Advice on Epic Illustrated?

[JKCarrier]

I know Cerebus isn't as big as he used to be, but if you collected these and the material from Cerebus: The Animated Series, you'd have a full tpb of Cerebus work that most fans have never read and aren't even aware of.

I gather that Sim is barely scraping by as it is...producing a full-color tpb is likely beyond his means. Maybe now that he's selling digital downloads, he could release the material that way.

[hondobrode]

The finished pages by Colan/Nebres/Veitch are stunning. I seldom see shit that looks that good today. The red and green contrast on Galactus' helm is something else.

I really loved Rick's graphic novel, Heartburst. I got it when it first came out and it's just as beautiful today. After Corben, Philippe Caza and Kenneth Smith (points if you know his stuff), Veitch is the only other guy I've seen who colors his own work and achieves those otherwordly tones.

Barry Windsor-Smith does, and I love that he does.

[hondobrode]

I gather that Sim is barely scraping by as it is...producing a full-color tpb is likely beyond his means. Maybe now that he's selling digital downloads, he could release the material that way.

He's also doing some work with IDW.

I'd buy the entire Cerebus run if he released it on Comixology.

[verslibre]

Barry Windsor-Smith does, and I love that he does.

I love BWS '70s/'80s comics work and especially his fantasy art, but the colors on that cover look pretty standard for a mainstream comic. Compare it to what the other guys do and it's clearly not the same. I did like the story in that ish of MF, though.

[hondobrode]

Here are some better examples.









Look past the lower grade of printing in some cases and more to what he put down on paper. I've always been very impressed with his colors.

[verslibre]

This is what I'm getting at.

Corben.




Caza.

[verslibre]

Kenneth Smith.

[Roquefort Raider]

Look past the lower grade of printing in some cases and more to what he put down on paper. I've always been very impressed with his colors.

Makes it understandable why Windsor-Smith got so upset when some genius at Marvel decided to have someone modify his coloring on the Conan one-shot he did for them in the '90s. Photoshop effects! Yeah! That'll make the book look better!

[hondobrode]

Kenneth Smith.

I understand, but IMO BWS has some really nice coloring. It sometimes doesn't come through as well because of the printing process itself, not necessarily how BWS rendered it.

I was surprised that Ken Smith colored his own work. Most of what I've seen from him has been in older zines in b&w.

Corben of course has luscious coloring. I'd forgetten about Caza. They're both on glossier paper, and better printing, like Epic. That makes an obvious difference.

[Bad Wolf]

Michael Golden colored a lot of his own work as well (covers and at least a couple stories I read in Marvel Fanfare); it really popped off the page.

[verslibre]

I was surprised that Ken Smith colored his own work. Most of what I've seen from him has been in older zines in b&w.

His b/w is stellar, up there with like Corben and Niño.






Here's a link to a fantastic Ouroboros frontispiece by Ken Smith. It's a little large to paste here.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pIXRY3y_WJ...y_kensmith.jpg

[shaxper]

Just gotta say that I've been reading more of this series and am still loving it. I'm nearly done with Abraxus and the Earthman and am still loving the heck out of it. The concepts are just so original and out there -- there's a very cool surrealism surrounding the whole thing.

I also read the second Thomas/Russell Elric of Melnibone story arc and was positively enthralled.

Next, I'm going to finish Abraxus, go back and read the Silver Surfer story in #1, read the first Elric arc, read the second Marada arc, and then finish The Last Galactus Story. Then, eventually, I'll probably start a review thread for Dreadstar/The Metamorphosis Odyssey, but I should probably wait a bit before starting another one of those...

I've also gone out and obtained the Marvel Graphic novels of Marada, Dreadstar, The Price GN (Dreadstar related), and the Thomas/Russell Elric gn as a result of all that I've read.

All told, I now own all but 8 issues in the Epic Illustrated run in order to have all these stories, and I'm starting to think I should just finish the darned run and see what I'm missing.

[Captain Jim]

I'm starting to think I should just finish the darned run and see what I'm missing.

Sounds like a plan.