comics as art

http://www.hotwired.com/rgb/stastny/ is an interesting digital comic... is this art? What about some of the newspaper comics, are any of them true art? What comic do you like artisticly?

All comics are art. It's just that most of them are very poor art, but there are some real masterpieces out there.

I have two words for you: James Rizzi. One of my all time favourite artists. 'Cats and Dogs are Lovebirds too' Thank you for starting this topic, Terry. It's funny, because I've just started working on an exhibition of crazy comic 3-d constructions with a great partner, Wolfgang Schoeck (great grandson of the famous Swiss artist, and son of the nephew of the famous Swiss composer). Something utterly different from what I normally do, but my art is ALIVE again. And having a lovely working partner is bliss!

I like it. Congratulations on the new partner, Riette.

That's great Ree, I hope you tell us all the details and post a sample or two in 3d. We can dig out our 3d glasses!

Go for it.

this is great, ree-head!!

Thank you, guys. It is really great fun to do just anything that comes up in my head for a change. Nobody to please, nobody to impress - just to be 100% creative; that's what it should be about, right? I just feel better all over again. I've nearly finished my first effort called, 'Raining Cats and Dogs', and will take a picture as soon as it's finished. The fun thing is that I'll be able to do my own frames for these, like for the works in my first exhibition - which used to be almost more fun than doing the pictures themselves for me - so I'm looking forward to that too. And I'll post Wolfgang's things too when he gets finished. He's really great.

looking forward to it. also looking forward to the collaboration between you two and the products of that.

Do you often do this meditative response thing? Just kidding! I've got about 2 days' work left on 'Cats and Dogs' - and am pretty excited about it. But I'm not sure the others will like it that much. All the sensual lines and atmosphere are GONE. That's what people normally like about my work, and what I'm sick of...

Art is about expressing yourself...how YOU feel... NOT what everyone else wants to look at. the funny thing about it is that when you are doing what you need to do, everything else falls into place. I do the meditative response thing whenever i don't scroll down far enough before hitting the button.

you know, Ree, it's kinda like sex...

What is? Hitting the button prematurely? Not when I have sex.

ha-ha!!!! Good one, Tim! Wer, if I had to express what I feel sexually, I'd be a very dangerous woman, fit only for prison!

I've heard that they get really wild in prison. No holds barred.

Ooh. Then I'll have to keep thinking of sex as a recreational, rather than a venting activity. I must go now - got a hot date today.... Have a great day, and I'll get Screwed later....

Sounds like you are the one who's going to be having a great day. A hot date and get screwed later!!! Just kidding. I know what you meant. You have a good day too. and let me know how things went. Sex is definitely recreational by definition. Look closely at the spelling of recreation.

haha!!

Oh, stop!! I'm broody enough as it is!!

Sorry, Just a play on words. I have great fun with semantics. People often do not pay attention to the words that they use and how they can be misconstrued.

Yes, I too enjoy a certain brand of sementics....

as is well documented in the restaurants conf in the appetizers topic...

I don't think so. Look again. That conversation was between you, stacey, and autumn.

Hmm, appetizer. What a lovely thought...

oops...my mistake...I need some sleep... (I know, Iknow, lame excuse but it's all I have to hang on to!)

Any port in a storm?

it has been known to happen...

It is good policy, generally. Otherwise you may find yourself facing, "sink or swim".

ain't that just the way? gotta know which bridges to burn...

I never liked the idea of burning bridges. It can trap you.

keeping them all open denotes a sort of insecurity though...

and no place to get your weenie roasted... (not to mention your marshmallows!)

This is starting to sound like a 'Cow and Chicken' script!!! Getting your weenie roasted! We could always hold a 'spring's biggest weenie' competition.

and sell tickets!!!

True, but who would buy?

people with money

*LOL*

Would that be everyone with money, or just a select few?

probably just a self-limitting few... (some people don't know how to have a good time!)

Good point.

If you are talking comics, I'll talk Jack Kirby.

and if YOUR talking Jack Kirby... I'll talk vacuum cleaners!

Huh? What did V. Cleaners draw? And for what publisher?

I don't think I ran across the name in my copy of Overstreet... But then, that's the 1984 edition... Even pre-manga-invasion...

Kirby= vacuum cleaner brand name... sorry... thought we were talking obnoxious household appliances... my bad! Try Understreet... I think maybe there's mention in there...

Ok, let's unriddle this - you first! Who's Understreet?

Jack Kirby? Don't know him.

The Shine People 1999 Ri�tte Walton

I tried and tried to make it smaller in size but it just would not cooperate, so you get the full Ri�tte...enjoy!

Thank you, Marcia & Riette! Riette, German "Schein" or English "Shine"? Anyway, that's the people at your last vernissage, no? (Can't be the people at the Spring - too high male quota!) What makes it a comic? *********************************************************** Jack Kirby is one of the most super-legendary comic artists EVER! He worked for Marvel Comics from (at least) early Sixties until early Eighties (I think). Very classy style! I remember many Fantastic Four stories by him, so he was the one who introduced Silver Surfer, too, and the Nicht-Menschen (In-Humans?) living in the Himalaya. Very clear lines, excellent entertaining shapes, perspectives and forms, superheroes that couldn't possibly become the least bit more super. You think anything R. Liechtenstei stole, erh, converted into art was good? You haven't seen that! Overstreet is the catalog for US-comic books - every issue from every series is in there, prices according to condition and rareness of item.

Stare at the Sky on Sighday 1999 Ri�tte Walton

Thank you Marcia - sorry for the trouble though. I'm going to have to figure the computer out better, so this won't happen again. What a pain! Alexander, 'Shine' is indeed a play on 'Schein'. Why it is comic? I suppose it isn't really, but it is a form of illustration - printed, not painted; which is why I classified it as 'comic'. Since my drawing abilities have let me down, I'll explain it better. Like I said, Shine is a play on Schein. If you look carefully (and even then maybe not!!), you'll recognize characters vaguely reminiscent of Hollywood stars. The green guy at the back, left, is supposed to be Peter Sellers, the red-faced guy ust in front of him is Fred Astaire. On his right is Cher. with Barbara Streisand in the yellow hair in front of her. Next to Barbara Streisand is Dustin Hoffman, as Tootsie. Behind him is Robin Williams as Mrs. Doubtfire. At the piano sits Holly Hunter as in 'The Piano', with Tina Turner on her right. In the bottom right hand corner, Clark Gable and a non-descript "heroine". So, some of the characters are recognizable as actors, some of the actors have a second layer of 'schein', that is, they hav assimilated their roles into themselves. And other faces cannot be recognized. It is up to the viewer to decide who they want to see as the real 'shine people'. Or they may decide to look at it is just a picture - that's the beauty of art. You can meet it halfway, or keep your distance - whatever feels safest. I love Lichtenstein's work, because of how he makes them. They are oil paintings, mimicking comics. I wouldn't know which ones are 'stolen', because I don't really read comic books. But I find some of his works quite deep - like 'Wham!', for example.

OOPS! You sneaked that one in!! My reply above obviously refers to the previous picture ....

Alexander...Overstreet is the catalog for US-comic books - every issue from every series is in there, prices according to condition and rareness of item. ... and Understreet is merely a play on your Overstreet as vacuum cleaners was a play on your Kirby... sorry I'll cut it out for awhile! *grin* Ree-face (play on ree-head of course!), I LOVE em!!! Love em love em love em and I saved em to my desktop and wanna may the 'sighday' my computer wallpaper... can I, please? can I?

pffff! Don't ask me stuff like that! You know it's fine, girl!

Stace-face...

*smile*

Riette...I'm no art connoisseur...but love your stuff. Here's another comic artist I love, Chuck Jones...(yes, Marcia, from the classic Bugs "Tannheuser" episode:

Smart fellow, Chuck...protects his art well. To view his stuff (Warners, Dr. Seuss animation and more, see http://www.chuckjones.com and take the virtual gallery tour.

REE...!!! It is not a pain! I am not artistic...let me do this for you...please?!

Accidental Traveller 1999 Ri�tte Walton

Bun for Breakfast 1999 Ri�tte Walton

This lady is a genius. What a joy to enable the world to see her creations. Thank you, Ree Dear!!!

Not a genius. A bored brat. And I DO have my typing to fall back on....

You ARE a genius. If that was just boredom, then I could make incredible images like that, too...but I can't!

I was set back a little by 'bun' but awe inspired by the fanciful birds and clouds. It's so refreshing that ree's art is back!

Yeah, 'Bun' was one of my less pleasant ideas!!! ha-ha! Thanks anyway.

When I grow up I'd like to be James Rizzi.

Bun was a shock but maybe it will grow on folks. I'll visit it again later and see how I react. I love your fanciful works.

It's okay - perhaps you just didn't have the stomach for that one. ha-ha!!!

It didn't revolt me or anything, it just wasn't my favorite ree-artwork. The best is yet to come, right ree ree?

If I can find the time.... And my kids destroyed my firebird. It's my own fault, I forgot to close my studio door, and they saw all the paint and black ink, and decided to add a few touches. 4 Weeks' work covered in black....I'm really pi$$ed off with myself.

What a shame, can you recreate it?

No - I can never do the same thing twice. All the geometrical shapes - it get's really boring to paint them; I just couldn't possibly do the SAME thing again, where the outcome is predictable. Ugh! But I have a good idea what I'll do over it. A collage of some sort - I just have to think of a cool design. In the meantime I've started something in oil now; usual old figure thing. I so would be able to paint landscapes, but I always come up with new kinds of figures; I just find it so fascinating, and it comes so natural. Ah well, maybe I just need another 10 years to be mature enough as an artist to be able to capture all those subtle colours and shapes that make up landshapes. Or maybe I'll go way abstract - it's GOT to be easier to produce paintings in a matter of days rather than weeks or months! Do you know Rothko produced over 800 paintings??? All just those really abstract 'window' things. Pretty, but not alot of work, I don't think. And Andy Warhol produced over 2000 of those silkscreen paintings in his factory - well, his assistants did anyway .....

That's what you need, Ree, assistants. Well, at least you got a picture of the soon to be overpainted work. I'm glad for this.

Yes, I photographed it ... I THINK! I have to have them developed this week - there are quite a few. I even remembered not to put on varnish before doing the photographs, so the chances are pretty good that they'll come out okay. Let's see.

would varnish promote reflections of the flash? even if you used a matte varnish?

Not with matte varnish. But I always use the 'glanz' type. Acryllic paint colours are full of light, but 'glanz' varnish almost sets them on fire - that's how I achieve that VERY bright effect. I don't try to imitate light in my paintings, but rather to create it - like with a stained glass window where the patterns are lit by the sun outside.

Neat, I'm glad you're staying so pluggined into your painting.

Pluggined!!! Great vocabulary, Terry!! The light thing is a Van Gogh influence - he also tried to create light instead of imitating it. I think he was just the most wonderful artist.