Hokeyboy

That was Mark Farmer. As an aside I highly recommend JLA: The Nail a ton. I don't remember the sequel (Another Nail) as fondly but I enjoyed reading it. Kind of a great "iconic" JLA story (although it's an Elseworlds tale, outside of continuity), in which the Kents never discovered baby Kal-El because their truck got a flat tire on that fateful day -- hence "The Nail" from the title. Very much worth a look.

Josh-da-man

Aparo was drawing Batman when I first started reading it (I think around the time the Tim Burton movie came out) and it seemed kind of retro and respectable to me, coming off of mostly Marvel Comics.

At the time, it made DC as a whole seem more staid and stuck in the past than Marvel. Which I didn't necessarily view as a bad thing, just different, and maybe aiming toward a more mature and conservative audience. (Not conservative in the political sense, just less resistant to fads and change.)

If Marvel was Motley Crue, then DC were Phil Collins-led Genesis.

"Dad comics."

davidh777

Yikes, I'm really far behind here.

GI Joe guys: No, though I like them all for various reasons (Gerber's Defenders, Heath's war title, Timm-Dini animation, etc.)

George Perez: Yes, one of the people I first thought of when the game started. Crisis, Wonder Woman, etc etc

Darwyn Cooke: Not someone I thought of, but am including him because I love pretty much everything. New Frontier, Parker, Catwoman, Jonah Hex. His Spirit was awesome.

Lemire: I like him but haven't read enough, so no. Ellis no.

Brians: no, though i like Camelot 3000, Ultimate Spider-Man, Y the Last Man, and Saga. Hmm, I might need to rethink BKV.

My list:
Frank Miller
Jack Kirby
Carl Barks
Joe Kubert
Alan Moore
Neal Adams
John Byrne
George Perez
Darwyn Cooke

B5Erik

Yeah, I got The Nail and Another Nail when there was a sale on the Eaglemoss hardcover DC stuff. Good stories.

If I remember right, Farmer inked The Incredible Hulk for part of Peter David's run. Over Keown's pencils, I think. His style worked well with Davis there. I've often found that the right combination of penciler/inker can make all the difference. I strongly dislike Gene Colan's work with a lot of inkers, but with Frank Giacoia I actually enjoy his art quite a bit. It was the right combiation of styles.

Maybe if someone else had inked Davis' work on Batman and the Outsiders I would have liked it.

Trevor

Day Fourteen Response and Wrap—Up

No additional Alans for me, while I do like much of their work, especially Alan Davis.

Easy pass on Caniff only because of my sad unfamiliarity with his work.

Hurts to say no to Sparky, Peanuts is pretty darn important in my life, both in strip form and animation. But if I have to consider strips then that takes up probably at least three in my list, and it's hard enough to narrow this down to ten.

My list so far:
Frank Miller
Jack Kirby
Carl Barks
Alan Moore
Mike Mignola
Jeff Lemire

Trevor

Day Fifteen Choices

In an episode of the podcast (11oClock Comics) Vince proclaimed that Ross Andru was the greatest artist of Spider-Man of all time, to which Wood offered Andru was one of 6 artists in that discussion along with Steve Ditko, Todd McFarlane, both Romitas, and Gil Kane.

Today I ask you two questions. The first, are any of the artists - sans the Romitas who were already an option - on your Top 10?

The second is who is your favorite Spider-Man artist?

ytrez

As far as making my top 10, only Sturdy Steve Ditko makes the cut. Andru was a solid Spider-Man artist, McFarlane has some great work but is more flash than substance, and Kane, while I enjoy him tons, just doesn't make top 10.

That puts me at:
Jack Kirby
Frank Miller
Jaime & Gilbert Hernandez
Joe Kubert
Alan Moore
John Byrne
George Perez
Steve Ditko

As to your other questions, other Spider-Man artists in my Top 10? John Byrne should count. Favorite Spider-Man artist? Easy, Steve Ditko.

rocket1312

First part is easy. None of the spider artists make my list.

Second one is tougher, with the problem being that 70's Spider-Man is a total blindspot for me. I obviously know who Kane and Andru are, but I don't have any opinions on them as spider artists. I enjoy Romita Sr. quite a bit. I even like Romita Jr. during the Roger Stern era (it's the only stuff of his I like). Mark Bagley was "my" spider artist based on when I started reading, and I ride and die with him on New Warriors, but I'm a little cooler on his Spider-Man. I guess I would probably go with Ditko, out of respect. His early issues are a little spindly for my liking, but the latter half is truly spectacular.

fujishig

I don't think any of the Spidey artists make my list either... Ditko and Kane are the closest but Kane especially is due to body of work and not his Spidey stuff.

I'll come out of left field and say Mike Wieringo is probably my favorite Spidey artist of all time, even if he doesn't have as long and storied a run as the others.

ddrknghtrtns

I will include Ditko in my Top 10.

B5Erik

OK, now we're talking. Spider-Man is my favorite character and my all time favorite title.

John Romita Sr is my favorite Spider-Man artist, but Gil Kane is really close, and, truth be told, some of my favorite Spider-Man art is from the team of Kane and Romita. Ross Andru was the artist on the title when I started buying it in 1975, and I've always loved his work. The team of Andru and Frank Giacoia was fantastic (Andru and Esposito wasn't quite as good of a team, but still very good).

Steve Ditko was an artist I disliked as a kid and a teenager, but I've come to love his work as an adult. Todd McFarlane is kind of the opposite. I loved his work as a young adult, but as I got older the cartoonish nature of his style bothered me more and more, and I liked his art less and less. Mark Bagley was good, but nowhere near my Top 30, and neither is Erik Larsen, who was fairly good, but, like Bagley, still a little too cartoonish.

One name that's been left out is RON FRENZ, whose work on a bunch of titles has been fantastic. And I like his work on Amazing Spider-Man. Like it. He was channeling Steve Ditko for those issues (he's a HUGE Spider-Man fan, and loves both Ditko and Romita), and, while it was neat to see some Ditko inspired art at that point, I kind of wish he was doing it more in his own style. Frenz is in my Top 20, but not my Top 10.

So, with limited space left, it's only Gil Kane that makes my Top 10 list (both Romitas are already on there). Ross Andru is close (Top 20), as is Ditko (Top 20 or 25).

There will have to be some editing done to this list soon - someone is getting cut! But, for now, this is the list...

John Romita SR
John Buscema
John Byrne
John Romita Jr
Neal Adams
Sal Buscema
Gerry Conway
Marv Wolfman
George Perez
Gil Kane

B5Erik

That's my era. For me, Spider-Man in the 70's is some of the absolute best comic book art and writing out there. The decade started with Kane, then Romita came back, and he was followed by Ross Andru. Stan Lee, Gerry Conway, Len Wein, and Marv Wolfman were the writers during that decade - and it doesn't get any better than that. The first half of the decade was better than the second half, but not by a lot.

majorjoe23

I'm probably a weirdo, but Erik Larsen is my favorite Spider-Man artist. I started reading the adjectiveless Spider-Man book when he was the artist on it.

rocket1312

Unless I'm missing some joke here, those Shield comics were all Steranko.

rocket1312

I'm reading through Spider-Man from the beginning. I've slowed down a lot the last year or two, but I'm currently somewhere in 1968. I'll get there eventually.

Trevor

There’s a potentially fun mechanic the original place added to the game that I’ll probably be adding tomorrow. There, everyone is sticking to the implied main rule of this thing being one list of 10 creators only. The twist sorta depends on that.

So no pressure, feel free to ignore it, but one list building up to 10 and 10 only would keep everyone on the same ground and make the twist work better.

B5Erik

My list will never have more than 10 people on it - however, there may be some changes to which people will be on that 10. It all depends on who shows up as candidates later.

The editing process is a big deal with lists like these.

fujishig

Actual list so far:
Jack Kirby
Alan Moore
John Byrne
Mike Mignola
George Perez
Carl Barks
--- chopping block ---
Frank Miller
Warren Ellis
Neal Adams

The how in the world could I not fit them in category:
Neil Gaiman
Steve Ditko
Walt Simonson


Not mentioned yet but considering a spot:
Will Eisner
Grant Morrison
Jonathan Hickman
Jim Starlin
Ed Brubaker
Peter David
Keith Giffen
Chris Claremont
Jim Lee

Japanese creators (not mentioned yet, and honestly I could make a separate top 10)
Eiichiro Oda
Akira Toriyama (I couldn't even read Japanese that well but the Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball tankoubans were in tatters)
Osamu Tezuka
Naoki Urasawa
(with Miura, Inoue, Go Nagai and heck Takahashi also in consideration)

Trevor

True, but I know many made their list when the game started and only add as they’re announced. I imagine 95% of all picks will be in the first 25-30 days of choices. But it could go differently here.

PhantomStranger

That's a good question about favorite Spidey artist. I'll go with one of the Romita's, probably Junior, but there are several different Spidey artists I truly enjoy. Marvel's flagship character was treated so well for several decades, it's hard picking an absolute favorite.

davidh777

Not exactly sure what the twist means. That we can’t swap people out as we get better names? We’ll find out soon, I guess.

Ditko is in for me, not only for Spider-Man and Dr Stramge but his non-Big Two work. I think for me he’d rank ahead of Wallace Wood, who I’ve also been thinking about.

I’ll probably go Romita Sr for my Spidey artist. I do like Ditko and McFarlane, though. Ultimate was entertaining but not my preferred style (old).

My list:
Frank Miller
Jack Kirby
Carl Barks
Joe Kubert
Alan Moore
Neal Adams
John Byrne
George Perez
Darwyn Cooke
Steve Ditko

John Pannozzi

Okay, here's my list (at least as a WIP)

Erik Larsen
Chynna Clugston Flores
Evan Dorkin
Adam Warren
Skottie Young
Sam Kieth
Steve Gerber
Bryan O'Malley

honorable mentions:

Jack Kirby
Stan Lee
Alan Moore
Peter Laird
Kevin Eastman
Jim Lawson
Dan Berger
Steve Murphy
Grant Morrison
Neil Gaiman
Mike Allred
Eric Powell

Trevor

Maybe I didn’t explain the loose rules well, or maybe just everyone at the other place rolled a certain way and we’re different here. But almost everyone has their top ten in their mind, and isn’t putting people on the list to keep it filled, but just waiting for their peeps to pop up one morning. Some people only have one or two people so far. A few have filled it.

Hokeyboy

No you're a thousand percent correct and I have egg on my face. How I got my Ditko/Steranko wires crossed I'll never know. Changes my list accordingly. Which basically takes Ditko off my list, sadly

rocket1312

That's how I understood it. Once you put someone on the list, they are on the list. You can't put them on until their name comes up, but once you do, there's no take backs.

Not that any of it matters.