give-a-shit book.

When he puts out another book of hgis own, we'll be able to judge.

I only brought him up becaus ethe parameters for what constitutes "old" are unclear.

Old is pretty much what you call it. I guess I could just say 60 or something, but it's more like porn, you know it when you see it.


As for Moebius, like I said, from what I've seen of his work, it's dropped off. Which was Halo. What else has he done lately?

[StoneGold]

And because I've said it elsewhere, but not here, Russ Heath.

[howyadoin]

How 'bout we substitute "late in their career" for "old"?

[DubipR]

How 'bout we substitute "late in their career" for "old"?

I can go with that.
Put Gulacy in that catagory then. His work looks better than it ever has

[Athena Bast]

I'd like to say Sienkiewicz but he's only 50.

[DocAbsurd]

Al Williamson.

I've seen that man work a ballpoint pen until it wept. Without ever lifting the pen from the paper.

[DubipR]

Ploog is in his mid 60s and still looks good today

[morna]

Thanks howy. I won't say that Stan's old - heck, he's only a couple years older than me. But he's been doing Usagi for twenty or so, so I figure he counts.

[DubipR]

Al Williamson.

I've seen that man work a ballpoint pen until it wept. Without ever lifting the pen from the paper.

Good call on Al. One of the best underrated inkers working still today

Oh....hell, Will Elder's artwork is still holding up

[StoneGold]

Steranko hasn't done sequential in decades, has he? His pinups are still tops, but that violates my own rules.

[JeffreyWKramer]

I can go with that.
Put Gulacy in that catagory then. His work looks better than it ever has

Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's not. From the second issue on, his art on the MASTER OF KUNG FU revival a few years back was dreadful beyond words.

[Charles RB]

Carlos Ezquerra is still a master (and insanely fast).

[Ray R.]

Ploog is in his mid 60s and still looks good today

Good call on Ploog.

Which reminded me that Richard Corben still does great work too.

[StoneGold]

Good call on Ploog.

Which reminded me that Richard Corben still does great work too.

Assuming he's not working on Ghost Rider.

[StoneGold]

Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's not. From the second issue on, his art on the MASTER OF KUNG FU revival a few years back was dreadful beyond words.

His more recent Marvel work has been pretty top notch. That Hyperion vs. Nighthawk mini he did with Guggenheim was excellent.

[Ray R.]

Assuming he's not working on Ghost Rider.

Haven't seen it. I'm thinking of the Punisher one-shot, the Bigfoot mini, the Conan issue, and the Luke Cage series he did not too far back.

[morna]

Did a very nice little Hellboy thing too.

[Paul McEnery]

Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's not. From the second issue on, his art on the MASTER OF KUNG FU revival a few years back was dreadful beyond words.

I hate to say it, but I don't think any of Gulacy's output since the first MOKF had as much intensity.

I tell you who has kept up -- when he takes the time -- is Jim Starlin. Kid Kosmos will not set the world on fire, and for us old timers, it's more of the same but for a younger audience. But by God the art is sharp.

[StoneGold]

I tell you who has kept up -- when he takes the time -- is Jim Starlin. Kid Kosmos will not set the world on fire, and for us old timers, it's more of the same but for a younger audience. But by God the art is sharp.

I'll take the word for it with that "when he takes the time" modifier, because that Death of the New Gods mini was terrible. The design on the Source was just laughable.

[Ray R.]

I tell you who has kept up -- when he takes the time -- is Jim Starlin. Kid Kosmos will not set the world on fire, and for us old timers, it's more of the same but for a younger audience. But by God the art is sharp.

Good call. I thought of him too. I was pleasantly surprised by the narrative complexity and sharp linework of his Mystery in Space series.

[StoneGold]

Haven't seen it. I'm thinking of the Punisher one-shot, the Bigfoot mini, the Conan issue, and the Luke Cage series he did not too far back.

It didn't help that it was rather jarring compared to Saltares and Texiera who preceded him. The art was beyond terrible. Flat, dull, confusing, bad. It was kind of funny at the time though, reading posts from people who don't know who Corben is, assuming this was Marvel punishing us with some crappy new talent, not realizing that this is the guy who, amongst other things, drew the Bat out of Hell cover for Meat Loaf, a guy who knows his demonic bikers. In that it should have been great, in theory.


But the art still sucked, and as far as I know, it was the last sequential thing he did.

And the Cage thing kind of sucked too, but honestly, I remember the terrible story more than the art. Banner was pretty good, though.

[Ray R.]

It didn't help that it was rather jarring compared to Saltares and Texiera who preceded him. The art was beyond terrible. Flat, dull, confusing, bad. It was kind of funny at the time though, reading posts from people who don't know who Corben is, assuming this was Marvel punishing us with some crappy new talent, not realizing that this is the guy who, amongst other things, drew the Bat out of Hell cover for Meat Loaf, a guy who knows his demonic bikers. In that it should have been great, in theory.


But the art still sucked, and as far as I know, it was the last sequential thing he did.

And the Cage thing kind of sucked too, but honestly, I remember the terrible story more than the art. Banner was pretty good, though.

He's got a website reachable by typing his name, and it's got a checklist of his work. He seems to still be pretty active for a guy who's pushing seventy. Again, I haven't seen the Ghost Rider issue, so I can't comment.

As for the Cage story, I wasn't overly enamored with the story either, but I thought the art was gritty and urban and dingy and realistic, particularly compared to the stereotypical Sesame Street-brownstone approach to inner city ghetto you usually see in comics.

For me, there's a visceral fleshy feel to Corben's art. Very organic and faux-realistic. His figures are still cartoony to an extent, though. It's an interesting mesh of styles.

[Paul McEnery]

Good call. I thought of him too. I was pleasantly surprised by the narrative complexity and sharp linework of his Mystery in Space series.

Yup.

And I can't tell you how pissed I am that DC turned that into a two volume set so they could force me to buy The Weird again.

Which was nobody concerned's best work the first time round, looks like utter shit in the reproduction, and in any case I've still got them (I think), so why should I have to buy them again?

Wait till I find it used, I think.

[Paul McEnery]

I'll take the word for it with that "when he takes the time" modifier, because that Death of the New Gods mini was terrible. The design on the Source was just laughable.

Not helped by his inker there, that's for sure.

And after looking at the last issue to get up to speed for the Crisis and whatnot, not much of a story there.

One for the money, I think.

(Also, you get all that story, and then the climax happens off camera in Countdown; I think we all heard the contempt in the voice when he interviewed this comic, but we couldn't tell if it was schtick or what; what, I think.)

[berk]

I think Starlin and DotNG was just a case of a mismatch between the project and the writer/artist. Which sounds funny, because everyone thinks of Starlin as a Kirbyesque guy, but the stories he wants to tell, the things he has to say just don't fit well with the New Gods concept, which is built around an entirely different set of ideas.

Of course he was handcuffed by DC editorial as well - forcing him to make Superman the main character in the series, messing up the interaction with Countdown, undermining his story's climax, etc.

From the issues I looked at, you could see he was trying hard to make up for what he'd done in Cosmic Odyssey, but even with what look to me like good intentions this time round, he ended up mistreating the New Gods idea almost as badly as in that earlier debacle.

[Loren]

Any of the MAD guys

Sergio Aragones is 70. And I thought Jack Davis was dead, but apparently he's still kickin' at 83.

[thehod]

Jim Aparo's art didn't drop in quality one iota. Neither did Dick Sprang's.

Joe Colquhoun was another artist who was always magnificant, and like Ezquerra, was insanely quick.

[gary bolt]

http://www.ovationtv.com/Images/people/pablo_picasso_372x495.jpg

Oops, wrong thread.

[Mac Danny]

Rick Geary is only 62 but his work still looks great I think.

Does Neal Adams work get better the crazier he gets?

[StoneGold]

Rick Geary is only 62 but his work still looks great I think.

Does Neal Adams work get better the crazier he gets?

I don't know, that cover on that book he did this week kind of sucked.

[Dizzy D]

Old is pretty much what you call it. I guess I could just say 60 or something, but it's more like porn, you know it when you see it.


As for Moebius, like I said, from what I've seen of his work, it's dropped off. Which was Halo. What else has he done lately?

The penultimate issue of XIII (well it and the final issue were published on the same date: November 2007). It was pretty good. Not his best work, but not bad.

Haven't seen any recent work of Starlin (and with recent I mean "at least since the 90s") that comes even close to his work on Warlock and Captain Marvel.

[The Batman]

I think Steve Rude is going to be one of these guys. He's 52 now and showing no sign of decline.

[Cyke]

I'm still a bit unsure as to what qualifies as old, but I'll just say that I never get tired of Alan Davis' work.

[Spike-X]

Jim Aparo's art didn't drop in quality one iota.

Agreed. It's just a shame that some of his later work (I'm thinking specifically of his Batman issues from the late 80s) was inked by Mike DeCarlo, and looked like he'd been coming off a week-long bender. Shaky, shaky linework.

[DubipR]

Wow..I can't believe we haven't mentioned John Romita.
I still think Sal Buscema looks nifty today. Curious, what's the latest thing Marie Severin's drawn?