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Craig Earl
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Joined: 13 July 2019
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 1487
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| Posted: 06 June 2025 at 7:06am | IP Logged | 1
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Back in the eighties, I would
often attend the Comic Mart at Central Hall Westminster in London. Every now
and then we would be treated to a panel of special guests.
On one particular occasion,
Alan Moore was present, along with a young British artist by the name of Mick
Austin. I was familiar with Mick's work as a cover and pin-up artist for some
of the Marvel UK titles (check out his work on Doctor Who monthly). I managed
to have a chat with him which I remember being very funny and not at all
politically correct (!).
Anyway, I recently learnt
that Mick left comics quite a while back to pursue a career in fine art, which
made me wonder about other talents that took a different path (I've noticed a
few unfamiliar names in silver age omnibuses every now and then).
Does anyone else have a
'lost' name from comics that they want to showcase?
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James Woodcock
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Joined: 21 September 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Posts: 8182
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| Posted: 06 June 2025 at 9:01am | IP Logged | 2
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I recently saw a post of Facebook by an artist named Alan Craddock.
It instantly sent me back to the 80s when DC tried to launch a monthly
called THE SUPER-HEROES which he did the covers for.
He was Alex Ross before Alex Ross
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ron bailey
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 October 2016
Location: United States
Posts: 1251
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| Posted: 06 June 2025 at 11:04am | IP Logged | 3
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One of the great frustrations I had in growing up as a fan of a lot of creators who (presumably) went on to do work in other media was how hard it was to follow them to support them, even by their own doing sometimes. I got the low down on what that was all about when I had the good fortune to have lunch with the late great Tim Sales at a San Diego Comic Con before he passed and found it somewhat unfortunate.
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Harry Dounis
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Joined: 06 October 2022
Location: United States
Posts: 123
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| Posted: 07 June 2025 at 12:03am | IP Logged | 4
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The only thing that I can add of some interest is that when an acquaintance of mine discovered that I was a comics fan asked if I was familiar with a Joe Giella. Regrettably I was not, it turns out that he was the last of the surviving Golden Age Batman illustrators and he lived next door to my friend in East Meadow Long Island. Suffice to say, I purchased a few of his works and display them proudly in my office. Unfortunately Mr, Giella passed away later that year in 2023 at the age of 94..
Edited by Harry Dounis on 07 June 2025 at 12:04am
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Eric Jansen
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Joined: 27 October 2013
Location: United States
Posts: 2445
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| Posted: 10 June 2025 at 5:10pm | IP Logged | 5
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The first name that comes to mind is Sandy Plunkett. Just a great artist who did some great covers (and a very few inside stories) who just sort of disappeared.
Alan Weiss is another great who is more well known, but I never understood why he didn't have more than a handful of comics under his belt. Here's one beautiful piece they did together!
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
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| Posted: 10 June 2025 at 5:19pm | IP Logged | 6
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… he lived next door to my friend in East Meadow Long Island.••• A college friend was teaching in Japan, decades ago, and one day as we were chatting long distance (pre-internet) she mentioned “one of the other teachers” used to write comic books. Did I know of him? It was John Broome.
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Peter Martin
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Joined: 17 March 2008
Location: Canada
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| Posted: 10 June 2025 at 5:39pm | IP Logged | 7
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QUOTE:
| The first name that comes to mind is Sandy Plunkett. |
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This was genuinely who came to mind for me too!
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ron bailey
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 16 October 2016
Location: United States
Posts: 1251
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| Posted: 10 June 2025 at 5:51pm | IP Logged | 8
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I remember being wowed by Plunkett in one of the first Marvel Fanfares I ever picked up. Dynamite stuff. Perfect example of what we're talking about. Remember, for a lot of these folks, while wildly talented, I suspect the ongoing grind of a monthly book was simply not in their DNA, and that's not a slight. Even if you have the discipline, I imagine it would be hard to keep up with the inspiration and keep from phoning it in.
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Dave Kopperman
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Joined: 27 December 2004
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| Posted: 10 June 2025 at 6:00pm | IP Logged | 9
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SO many great talents entered the field in the late-70s and early-80s that for whatever reason, didn't stick around. And even those that are well-regarded by fans aren't really remembered in a larger sense, since they may have worked sporadically on fill-in issues and/or had short runs on second-tier titles that haven't been slotted for reprint status (the mainstream comic industry equivalent to a career retrospective). My own faves who I would happily have seen hundreds of issues from:
Tony Salmons Trevor Von Eeden Seconded: Sandy Plunkett Cynthia Martin George Freeman
No doubt more as I think about it.
Even someone like Kyle Baker, who is the thumbnail next to the dictionary entry for 'prolific' in the larger medium, did a really minimal amount of straight-ahead mainstream work that was so stylish and energetic that I lament that he did so little of it. Though I wouldn't sacrifice any of his other projects, it's a shame he didn't dip a toe back in occasionally. That probably also applies to Mazzuchelli, as well.
Edited by Dave Kopperman on 10 June 2025 at 6:00pm
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Dave Kopperman
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Joined: 27 December 2004
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| Posted: 10 June 2025 at 6:04pm | IP Logged | 10
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AND: Steve Lightle, Frank Cirocco...
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Eric Smearman
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Joined: 02 September 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 5864
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| Posted: 11 June 2025 at 3:37am | IP Logged | 11
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I liked George Freeman's work a lot! I had a few CAPTAIN
CANUCK issues that he did and I loved the story "Mortal
Clay" that he drew for BATMAN ANNUAL Vol. 1 No. 11.
Trevor Von Eeden was a favorite, too. I still love that
GREEN ARROW miniseries he did.
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Bill Collins
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Location: England
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| Posted: 11 June 2025 at 12:41pm | IP Logged | 12
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I remember Mick Austin doing some Warrior covers.
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