Who were the quintessential DC artists?

[shaxper]

When you mention Marvel, most people will automatically visualize a piece of Kirby art. A few others might envision Ditko, Romita Sr, etc. But, generally, speaking, the legendary Marvel artists are pretty well established.

Who were the legends for DC?

Not necessarily the artists who were there at the very begining, but the artists that best captured a distinct look and feel for the DCU. I'd like to hear your opinions.


For me, it's Aparo and Perez, but this is from the very biased perspective of a child growing up in the early '80s who first saw their visuals when picking DCU books off the racks.

[DDM]

George Perez from The New Teen Titans, Crisis On Infinite Earths, Wonder Woman, Justice League of America
Neal Adams from Batman, Green Arrow
Gil Kane from Green Lantern
Kevin Maquire from Justice League/Justice League International/Justice League America
Adam Hughes from Justice League America, Wonder Woman (covers)
Joe Staton from All-Star Comics (JSA), The Huntress, Green Lantern
John Byrne from Superman

[Cei-U!]

In the '30s/'40s: Shuster and his ghosts, Bob Kane and his ghosts, Simon & Kirby
In the '50s: Boring, Dan Barry, Andru/Esposito, Sheldon Mayer
In the '60s: Swan, Infantino, Kane, Kubert
In the '70s: Adams, Aparo, Wrightson, Kirby
In the '80s: Perez, Giffen, Miller

I'm less familiar with the full scope of DC art post-'86 so I don't feel qualified to comment.

Cei-U!
I summon the big guns!

[Mr. Palmer]

When you mention Marvel, most people will automatically visualize a piece of Kirby art.

When you mention DC, I automatically visualize a Kubert cover.

[MDG]

From the answers, this is clearly a generational thing.

I'd add Murphy Anderson to Cei-U's 60s list--his inks added a lot to the look of many, many covers of the era.

And anyone who read Dial B for Blog would add Ira Schnapp.

MDG

[Cherokee Jack]

In the '30s/'40s: Shuster and his ghosts, Bob Kane and his ghosts, Simon & Kirby
In the '50s: Boring, Dan Barry, Andru/Esposito, Sheldon Mayer
In the '60s: Swan, Infantino, Kane, Kubert
In the '70s: Adams, Aparo, Wrightson, Kirby
In the '80s: Perez, Giffen, Miller

I'm less familiar with the full scope of DC art post-'86 so I don't feel qualified to comment.

Cei-U!
I summon the big guns!

I agree with your choices, but I might have a couple of additions.

50s---Sprang, possibly Toth
60s---Andru/Esposito (I'm thinking of WW, Metal Men; War that time forgot)
70s---Novick

[dan bailey]

Kurt Schaffenberger has to go in there as well. Jim Mooney, too. Quite possibly Sid Greene.

Others will no doubt come to mind about the time I hit "submit reply."

Like (added 2 minutes later) Russ Heath.

(2 minutes after that) Walt Simonson, Marshall Rogers ...

(another 2 minutes) Ramona Fradon, Bruno Premani (assuming I'm rembering the Doom Patrol artist's name correctly), John Forte ...

(& again) Nick Cardy ...

(I could go on all day, apparently) Nestor Redondo, Tony deZuniga ...

(once more with feeling) Al Plastino, Mike Sekowsky, George Papp ...

(Must. Stop. Now.) Bob Brown, Fred Ray, Mike Grell ...

[Simon Garth]

when I think of DC, I think "Curt Swan", closely followed by the word "dull".

Unfair on the many excellent artists that they've had, and the occasionally non-dull story, but it's inextricably linked in my mind

[DDM]

Keith Giffen's Legion of the Super-Heroes (pre-Crisis)

[Allan Harvey]

The DC "house style" of the Silver Age was essentially based on the work of Dan Barry: clean, uncluttered and, yes, 'dull' (in a manner of speaking). But then again, I like that style.

For me "DC" = Curt Swan, Kurt Schaffenberger, Joe Kubert, Neal Adams and Nick Cardy. Mike Sekowsky, Carmine Infantino and, er, "Bob Kane" (Shelly Moldoff) loom large too.

Post 1970 or thereabouts, DC and Marvel art styles have been pretty much interchangeable, so I wouldn't include Gil Kane and Perez as intrinsically DC as they did so much Marvel work.

[Reptisaurus!]

In the '30s/'40s: Shuster and his ghosts, Bob Kane and his ghosts, Simon & Kirby

I always picture Sheldon Moldof in my head when I think Golden Age DC. I'm not sure why, or even how much work he did.

In the '50s: Boring, Dan Barry, Andru/Esposito, Sheldon Mayer

Dan Barry did work for DC?

90's: Dan Jurgens, for sure. Norm Breyfogle, maybe?

[Red Oak Kid]

That is certainly a great question, and as you say, it would depend on what era you first encountered the DC universe.

To me it would be Swan and Infantino and Anderson.

And Kubert and Kane a close second.

Marvel would be Kirby, Ditko, Romita and Buscema.

[Reptisaurus!]

That is certainly a great question, and as you say, it would depend on what era you first encountered the DC universe.

I mostly read early through mid seventies DC comics when I was a kid, but that's not the era that first comes to mind when I think "DC Comics." Honestly, I think DC's output then was at one of the lowest ebs, but artistically and creatively.

And my favorite books from that time period are Tarzan and Swamp Thing, neither of which I started following 'till I was well into my twenties.

[Gingold]

When I think of DC, the first images that come to mind are drawings by Dick Dillin, Neal Adams, and George Perez.

[benday-dot]

I was much more into Marvel, but when I did pick up a DC book back in the day it seemed they were invariably drawn by Aparo, Infantino, Swan or Dick Dillin... this last being my favourite of the bunch back in the 70's. Today I might pick Aparo, or the undeniably great Neal Adams.