I was frankly amazed that he was still around, still doing GREAT work, for as long as he was. The quality NEVER dipped. He was ALWAYS inspired, no matter what he did.
And there must have been some reason he stayed on CRACKED magazine, of all things, for so many years.
I always remember this one convention in Mt. Laurel I went to, where there was a panel with 3 artists on it. One of them was Howard Chaykin, not long after STAR WARS came out. I thought, and still do, that his art on SW #1 was CRAP. You know how Gil Kane inked with a FLAIR PEN? Howie used an EL MARKO. Well, I had the unmittigated nerve to offer my opinion that I thought the art on the CRACKED version was better. The funny thing was, how all 3 guys looked at each other, and began shaking their heads IN AGREEMENT with me, one of them muttering, "Oh, yeah-- JOHN SEVERIN."
I know a lot of people loved his work inking Herb Trimpe on HULK and Dick Ayers on SGT. FURY, although just as many probably thought he was wastig his time "dragging up" such "lesser artists". I'm not sure about HULK (I prefer Jack Abel inking Trimpe), but I do like what I've seen on SGT. FURY. He was certainly a far better fit for that than he was on NICK FURY, AGENT OF SHIELD.
Many later, I got a huge kick when he did the RAWHIDE KID mini-series several years ago. I ordered it in advance thru Previews, long before I found out it featured (allegedly) "controversial" material. (heh heh) All I know is, I thought the book was FUNNY, which in my eyes, put it WAY ahead of the 2 previous "Rawhide Kid" minis, both of which had been about the darkest, bleakest, nastiest and most VIOLENT things I'd ever seen published by Marvel (and that really says a lot). I just think it's a shame they didn't get Severin to do his own covers.
That mini also helped me out a lot, indirectly, because a book store manager I spoke with in Washington DC, told me over the phone that he didn't normally sell comics, but THAT mini convinced him to try some... and while we were talking, he gave me the name and number of a wholesaler in Rhode Island, who wound up taking a BIG chunk of the print run of my own book, and got MY book into stores in 6 different countries!
...Good page rates ? Being the star there , I guess ?
Craig Yoe has put out this TWO-VOLUME history of crack - uh , PLURAL! , sorry , thinking of Whitney - I sowwy ! - A two-volume history of CRACKED , from Craig Yoe's company , who have put out a wholee lotta nif-tee-sounding stuff lately .
I recall his other Western revival , the BAT LASH mini , being GREAT , art-wise - and , I think , more creditaible as a story than the Rawhide Kid mini - NOT because of " that " gimmick , because the story was pointless?? ( And even " that " gimmick was treated in a , rather , " chickenstuff " manner , IIRC . ) I recall a great most-of-an-issue of the early 00s SUICIDE SQUAD , as well !!!!!!!
Henry R. Kujawa said:
I was frankly amazed that he was still around, still doing GREAT work, for as long as he was. The quality NEVER dipped. He was ALWAYS inspired, no matter what he did.
And there must have been some reason he stayed on CRACKED magazine, of all things, for so many years.
I always remember this one convention in Mt. Laurel I went to, where there was a panel with 3 artists on it. One of them was Howard Chaykin, not long after STAR WARS came out. I thought, and still do, that his art on SW #1 was CRAP. You know how Gil Kane inked with a FLAIR PEN? Howie used an EL MARKO. Well, I had the unmittigated nerve to offer my opinion that I thought the art on the CRACKED version was better. The funny thing was, how all 3 guys looked at each other, and began shaking their heads IN AGREEMENT with me, one of them muttering, "Oh, yeah-- JOHN SEVERIN."
I know a lot of people loved his work inking Herb Trimpe on HULK and Dick Ayers on SGT. FURY, although just as many probably thought he was wastig his time "dragging up" such "lesser artists". I'm not sure about HULK (I prefer Jack Abel inking Trimpe), but I do like what I've seen on SGT. FURY. He was certainly a far better fit for that than he was on NICK FURY, AGENT OF SHIELD.
Many later, I got a huge kick when he did the RAWHIDE KID mini-series several years ago. I ordered it in advance thru Previews, long before I found out it featured (allegedly) "controversial" material. (heh heh) All I know is, I thought the book was FUNNY, which in my eyes, put it WAY ahead of the 2 previous "Rawhide Kid" minis, both of which had been about the darkest, bleakest, nastiest and most VIOLENT things I'd ever seen published by Marvel (and that really says a lot). I just think it's a shame they didn't get Severin to do his own covers.
That mini also helped me out a lot, indirectly, because a book store manager I spoke with in Washington DC, told me over the phone that he didn't normally sell comics, but THAT mini convinced him to try some... and while we were talking, he gave me the name and number of a wholesaler in Rhode Island, who wound up taking a BIG chunk of the print run of my own book, and got MY book into stores in 6 different countries!
The first Severin art I'd seen was in Cracked. When I saw his other work for Marvel in reprint books, I was even more impressed. His work on the Rawhide Kid miniseries was better than artists one-third his age. In my opinion, he was as good as ever there.
Severin was one of those artists, like Ditko or Kirby or Romita, where you could look at a single, unsigned panel and know instantly who drew it. His style was distinctive, but not flashy (which maybe why he never got the Kirby/Ditko/Romita-level recognition he deserved. A truly amazing career -- from the Golden Age to today -- he was active in every era.
However, IMO, if you've never seen his work in EC's War and Action comics, you're really missing out.
I always remember this one convention in Mt. Laurel I went to, where there was a panel with 3 artists on it. One of them was Howard Chaykin, not long after STAR WARS came out. I thought, and still do, that his art on SW #1 was CRAP. You know how Gil Kane inked with a FLAIR PEN? Howie used an EL MARKO. Well, I had the unmittigated nerve to offer my opinion that I thought the art on the CRACKED version was better. The funny thing was, how all 3 guys looked at each other, and began shaking their heads IN AGREEMENT with me, one of them muttering, "Oh, yeah-- JOHN SEVERIN."
I'd completely forgotten that he illustrated a B.P.R.D. story (War on Frogs #2, Dec. 2008). I know I have that, I'll have to pull it out when I go home this weekend.
Just last week - really! - I started reading the S.H.I.E.L.D. strip in Strange Tales for the first time, and he was the artist for a few issues. Gorgeous stuff.
I realize, looking back, it wold have been so easy, and predictable, if someone (especially Howie) had taken offense at what I said. But for all 3 guys-- including Howie, to so immediately acknowlewdge I was right, as soon as they realized WHO drew the CRACKED version, just made it all the more hilarious.
The 1st issue of STAR WARS came out about 2 weeks before the movie. For some reason, I bought it... and didn't like anything about it. Not the wretched art, nor the depressing story. Of course, Roy had done one thing right. He managed to allow 6 issues for a 2-hour movie (that's about 20 minutes per issue, or almost one minute of film per comic page).
I went to see the movie based on only 2 things: I liked "space" stuff-- but, more so-- PETER CUSHING was in it!
As soon as the Millennium Falcon took off from the desert planet, the whole movie "took off". And there was no hint of what was coming-- not really-- in that first issue.
It was only very recently I read that Cushing was intended to play Obi-Wan. HOW MUCH BETTER yet the film might have been if he only had! (Then the fight would have had "Baron Frankenstein" fighting his "Monster"!) Of course, I also like to imagine if Christopher Lee had played Darth Vader. If he had, they wouldn't have needed anyone to dub the voice. Can you picture Cushing and Lee in a sword fight?
I finally became a fan of Chaykin with the 1st issue of AMERICAN FLAGG. I felt on that, he had finally "arrived"-- he'd found a way to make his peculiar style "WORK", and of course, he was doing it all, concept, plot, full art, dialogue... the whole schmeer. Nobody should have ever touched that book after him. Although the final 12 issues ("Vol.2"), where he SUPERVISED a team he hand-picked, was the best alternative to him doing it himself.
Back on Severin... I feel his line style is too "organic" (if you know what I mean) to be a good fit on such a "technological" series as SHIELD. Kirby on full pencils, with Wood on inks (or Kirby layouts and Wood pencils and inks) would have been much better. But like Severin on STAR WARS, what he did was so nicely done, it's hard NOT to admire it, even if it isn't "right". Severin getting on SGT. FURY, now that was a perfect match! With, or without Ayers. (I really need to read more of those things.)
Replies
Aw, no. Rest in peace.
I was frankly amazed that he was still around, still doing GREAT work, for as long as he was. The quality NEVER dipped. He was ALWAYS inspired, no matter what he did.
And there must have been some reason he stayed on CRACKED magazine, of all things, for so many years.
I always remember this one convention in Mt. Laurel I went to, where there was a panel with 3 artists on it. One of them was Howard Chaykin, not long after STAR WARS came out. I thought, and still do, that his art on SW #1 was CRAP. You know how Gil Kane inked with a FLAIR PEN? Howie used an EL MARKO. Well, I had the unmittigated nerve to offer my opinion that I thought the art on the CRACKED version was better. The funny thing was, how all 3 guys looked at each other, and began shaking their heads IN AGREEMENT with me, one of them muttering, "Oh, yeah-- JOHN SEVERIN."
I know a lot of people loved his work inking Herb Trimpe on HULK and Dick Ayers on SGT. FURY, although just as many probably thought he was wastig his time "dragging up" such "lesser artists". I'm not sure about HULK (I prefer Jack Abel inking Trimpe), but I do like what I've seen on SGT. FURY. He was certainly a far better fit for that than he was on NICK FURY, AGENT OF SHIELD.
Many later, I got a huge kick when he did the RAWHIDE KID mini-series several years ago. I ordered it in advance thru Previews, long before I found out it featured (allegedly) "controversial" material. (heh heh) All I know is, I thought the book was FUNNY, which in my eyes, put it WAY ahead of the 2 previous "Rawhide Kid" minis, both of which had been about the darkest, bleakest, nastiest and most VIOLENT things I'd ever seen published by Marvel (and that really says a lot). I just think it's a shame they didn't get Severin to do his own covers.
That mini also helped me out a lot, indirectly, because a book store manager I spoke with in Washington DC, told me over the phone that he didn't normally sell comics, but THAT mini convinced him to try some... and while we were talking, he gave me the name and number of a wholesaler in Rhode Island, who wound up taking a BIG chunk of the print run of my own book, and got MY book into stores in 6 different countries!
STRANGE TALES 137
STRANGE TALES 138
...Good page rates ? Being the star there , I guess ?
Craig Yoe has put out this TWO-VOLUME history of crack - uh , PLURAL! , sorry , thinking of Whitney - I sowwy ! - A two-volume history of CRACKED , from Craig Yoe's company , who have put out a wholee lotta nif-tee-sounding stuff lately .
I recall his other Western revival , the BAT LASH mini , being GREAT , art-wise - and , I think , more creditaible as a story than the Rawhide Kid mini - NOT because of " that " gimmick , because the story was pointless?? ( And even " that " gimmick was treated in a , rather , " chickenstuff " manner , IIRC . ) I recall a great most-of-an-issue of the early 00s SUICIDE SQUAD , as well !!!!!!!
Henry R. Kujawa said:
I was afraid this day would come. This hurts.
The first Severin art I'd seen was in Cracked. When I saw his other work for Marvel in reprint books, I was even more impressed. His work on the Rawhide Kid miniseries was better than artists one-third his age. In my opinion, he was as good as ever there.
Another face off of comics Mt Rushmore.
Severin was one of those artists, like Ditko or Kirby or Romita, where you could look at a single, unsigned panel and know instantly who drew it. His style was distinctive, but not flashy (which maybe why he never got the Kirby/Ditko/Romita-level recognition he deserved. A truly amazing career -- from the Golden Age to today -- he was active in every era.
However, IMO, if you've never seen his work in EC's War and Action comics, you're really missing out.
I love Henry's story:
I always remember this one convention in Mt. Laurel I went to, where there was a panel with 3 artists on it. One of them was Howard Chaykin, not long after STAR WARS came out. I thought, and still do, that his art on SW #1 was CRAP. You know how Gil Kane inked with a FLAIR PEN? Howie used an EL MARKO. Well, I had the unmittigated nerve to offer my opinion that I thought the art on the CRACKED version was better. The funny thing was, how all 3 guys looked at each other, and began shaking their heads IN AGREEMENT with me, one of them muttering, "Oh, yeah-- JOHN SEVERIN."
I'd completely forgotten that he illustrated a B.P.R.D. story (War on Frogs #2, Dec. 2008). I know I have that, I'll have to pull it out when I go home this weekend.
He also did last year's Witchfinder mini for Dark Horse. Still amazingly detailed. He should have been a bigger star at Marvel.
Sad news. Rest in peace, Mr. Severin.
Just last week - really! - I started reading the S.H.I.E.L.D. strip in Strange Tales for the first time, and he was the artist for a few issues. Gorgeous stuff.
"I love Henry's story"
I realize, looking back, it wold have been so easy, and predictable, if someone (especially Howie) had taken offense at what I said. But for all 3 guys-- including Howie, to so immediately acknowlewdge I was right, as soon as they realized WHO drew the CRACKED version, just made it all the more hilarious.
The 1st issue of STAR WARS came out about 2 weeks before the movie. For some reason, I bought it... and didn't like anything about it. Not the wretched art, nor the depressing story. Of course, Roy had done one thing right. He managed to allow 6 issues for a 2-hour movie (that's about 20 minutes per issue, or almost one minute of film per comic page).
I went to see the movie based on only 2 things: I liked "space" stuff-- but, more so-- PETER CUSHING was in it!
As soon as the Millennium Falcon took off from the desert planet, the whole movie "took off". And there was no hint of what was coming-- not really-- in that first issue.
It was only very recently I read that Cushing was intended to play Obi-Wan. HOW MUCH BETTER yet the film might have been if he only had! (Then the fight would have had "Baron Frankenstein" fighting his "Monster"!) Of course, I also like to imagine if Christopher Lee had played Darth Vader. If he had, they wouldn't have needed anyone to dub the voice. Can you picture Cushing and Lee in a sword fight?
I finally became a fan of Chaykin with the 1st issue of AMERICAN FLAGG. I felt on that, he had finally "arrived"-- he'd found a way to make his peculiar style "WORK", and of course, he was doing it all, concept, plot, full art, dialogue... the whole schmeer. Nobody should have ever touched that book after him. Although the final 12 issues ("Vol.2"), where he SUPERVISED a team he hand-picked, was the best alternative to him doing it himself.
Back on Severin... I feel his line style is too "organic" (if you know what I mean) to be a good fit on such a "technological" series as SHIELD. Kirby on full pencils, with Wood on inks (or Kirby layouts and Wood pencils and inks) would have been much better. But like Severin on STAR WARS, what he did was so nicely done, it's hard NOT to admire it, even if it isn't "right". Severin getting on SGT. FURY, now that was a perfect match! With, or without Ayers. (I really need to read more of those things.)
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