Steve Ditko

Today's post is about a man who I consider to be among the greatest artists of all time, especially among the world of comic books. His work is high up there on one of my greatest influences. Of course, I am referring to the great Steve Ditko. Below is one of the few known existing photographs of the man. He is an intensely private man, refusing to give an official interview since 1966.

One reason he says he doesn't give interviews is because he "wants the work to speak for itself". Among his vast work from the 1950's onward consists of soem of the wildest and most imaginitive characters known to comics, including:

The Question

The Hawk and the Dove

The Creeper

Dr. Strange, Master of the Mystic Arts

And of course, everyone's favorite wall-crawler

One of the reasons I love his work so much is because his work has a lot of expressionism. The way he draws his characters makes them seem alive, but he does it in a different way than the way Kirby does it. Kirby does a lot of dramatic posing with his characters, done in a very overly dramatized manner. Ditko brings his characters to life through use of camera angles, moody atmosphere, and wonderful facial expressions. I think it would behoove every comic book artist working today to study his work and learn from him.

One of the things I've always noticed about Ditko's work, especially during his run on Spiderman, was that everybody looked incredibly anxious, often looking like they're just about to have a horrible nervous breakdown. I think that actually fit the Spiderman comic, because, let's face it, a lot of those stories were very depressing. Also, I think it just fit the time period as well. Think about it, it's 1963, we just went through the Cuban Missile Crisis, but we're still living with the fear of nuclear annihilation. I think an artist who could represent those feelings would strike a chord with readers. I think all artists strive for that, striking an emotional core with a reader or viewer.

I may not agree with his politics, but damn it all if he's not one of the greatest artists and storytellers of all.

Here are a few places to find out about this great artist:

Steve Ditko's website (operated by Blake Bell)
http://www.ditko.comics.org/

The BBC Documentary In Search of Steve Ditko http://www.dograt.com/category/cartooning/comic-books/in-search-of-steve-ditko/page/2/

This documentary includes interviews with comics masters such as Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, John Romita Sr. (his replacement on Spiderman), Marvel editor Joe Quesada, as well as the one and only... Stan "The Man" Lee. I hope you enjoy.

Until next time,

Happy Trails

My (Hopefully) Respectful Disagreement with Mike Fontanelli

Looking through the blogs that I read constantly, I found a post by John K. about "The Phantom" by Lee Falk and an explanation about why he doesn't like modern superhero comic books. That didn't bother me; what did bother me was Mike Fontanelli's comments that struck me as a bit hypocritical.

Among his comments were and I quote:

Adult males who still read superhero comics are - I'm trying to be diplomatic here - retarded, and in more ways than one.

After a certain age - say, 12 or so - kids are supposed to stop reading comics, and start reading REAL books, WITHOUT staples. Then, hopefully, start dating girls...

Frank Miller made a fortune by cynically appealing to the most backward segment of an already socially and intellectually-retarded segment of American society: ADULT superhero comic book readers, (i.e: "morons")

For all you adult superhero fanboys out there, (are you listening, Colin?) - if you MUST insist on being a retard, at least don't be a retard with delusions of grandeur. Ask your mom to buy you a REAL book!

This strikes me as odd coming from a man who owns and collects childrens toys. Doesn't that send up a few red flags about one's mental maturity. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. I believe that superhero comics can be for anybody. It's all up to the writer and artist to decide what they're product is for. Also, I believe there is no need for anybody to call anybody else a retard. Maybe Mr. Fontanelli should look up the Golden Rule.

However, Mr. Fontanelli does raise good points that comic book writers should look at.

By taking a preposterous concept and making it "darker", he only added a layer of pomposity. As if "moronic" wasn't bad enough, modern superhero comics strive to be moronic AND pretentious!

The old superhero comics didn't have any pretensions. They were fun, old-fashioned escapist entertainment for kids, and the young at heart.

I am finding that many superhero comics writers are trying to be the next Alan Moore or trying to create a new "Dark Knight Returns". The thing that Mr. Fontanelli was missing is that these stories were meant as exploring new territory for superheroes by looking at their sinister aspect, as there always is to any form of fantasy or escapism.

Mr. Fontanelli is always entitled to his opinion, but I just hope he chooses his words more carefully next time. I believe in free speech, but there is a difference between practicing free speech and just being rude.

Until Next Time

The Fall of Modern Civilization (as Evidenced by YouTube)

Today, I wish to talk about a little event that has told me that we are in the decline of modern civilization. This little birdie came from YouTube (who didn't see that one coming?). Now, I was watching videos, when there was a tagline for a video for an artist showing off his drawings. I watched the video, and I felt he had some talent, but he lacked the basic construction to really pull it off. Here's what I posted:

"A nice attempt, but I would work on the artwork. Your work lacks basic construction. "

Here's the reply I got from the director

"It lacks construction because thats the way I want it. Just look at todays best cartoons like Family Guy, The Simpsons, and SouthPark."

I said I pitied him, and he said I shouldn't look at his work if I didn't like it, so I left it alone. Just today, I got this reply from another viewer:

"I don't know what the hell you talking about dude!! Basic Construction?? It is nothing but basic construction but good construction. Just because it isn't tacked with crazy effects and pumped with photoshop doesn't mean it lacks good quality. You have to have alot of guts to down someone else' work. Look at family guy. His isn't pumped with photoshop it's just good quality basic construction work. His work has even been featured in Bodacious mag. How is that bad construction-loser!!"

Here is the video itself so you be the judge of whether I was right or wrong.



See you later

Theory Corner

Nothing about cartoons today. Today it's about an idea that I came up with one day. It started when I was watching History Channel International with a friend. We were discussing religion and views on the afterlife.

It was then I presented an idea that I had been formulating for a while. I brought up The String Theory, the theory that, among other things, there could be extra dimensions or universes. I then brought up how my astronomy teacher said that this could explain the appearance of ghosts. This got me thinking.

What if we are simply reborn spirits of people from another dimension. It's another form of reincarnation. If a person dies in another dimension, their spirit is placed into a new body in this dimension. It may provide another explanation as to why people who come from normal families go insane. They were insane in their past life.

I know it sounds a little crazy, but that's why it's just an idea. If the String Theory is correct, who knows what we may find.

See you next time

Happy Birthday to ME!!

Yes you heard it here. It is my birthday today. I am officially nineteen years old today.

My present just got delivered today. My parents got me the the MAD Archives Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. Both volumes cover the first twelve issues of MAD (back when it was a comic book). It features wonderful artwork from Early Mad regulars such as:

Jack Davis

Bill Elder


Harvey Kurtzman

John Severin


Wally Wood
and the unmistakable Basil Wolverton


I'll give you a review of these books at a later date.

See Y'all Later
Same Weirdo Time
Same Weirdo Blog

Alice in Wonderland (1951) and its effect on Me

I am here to discuss a film that has helped shape my imagination and my widdle psyche: Disney's animated classic Alice in Wonderland. This is a film I have loved ever since I was a little kid. Along with Fantasia, I would watch this nearly everyday. It just had an entirely different atmosphere than any other Disney I've ever come across (with the exception of The Nightmare Before Christmas). Out of all other Disney films, this is at the top of my list of favorites.

But why this particular film? What makes Alice so special to me that I would place above all else as Disney's greatest film? Well, for starters, it is more visually interesting than many other Disney films. The backgrounds and designs for Wonderland are some of the most fascinating work I have ever seen. You can obviously see the obvious influence of Mary Blair in both the looks and use of color.

Another reason for my praise is the amount of bizarre characters and other creatures in this movie. You can see amazing character designs (if a bit over Disneyfied)

You're never going to see a dog like this in Cinderella. However, you can see the Disney influence in the design in the fact that it has the exact same body as Pluto or maybe Bruno from Cinderella. However, it looks a lot cooler than both of them combined. You can also look at the entire Tulgey Wood scene and see all of the delightful bastard children of Mother Nature. Wonderful designs that have helped warp many people's imagination.

Another great aspect of this film was the incredible animation, particularly the scenes supervised by the wonderful Ward Kimball. In other films, it seems like Kimball is being held back and not allowed to be as crazy and innovative as he wanted to be. In this film, Lewis Carroll's world of illogical logic and satire allowed the puckish Kimball to let loose his amazing imagination. Take for example the wonderful "Tea Party" scene. The whole scene reeks of unadulterated hilarity. I just have to remember the line "There's only one way to stop a MAD WATCH!" and I start giggling like a little school girl.

Another reason why this is at the top of my list is because it doesn't contain what John K. calls "fake pathos", or it contains much less than other Disney films. It was a much more different type of story than "Snow White" or "Cinderella". It's not about good and evil, but the illogic of our world. I think that's why Walt considered it a failure. It was a story he didn't quite understand.

However, I have to say that my top reason for loving this movie so much is the title heroine. To me, she was the most human of the early Disney heroines. She wasn't a naive dimbulb like Snow White who just wished for things to happen. She made things happen, even if her curiosity did get her into more trouble than anticipated. She didn't need someone to rescue her. The type of story she got into allowed her to be an independent person. I always admired that since the women in my life were never demure or weak. They made things happen. Alice had a more defined personality than previous heroines.

Now, this is a little confession that I'm about to make. I had, or have a bit of an attraction to the character. She had such a cute design. Her blonde hair and blue eyes make me swoon (No, I'm not a Nazi). I had a storybook of this movie when I was a kid and I would just stare at pictures for hours, admiring her beauty. You can call me sick, but I'm not the only one. Just look at people on DeviantArt and you'll see what I mean. Besides, other people have had crushes on cartoon characters (Uncle Eddie, I'm talking to you about you and Ms. Olive Oyl).

One of the things that also attracted me to this character was her voice. Kathryn Beaumont did such a fantastic job. She fits the part of the proper, well-mannered English girl. She really nailed it with a bullseye.

This is the only way I've ever known Alice. I didn't read the book until just last year. The Disney Alice is the one that has implanted into my mind, for better or worse.

By the way, I have to mention his excellent comic I've found on the internet called "When Curiosity Meets Insanity" by Brianna Garcia and Rain. It deals with a romance between a grown up Disney Alice and the Mad Hatter (physically based on the one from Disneyland). It features a lot of other Disney characters. Excellent artwork and snappy writing make it a must-read. Check it out.

http://community.livejournal.com/curiousinsane/

See y'all later

Same Weirdo Time

Same Weirdo Blog

Jack Davis: World's Greatest Cartoonist

Jack Davis is a fantastic cartoonist who is an inspiration to all cartoonists who have come after him, especially those who work at MAD Magazine. His influence can be seen in the above illustration is done by Tom Richmond, a caricaturist in the same vein as Davis and Mort Drucker. The use of thick lines to define form and cross-hatching to define mass and shadow is definitely a Jack Davis trait. If used correctly, it is absolutely stunning to look at. You can also see his influence on R. Crumb, with his caricatured looking people with cross-hatched shadows.

A big part of what I love about his work is that it's full of personality and life. The drawings suggest constant movement and emotion. The exaggeration of movement and expression gives the stories he draws an extra dimension of appeal. Al Feldstein is quoted as saying, "He gave a lighter touch to some pretty grisly stories."

His drawing style could be very well adapted for animated cartoons, whether it'd be for a more dramatic feature or a wild, laugh-out comedy.


Last, but not least, is his mastery of watercolors. All of the colors in the above image are so well blended, and no primary or secondary colors. If only modern designers could recognize the use of these type of colors. I hope to find these comic books so I can study his work and improve my own. Jack Davis, thank you for all of the wonderful things you've drawn. We are much obliged.

See You Later