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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005 Posts: 132135
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Posted: 07 December 2019 at 1:05pm | IP Logged | 1
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“Once upon a time he was the very best Comic Artist in the industry”This is the headline of one of the reviews of MODERN MASTERS #7, over on Amazon. And while I appreciate the compliment—who wouldn’t?—I am as ever frustrated by the implicit “his old stuff was better” stance. Look, peoples, when I’m good I’m VERY good. But there has never been a point when I was the “very best... in the industry.” And that’s not false modesty.
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Charles Valderrama Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004 Location: United States Posts: 4716
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Posted: 07 December 2019 at 1:21pm | IP Logged | 2
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Respectfully, I have to push back a little, JB... back when you were working on UNCANNY X-MEN, I don't remember any artist that was receiving the praise you were (maybe Frank Miller/ Walt Simonson)... however other artists at the time were being measured by the standard you were setting.
Even if you weren't at your best in your mind, many fans considered you "the best" at the time.
-C!
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005 Posts: 132135
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Posted: 07 December 2019 at 1:27pm | IP Logged | 3
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Back when I was working on UNCANNY the book was only inches ahead of cancellation. It had a loyal coterie of fans, but it, and I, was largely ignored by the general audience.
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Wallace Sellars Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 01 May 2004 Location: United States Posts: 17659
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Posted: 07 December 2019 at 2:30pm | IP Logged | 4
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QUOTE:
I am as ever frustrated by the implicit “his old stuff was better” stance. |
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As am I! That X-MEN ELSEWHEN stuff is FIRE!
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Mario Ribeiro Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 18 June 2016 Location: Brazil Posts: 474
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Posted: 07 December 2019 at 2:31pm | IP Logged | 5
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30 years ago, the attitude of Brazilian editors was pretty much "Byrne and Miller and then everybody else". And it was quite easy to agree.
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Doug Centers Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 February 2014 Location: United States Posts: 5438
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Posted: 07 December 2019 at 2:54pm | IP Logged | 6
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I can tell you for a fact, in the early eighties when I was selling my comic collection off the only artists by name people were looking for, were Miller and Byrne.
Your art is just that much better now!
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Ryan Maxwell Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 April 2004 Location: United States Posts: 12934
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Posted: 07 December 2019 at 3:54pm | IP Logged | 7
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You have been, and always shall be, my favorite. That’s enough for me.
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Leigh DJ Hunt Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 20 February 2008 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1570
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Posted: 07 December 2019 at 4:13pm | IP Logged | 8
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Surely being the best is an opinion, there's no scientific way to prove it. If people think you are then it's tough, you have to put up with it ;)
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Bill Collins Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 26 May 2005 Location: England Posts: 11245
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Posted: 07 December 2019 at 4:43pm | IP Logged | 9
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In various genres i love various artists, and i can honestly say that when you were on X-Men,FF, Superman etc you WERE the best in my eyes!
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005 Posts: 132135
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Posted: 07 December 2019 at 4:48pm | IP Logged | 10
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I’ll accept “favorite” with no qualms whatsoever. Just not “best”.
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Koroush Ghazi Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 25 October 2009 Location: Australia Posts: 1640
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Posted: 07 December 2019 at 6:36pm | IP Logged | 11
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It's sloppy writing more than anything, because aside from the subjectivity of the statement, it also comes across as a bit of a back-handed compliment as you've noted. A better way to start would be:
"Widely considered the best comic-book artist in the industry", or even
"One of the best comic-book artists of his generation"
You can't argue with those JB ;)
P.S. I shudder when reading "Miller" and "Byrne" in the same sentence, at least in reference to artwork!
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Peter Hicks Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 30 April 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 1879
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Posted: 07 December 2019 at 8:00pm | IP Logged | 12
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It's been 30 years and I am still waiting for someone to write or draw a better Superman than John Byrne. And I'm still waiting.
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