I have a small confession to make. Growing up reading comics, I never cared for Gil Kane's work. I know Gil has had acclaim here in the JBF, but I grew up on Byrne, Perez, Swan Aparo, but never could quite 'get' Kane. His people looked too loose, their bodies all angles.

Cut to yesterday: in my to-read pile of books collected at cons and such, I just hit a vein of pre-Crisis Superman. I pulled one out with a Kane cover, and then it hit me. I 'got' it: Kane's people were all loose angles because that's what people do. People move, they don't pose, they stand with hands on hips. Of all Kane covers, it was this one:

that made me understand that. Look at Superman's right hand, put up reflexively with his fingers splayed out, the curve of the Planeteer's body as he attacks. The very essence of the dynamic pose. Great great comics art.

Makes me regret all those Kane books I should have bought as a youngster, nearly as much as all the Kirby I skipped. Gad, it's terrible to learn these lessons late in life.

Anyone agree? Any other favorites?

Jim,

I was exactly the same way -- Kane, Kirby, and Ditko -- the older I get the more I enjoy their art.

I've always loved Gil Kane's work.  He seems to be one of the artists who have Kirby's energy and their own distinctive style.

One of my favorites by Gil and one of the few FF covers he drew.

JB,

couldn't agree more. After reading the draping thread, I nearly threw away my Burne Hogarth book in favor of a cover like this, showing a Gil Kane cape.

Yes Steven, I am struck by the 'not knowing a good thing til it's too late' syndrome. Maybe in 20 or 30 years, we'll consider McFarlane and Liefeld masters. Then again, when we can compare them to this:

No, we won't.

Perhaps my all time favoriet cover

Do you think Kane is recognized more as a Marvel artist or as part of DC?  Which major characters do you most associate with him?

Which minor characters, if any?

Some of the best covers I've seen.

I had a similar experience with the work of Steve Ditko. It might have been because I "met" Spider-Man through the art of Ron Frenz, then read some of Romita Sr.'s stories, so seeing Ditko's Spider-Man was so different that it threw me for a jolt. As a kid, I just didn't "get it."

 Now, having become interested in comics again after 10 years away, Ditko suddenly makes perfect sense. He is a genius! His style was perfect for the stories he was telling, and I can't get enough of his work now, especially his Dr. Strange stuff!

I thought I heard there definitely was a second volume on the way. I've been dying to read the Moon Knight two-parter for years...

I'm a Marvel Zombie from the 70s and I still consider Kane very much a DC Guy.

The Atom and Green Lantern are definitely all his, but he's one of my favorite Spider-Man artists as well.  And you have to love his work on Captain Marvel, Adam Warlock and John Carter, Warlord of Mars.

Take your pick!

My first favorite comic book artist.

My all-time favorite comic book artist.

RIP, Eli.

My first exposure to Gil Kane's work was on MARVEL TEAM UP, when I was 13 years old. I really disliked it.

Later, I saw how amazing his arts could be if inked by John Romita, Sr. Gil Kane = dynamic. John Romita = elegant. Join these 2 styles and you have some of the best artworks ever on AMAZING SPIDER-MAN.

I appreciated other works by Kane in the following years: GREEN LANTERN, ACTION COMICS in the early '80s... I'll never consider him as good as Romita, JB, Alan Davis or others... but he surely has been one of the more original and innovative comic book artists.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=9L71JN2gB7U - http://youtube.com/watch?v=9L71JN2gB7U

Enjoyed Gil Kane's work for years. I was like some of you. Didn't care for it when I was younger but it grew on me. One of the best. My first encounter with him was What if? #3. Loved how he drew the Avengers, Hulk, and Sub-Mariner. Fantastic artist.

Aric, that Superman 1983 Special kills. I'm a huge fan of his 70 and 80s output. Which is when he finally started using more negative space in his compositions.

I just bought his StarHawks complete recollection. The strips are really tiny but it's still awesome. I can easily understand why you wouldn't rank him as high as Perez, since Perez had several awesome long runs in his prime, most notably the Titans. Kane spent most of his prime drawing covers. There's not really any legendary comics run attached under his belt.

My favorite is his short run on Action Comics. Another nice run is Micronauts 40-45 though he only does break downs, it's still pretty solid and dynamic.

This issue, I LOVE it!

This one is crazy good too, and impossible to find in good condition...

QUOTE: I've been dying to read the Moon Knight two-parter for years...

If you don't feel like waiting, there's an Essential Moon Knight out there which opens with it.

Anyway, I think my first exposure to his work was the Braniac revamp in Action Comics #544 or the Sword of the Atom mini, whichever came first.  I can't say he's a particular favorite of mine, but he's done some wonderful work over the years.  (Has everyone seen that alternate cover for one of the Spider-Man drug issues on Mark Evanier's site?  Yowza!)

Chad Carter wrote: I've been dying to read the Moon Knight two-parter for years.

What Dave said.

I never read much of Kane's comic work, but I've seen tons of it through the years.  I like his stuff, but it depends largely on who is inking him.  Sometimes it looks amazing, other times not so much.

My first exposure to Kane was when I was back in NY and found a flyer on a streetlight in Greenwich Village of some guy who was giving "comic art" lessons.  I paid the $10 or $15 for the one hour class (probably back in the late 80's).  We went to his really dirty studio and he basically told me to build a swap file of old comics and just copy the panels as needed.  Suffice to say, I didn't learn much from the guy.  He did however sell me about 10 sheets of paper stapled together for about $5.  They were photocopies of Gil Kake's sketches which looked a lot like this:

http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryRoom.asp?GSub=32941 - http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryRoom.asp?GSub=32941

One of the best things I learned from it was a page that broke down the planes of the head - I copied that over and over....  When you look at the pieces in the link above you can clearly see that Kane knew his anatomy better than just about anybody in comics, but he also knew how the figure moved (as the original poster put it).

Flavio, did you know that Edge was completed and collected in hardcover?

I love having this book.

I still have never seen a Batman drawing from him.

I still have never seen a Batman drawing from him.

Kane draw the hell out of some Atom, doesn't he? The only artist I've seen who makes me believe the Atom has some power in those tiny fists...

This is Nick Cardy with inks? by Gil Kane, and look at how sexy this is. See, THAT is what boys need to see:

  Looks like a regular cut-up.

Was that an innuendo?

It looks like Aparo to me, too. the inking at least. And the upshot of the nostrils of Green Arrow seems too anatomically awkward to be Kane.

It looks like Aparo to me, too.

I pulled it off the net. You all are most likely right. I had Atom images lumped in with a lot of Kane/Kubert, but I didn't label it as Kane. It's gotta be from some Justice League comic, most likely.

Gil Kane.  In memory yet green...

This is from JLA #200

This is not.  Aparo did the Phantom Stranger, Aquaman, and Red Tornado chapter in that book.  This panel does look like like Aparo, though.

Speaking of Gil Kane's Action Comics run...

The new Luthor was designed by George Perez, the new Brainiac by Ed Hannigan.

another Gil Kane gem from my collection

Possibly my favorite Gil Kane cover...

Gil Kane was one of the greats!  He retained an excellent illustrative style right until his untimely end.

I feel very fortunate that I got to "visit" with him on three separate occasions at conventions before he passed away.  He was a gentleman in the real sense of the word.  Gil's easily one of my "top 10" favorite creators that I've met over the years.

That really was a great run he had on Action Comics.

Curt Swan and Gil Kane on Superman was just great.

The late Mr. Kane was responsible for what I consider to be perhaps the single greatest splash page in the history of comics - not the flashiest, or most action-packed, but the most anatomically-impeccable - the first page of the issue of Marvel Premiere that introduced "The Power of...Warlock" series.  The full-page figure of Adam Warlock clearly shows that Gil was an indisputable master of anatomy.

If any of you technically-proficient board members could post a scan or link for those unfamiliar with the image to which I refer, I think we'd all be grateful...

Great thread.

Ted, I saw your scan of the Blackmark paperback--wasn't this one originally paperback also?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Gil-Kanes-SAVAGE-1-Fantagraphics-1982-NM _W0QQitemZ170134314873QQihZ007QQcategoryZ3983QQrdZ1QQssPageN ameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting">

I bought both Blackmark and Savage when they originally came out.  I remember well how Blackmark was a paperback.  It surprised me to see a paperback comic original.  Up to that time I can only remember the occasional paperback reprint collection.

But, and it's been a long time, I seem to recall that Savage was a magazine sized publication.  Also think it was originally called 'His Name Is...Savage!"

But, whatever format, Gil Kane was definitely one of the comic book gods.

Bill, Gil Kane's Savage was a magazine sized and formatted graphic novel published in 1982 by Fantagraphic Books (you beat me to posting the cover).  It originally appeared in 1968 as His Name Is...Savage.

Star Hawks was another paperback, much like Blackmark.

This is one of my favorites too.

Thanks, again, John, both for posting the image and reaffirming my faith in my somewhat-reliable memory.

Now, does anyone have shots of Gil's unique take on the Captains Marvel (DC's and the other guys')?  Much appreciated if you do...

Possibly the most beautiful thing Gil Kane has ever done...

Book One, back cover.

Book Two, back cover.

Book Three, back cover.

Book Four, back cover.

Distant Fires, back cover.

And finally...

I'll see your Captain Marvel and Warlock, and raise you an Amazing Man.

"His Name is...Savage"--didn't that version have a Lee Marvin-looking cover?

BTW Ted:like your Simonson sketch, I have a similar one of Manhunter.

You, too, John.

I'll try to post some passages from this interview, and some from a Chaykin interview in CBA#5 about Kane, a little later tonight.

about the cover from Comic Book Artist 2:
"...represents a dual homage of sorts: One to Bill Everett and his creation, Amazing-Man; but primarily to celebrate the glorious collaborations between Gil and Roy Thomas, most of which were inspired in some way by Bill's A-Man, which include some of the most well-remembered strips of the '70s-Warlock, Captain Marvel, and the origin issue of "Iron Fist".

from the interview:
"...the best western cover I ever did; it's Kid Colt lying by a ditch of water, with his hand scooping the water up to his face-but in the water you can see the reflection of a gunman with a gun pointed at Kid...

about the 70s, during which he may have done 800 covers for Marvel, Starhawks, Tarzan:
"...didn't you jump around to sustain some interest in the work??
"No, it was just the money, my boy.  I was under pressure...Through that period I was the workingest guy in comics...They always knew that if they wanted stuff done overnight, they called me.  That was the most money I ever made in my life through that period.  And I also did the best work I ever did in my life.

from an interview with Howard Chaykin, from Comic Book Arist 5:

"What is your assessment of Gil?

"He was a giant. He's my hero-everything I wanted to be...Working for Gil was the single most important educational experience in my professional life...

Baryshnikov looks like a Gil Kane hero. Gil's figures were dancers as opposed to wrestlers. I gained an enormous amount of my own professional sensibilities by watching Gil work...

Gil always said he was predominantly influnced by Jack Kirby and Burne Hogarth.  For me, I never understood his obsession with Hogarth. I never understood his appeal. It still escapes me. The work is pretentious bullshit. Gil was so much better an artist than Hogarth ever was. One of the few things Neal and I agree on is that Gil transcended anything Hogarth could have done...

(Interesting considering JB's comment)

(This next part looks critical out of context, but I think it was intended as analysis)
"The problem with Gil's stuff is he never got past the idea of producing work on a mechanical, machine-like basis.  He never bothered to seek out reference, never worked from photographs.  I'm not talking about for characters, I'm talking about the worldview. There were always generic airplanes, generic automobiles, generic suits.  It became a glib cliche."

(That's interesting, because something that occurred to me looking at all the art posted on this thread is how UNdated it all looks; it doesn't look stale, even though it's 30+ years old)

Chaykin again: "...Jack's work had developed weight and heft, but for me at least, had lost much of its sense of mobility.  Gil's stuff was always about movement.  I understand that Stan always thought Gil's work was faggy, and I think that just missed the point.  But it's a typical reaction to Gil's elegance.  For me, Gil's stuff was just the greatest.  I love his Superman stuff from the mid-80s."

So many artists draw figures that look somewhat flat - but Kane's figures just have a certain depth, shape and weight to them.  Not to mention the motion and energy you sense in his drawings.

Those Warlock and Captain Marvel pictures are just so different than anything else that was being produced at the time.  Same with his 1960s THE ATOM and GREEN LANTERN.

Gil Kane: Like Carmine Infantino one of those artists with an unique style, so original that it's a whole world by itself.

Both are favorites of mine.

I love his work. Wondering about the Gil Kane Visionaries. Does it have a good selection of his Marvel work?

Gil Kane was great, but I must admit I usually preferred another inker over his pencils.

The thing I remember most about his art is the "Gil Kane punch" - the 2/3 page panel that shows the puncher in the background with his fist extended, and a large figure sprawling over that falls towards you.  I've seen that panel in so many comcis he did, but it never gets old.  Many examples of which are on this thread.

The latest issue of ROUGH STUFF has some really cool pencils by Kane in it. I was amazed by just the figure and head sketches they had in there.

It also features a lengthy comment on Paul Smith by our own Mr. Gerry Turnbull, which was a nice surprise!