Main Menu

I may get shot for this...

Started by marko10174, 23 April, 2017, 09:52:14 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

PsychoGoatee

Carlos is the king, one of the best visual storytellers ever. That said, while I love his work, it's all personal taste, I can see why the style may not appeal to everybody.

For example, I don't like Ron Smith's style, the way he draws faces etc, just to me looks uncool. I still respect his work though, Graveyard Shift is a classic etc, and he's really good, I'm just not into Ron's art style.

For Carlos, I always liked his work, but around Necropolis to me I really felt he sort of "smoothed out" a bit and for me that is some of his best looking stuff, around that era and on. Though the different coloring styles later on vary a bit. Anyways, love ya Carlos!

JudgeJudi

One thing that has come back to me reading the case-files is that his Mega-City one is a weird looking place full of strange fashion and odd shaped materials and it feels massive!

marko10174

Quote from: Goaty on 24 April, 2017, 06:28:14 PM
That why he is the best;



In this picture, what is it that people like about the way Dredd is drawn? I mean, there is very little detail in his face, it looks very easy to replicate for anyone with out any artistic experience. By that, I mean he just looks so basic. I don't get any sense of realism from that image, no personality in Dredd's face, he just looks like a cartoon. I get people might get a bit disgruntled by my choice of words, honestly that's not my intention... to offend. I'm just trying to articulate how I personally feel about this art work.

JudgeJudi

Quote from: marko10174 link=topic=44388.msg954475#

I mean, there is very little detail in his face, it looks very easy to replicate for anyone with out any artistic experience.

Why not show us how it is done ? As you say it is very easy to replicate.

marko10174


I never said it was easy, I said it looks easy, certainly compared to other versions of Dredd. Again, this is just my opinion, art is subjective after all. I don't like this version of Dredd, and I'm trying to give my honest reasons why with out causing offence.

radiator

QuoteI mean, there is very little detail in his face, it looks very easy to replicate for anyone with out any artistic experience. By that, I mean he just looks so basic. I don't get any sense of realism from that image, no personality in Dredd's face, he just looks like a cartoon.

So approximating reality is the only merit by which art should be judged?

marko10174


Tony Angelino

#52
Its actually made a good talking point this as you can tell from the number of replies. I think if you don't like it then you don't like it.

Hard to put in to words but his art just has a certain look about it that is perfect for action strips. He can also draw Dredd as quite an imposing presence and you can tell what he's thinking just by the way Carlos has drawn the mouth. Kind of like a comic version of Eastwood's 'man with no name' character. Speaking of which I think Brian Bolland was sometimes guilty of exaggerating the mouth into an upturned U shape which I felt didn't always look right. 

For some people as well Carlos will always have nostalgic value. I can remember him drawing comics back in the 70's (mainly Battle as I didn't associate him with 2000AD until Strontium Dog). Really his art style hasn't changed much since then and you would know its the same guy. Bolland has still much the same style but you just don't see his art as much these days.     

Strangely for me Carlos is the only artist who can colour Dredd's uniform black and it looks better. With every other artist I can think of the uniform looks better dark blue.

JOE SOAP

#53
Quote from: marko10174 on 24 April, 2017, 09:51:39 PM
In this picture, what is it that people like about the way Dredd is drawn? I mean, there is very little detail in his face, it looks very easy to replicate for anyone with out any artistic experience. By that, I mean he just looks so basic. I don't get any sense of realism from that image, no personality in Dredd's face, he just looks like a cartoon

Facial detail depends on how close up Dredd's face is in the frame. Dredd has experience written all over his chin on this page.


marko10174

 I've actually enjoyed the thread. It's interesting to read peoples reasons why they love CE's version of Dredd, and has given me some useful insight. Unfortunately, I don't think CE's version of Dredd will ever be my cup of tea,. In terms of nostalgia, well the first Dredd strip I ever read was "the Exterminator" and I loved the art immediately, then there was "good night kiss" and "America" I didn't discover CE's Dredd until much later.

As controversial as this thread may be, I'm glad I started it, because I've had some good feed back.  I don't think CE is a bad artist by no means, I love his work on the original Strontium dog run, and I always noticed his absence on the strips he wasn't involved in. I just prefer Dredd when the art is handled by someone else.

The Adventurer

Quote from: marko10174 on 24 April, 2017, 09:51:39 PM
Quote from: Goaty on 24 April, 2017, 06:28:14 PM
That why he is the best;



he just looks like a cartoon.

All comic books look like cartoons. That's why they call it 'cartooning'.

THIS SPACE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK

The Legendary Shark

Also, Dredd has the emotional range of a shoe.
[move]~~~^~~~~~~~[/move]




Jacqusie

Quote from: marko10174 on 24 April, 2017, 10:33:57 PM

I don't think CE's version of Dredd will ever be my cup of tea,. I just prefer Dredd when the art is handled by someone else.


Fair doo's each to his own, the man don't dig on Carlos's Dredd.

One of my mates has read the prog for as long as me 30 odd years and he's the same, he just doesn't get the adulation...

I loved Carlos's work when I first set eyes on it back in the 80's, there was something just so dynamic and cinnematic about his sunbaked style. I would love to see some more B&W from him at some point - just an old fanboy's wish mind...

Magnetica

Quote from: marko10174 on 24 April, 2017, 10:33:57 PM
I've actually enjoyed the thread....
As controversial as this thread may be, I'm glad I started it, because I've had some good feed back. 

Yes quite...I don't think you should apologise for starting the thread or expressing your opinion. This is exactly the kind of discussion I like to see on the board.

Now no-one has picked up on something else you said in the original post  - you are placing Nick Percival in the top echelon of Dredd artists.

So for me - no. Yes its all nicely painted and photo realistic, but a bit like Clint Langley's* stuff, I find myself looking at it and thinking "yes I am sure this is technically amazing, but there is just something lacking in it and I can't quite put my finger on it".

Well actually Joe Soap has explained it beautifully - it lacks "visual energy". So sorry - not for me.


* Now Clint is great at images, but story telling, not so much. I met him at the 40th - lovely chap too. So sorry for any criticism.

positronic

Quote from: The Adventurer on 24 April, 2017, 11:10:56 PM
Quote from: marko10174 on 24 April, 2017, 09:51:39 PM
Quote from: Goaty on 24 April, 2017, 06:28:14 PM
That why he is the best;



he just looks like a cartoon.

All comic books look like cartoons. That's why they call it 'cartooning'.

Where are the 'like' buttons on this thing?!

That's a basic orientation thing. Some people want everything as "real" as a film on paper. NO humor, nothing 'interpretive', 100% straight. One of the things I particularly loved about the 1980s 2000 AD is it didn't seem embarrassed to actually be a 'comic book'. Personally I feel like that's the real strength of the medium, and no movie or television adaptation is ever going to duplicate that, no matter how much money they spend.

Dredd has had a lot of good artists, and it's hard to pick just one as definitive from among so much excellent work. Sometimes when I look at the very earliest of Carlos's stories from the 1970s, it's a little hard to see it (it took a little while at first for him to grow on me), but he's just such an amazing talent that keeps getting better and better, right on up to the present. (I was just looking at the Judge Dredd/Strontium Dog story he did for Prog 2000 today.) Ezquerra has stuck with Dredd all these years, unlike some of the other early candidates for 'the definitive Dredd artist' like Bolland and McMahon. So (apart from having co-created the character, which is no mean thing), I've got to give that title to Carlos. And for Strontium Dog, there's not even any quibbling over it. Same goes for the short-lived but memorable Stainless Steel Rat. One of these days I mean to get to some of his lesser-known stuff like Fiends of the Eastern Front.