moriarty@uw-june.UUCP (01/17/84)
In my last article I went over a brief synopsis of my views of the comics
scene in '83. I'd like to devote this article to saluting specific people
or organizations who produced excellent, entertaining, thought-provoking
(well, usually) material over the last year. My last article (following
this) will be to list the best titles (in my opinion, of course) of '83.
/--------------\
| HONOR LIST |
\--------------/
ANYONE ASSOCIATED WITH AARDVARK-VANHEIM:
This includes Dave, Deni, The Ol' Scout, Arn Saba (Neil's
author/artist), and (almost) all those Unique creators. Just three titles,
but all of them good, and (even though I'm not crazy about Valentino)
Ordinaryman (I believe that's the title) could make it four. Also, Deni's
proffessional attitude has made AV the standard others (hopefully) will set
their sites for. A class act (THE class act) all the way.
FIRST COMICS:
Show that a small comics company can produce several titles on a
monthly schedule using artists who are notorious for their unreliability
(deadline-wise, not quality-wise), and get fantastic results. Don't read
all the titles, but First deserves a ticker-tape parade simply for Jon Sable
and American Flagg (And I really enjoy E-man and Mars). Professional and a
line-up that is not matched anywhere, except at AV and (if you don't count
all the dogs) DC. Hope (and will bet) Beowulf is the event they say it will
be.
DICK GIORDIANO (or whoever's responsible for the majority of the "NEW DC"):
Yes, DC is still made up basically of old-line DC titles, and yes,
all those new merchandise-related titles are doggo (I mean, Atari Force and
He-man?... Fer Shure); DC is still extremely uneven. But while they do
not have as many good titles as Marvel, I'll take anyone on who says DC has
less GREAT titles than Shooter's Squad. Ronin, Camelot 3000, New TT, Star
Trek, Batman & Outsiders VS. Byrne's stuff, Dr. Strange, Coyote and X-Men
(marginally & mostly due to Paul Smith): no contest. Marvel has drifted
into complacency (and piracy, if all this Secret Wars flaming is correct (it
probably is, I haven't read it yet)), and DC is picking up on it. Now if
they could only get rid of Roy Thomas....
JAIME HERNADEZ:
While Love & Rockets has not been a complete success (too much
drooling my The Comics Journal and that group of degreed cretins), I find
Jaime's stories of Maggie, Hopey, Izzie and Race (is he a definite parody of
you-know-who: "....and when the odds are against him and it's DAAAANGEROUS
work (pow-pow!)...."?) to be funny, touching, and more real than 99% of the
stuff out there. Characterizations whose accuracy hurts, it's that good. I
hope this mag doesn't fold.... I haven't enjoyed a character this much since
Michael Gilbert's Wraith.
DAVE RUDE & MIKE BARON:
The Badger is still undecided (though Ham is great), but I think I'd
have to give Best Continuing Comic to Nexus. These guys are good ("Verily,
thou sayest buckets").
MIKE BARR:
THE writer of the year... of DC's great titles, Barr does three, and
that should say it all there. But Camelot 3000 is probably the best limited
series ever (screw the probably, it IS), Batman's never been done better ("I
never wanted to be admired, just feared"), and he is currently producing
Star Trek dialogue that should be used for future movies.... this should be
fun. I hope he gets the credit that he deserves in this age of independent
writer/artists. A really top-notch job, and I can't wait for more (except
for the end of Camelot 3000... that will be a letdown). A proffessional,
totally.
FRANK MILLER:
Writer/artist with most hoopla behind him, proved he deserved it
with Ronin. Enjoyable, interesting, and steadily improving. (P.S. who was
that writer they replaced Miller with for one issue, when the Kingpin tries
to blackmail Ben Urich by giving him the house he always wanted? He could
of saved DD if he could of kept the same level of writing... O'Neil is
burned out).
BILL LOEBS:
Has made a subject which would be difficult (I'd think) to make
interesting come alive with some of the best characterization and humor
since Eisner (the art also tends to look similar). Journey is becoming one
of my favorite books; nice storytelling with a good blend of humor/macabre
elements. Hope to see more of his work soon. Also, it's always nice to
find an artist/writer who spends more time on his letters and/or editorial
page being pleasant than being "cute and cutting".
JOHN BYRNE:
A very talented storyteller who is doing very good work (look at The
Thing's book... he doesn't draw it, but it is one of the most constantly
well-written books around). He may be an ego-maniac (I doubt it after
seeing the photo-sketch he did in Fandom Confidential ("Great! Great! I'm a
Genius!"), which was one of the funniest things I've seen in years), but as
long as he turns out such good stuff, who cares? I would also lay any
continuity problems at Shooter's oversized feet, not Byrne's.
DAVE SIM:
While I feel that I can usually give some type of best writing
awards, picking the "best" artist of the year is next to impossible for me...
artist styles being so different than one another. I think I'd have to give
it to Dave Sim, for the constant innovation in drawing styles I see in
Cerebus every month. I may be neglecting someone who has done one shots for
Epic or Heavy Metal or something (I don't read those things), but for
monthly titles, Sim has really done it (I would definitely give him the
award for writer/artist of the year).....
PAUL SMITH & BRIAN BOLLAND:
.... And here are my "favorite" artists of the year. Paul Smith
was, in my opinion the BEST artist X-Men has EVER had (yes, including Byrne
and Adams (back in the stone age...)), and I hope to see more of his work
soon in Mike Mahogany (backup for SunRunners). Smith gave the characters
the kind of emotional impact I always find in Japanese animated programs
(the good ones, like Captain Harlock), and this is really needed for a
"outsider" book like X-Men. I don't know what's going to happen to that
title now..... Brian Bolland gets runner-up simply because of the emotion
he conveys with Arthur & company, the wonderfully kinky villains, and the
way he draws Tristan's face (I'm in love with that face (Just the face, mind
you!)).
Well, my overblown equivalent of the Academy awards over, I invite comments,
flames, etc. (I prefer flames/notes of agreement over the mail, and actual
criticisms on the net). In a day or two I'll have the last installment, the
best comic titles of 1983.
The Napoleon of Crime | Currently skulking around
| UUCP:
MORIARTY | {...decvax!}tektronix!uw-beaver!uw-june!moriarty
| ARPANET:
AKA -jwm- | moriarty@washington
eric@aplvax.UUCP (01/20/84)
Just wanted to do a quick followup to one of the statements about some of the new DC titles. Certainly He-Man was a dog, but (dare I admit it) I am kind of enjoying Atari Force. It has been somewhat uneven (and the last issue was not nearly as good as the preceeding two) but there is promise there. Whether it will be realized is hard to say, but personally, I rate it up there with the new Star Trek (which I also see as somewhat uneven). Time will tell. -- eric ...!seismo!umcp-cs!aplvax!eric