Kirby had a crude style but it conveyed power and depth. To me, the greatest of the superhero artists. When I see his 60s and 70s art, it just screams what cosmic and comic means to me....No one will ever approach his epic style.... no one.
I love Kirby's stuff. I don't think his style was crude though. It was crude at times and very refined at other times. I think it depended on how much he was drawing at any one time. Especially in the early Marvel days. Kirby's 1950s Challengers of the Unknown was way more refined than his early FFs. It's kind of amazing.
I've heard the criticism of "Coloring book inking" so many times applied to so many inkers over the years that I'm kinda immune to it now. It was funny the first time but it becomes meaningless by the 20th time. Besides, I like coloring book art.
I like Vince Colletta work the most, It's more expresive and innovative to me, I like that thin lines he used. It's very unconventional, even if he did it like that because he was in a hurry and not on purpose. He added sometimes kinda cubistic taste to Kirby's; or maybe I'm overthinking it. Anyway, that book is GOLD
It's a terrific book. I prefer the bolder inks but I can understand why people like the thin line. Especially when Colletta was on point with his hatching.
Today's page rate at Marvel and DC is at least $125 a page for pencils or inks. That's actually lower than page rates were in the 1990s and early 2000s.
The rate is pretty low for a lot of artists. That's why they don't always last long or have to work very hard. Ethan Van Sciver, who is a successful comic book artist, breaks down what artists get paid over at his channel. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-J_ANOFxmFBM.html Keep in mind that he's near the top for mainstream super hero artists and has had steady work fo a long time. Most comic book artists aren't that successful.
That was interesting. The 'go to guy' having to do inking in a rush. That explains a lot of why Colleta is seen as being not one of the best inkers. Not because he necessarily sucked, but because he was probably brought in for deadline purposes and he did twice as many pages in half the time someone would normally get. :) Thanks for that insight. :)
