Screw Early Retirement Part II

This is continuing a theme of my list of very underutilized comic book artistic talent. Not that they are not working, not doing good work someplace, or not involved in a creative industry, mind you. This is entirely about listing people I would like to see turning down additional work in the comic book industry because they are so busy within it.

ARTISTS:: Who should be telling stories visually and being published in the comics industry upon a monthly basis

NORM BREYFOGLE

Working at First Comics on WHISPER Breyfogle became the artist on Batman and Detective Comics in different runs from 1987 to 1994. Doing quality work, Breyfogle’s pencils defined a Batman for a generation of reader. His work is well remembered for being a bridge between longtime artist Jim Aparo and the present artists. But his work remains good.

JOE STATON

Joe Staton is a talented artist who has worked on a wide variety of characters and publishers. He was a particularly effective artist for DC and FIRST comics during the 1980s. A cartoonist, he gives all his subjects a sense of motion, and they are always alive. His work has a powerful energy about it.

MITCH BYRD

Mitch Byrd’s work has a smoothness about it that refuses to be categorized. He made Guy Gardner WARRIOR (DC) an odd but beautiful work, and made monkeys look like they could talk in PRIMATE for IMAGE. I honestly think that a Big Two editor could do FAR worse than to assign Byrd to any ongoing book.

EDDY NEWELL

His art is moody and broadly drawn, while remaining representational. There is a quality about his work that is undefinable, it remains powerful in color or black and white. He has drawn for Moonstone, DC and Marvel and I would buy a monthly title that he was drawing, if only he were doing one.

AGING TALENTS?

I have been told by artists in the industry that as some artists age their quality of line diminishes. Some artists encounter eye problems, and as age strikes them their work might become better informed, but they are less able to show the reader the new ideas they possess and perspectives they have gained. But the above listed talent are not old nor do they seem infirmed. They are simply underemployed.