“What is with this violent perspective? And these hard, harsh lines? Where did you learn to draw like this?”
Comic books, of course, was the answer, but I wasn’t going to tell her that.
Those questions were asked of me by my professor when I took a 101 drawing class back in college. I went in hoping to learn about anatomy and line widths and foreshortening and came out with a lot of time spent staring at hairy, out-of-shape, middle-aged naked men for life-drawing studies. The conclusion I reached from the experience was that the worlds of comics and fine arts were antithetical, more at odds than even Marvel and DC.
But must it be so?
At G-Man’s suggestion, I got to thinking about a number of comics covers over the years that have paid tributes to works of art. So here are the first five that popped to my mind… see if you can guess from what each one takes inspiration.
EXHIBIT A -- WORLD'S FINEST COMICS #305
EXHIBIT B -- SPIDER-MAN: THE OTHER
EXHIBIT C -- SHADE, THE CHANGING MAN #35
EXHIBIT D -- NEW X-MEN #42
EXHIBIT E -- A promo for SOLAR: MAN OF THE ATOM
(with art by today's special podcast guest, Darick Robertson!)
So put up on your thinking caps and scratch your noggins. See if you can guess what wellsprings of art these cover's flow from. And when you want answers, reveal the hidden spoilers beneath.
-- Tom Pinchuk is the writer of UNIMAGINABLE for Arcana Comics and HYBRID BASTARDS! for Archaia Comics. Watch out for the HYBRID BASTARDS! hardcover collection this March - - available for pre-order now on Amazon.com.