Richard Corben's Art Book
Suspended Animation Classic #140
Originally published September 1, 1991 (#35)
Richard Corben’s Art Book
By R. A. Jones
Snicker. Snicker.
That’s the sound and attitude of many people when the words comics and artist are wed. Bluntly, it’s artistic snobbery. Many fine artists also draw comic books and strips, and two of the most accomplished are Guy Colwell and Richard Corben.
“Central Body: The Art of Guy Colwell” is mostly reality-based and focused on the alternative lifestyles of hippies in the ‘60s. Two-thirds of this collection is black and white reproductions of sketches, watercolors, oil and acrylic paintings, and comic book line drawings. Colwell’s themes include nudity and graphic sexual situations.
A subdued undercurrent of sadness sometimes descending into desperation runs throughout his art. People seldom smile in these predominantly introspective statements about the artist’s life.
His composition is stunning, especially in crowd scenes, his choices of color subtle and intriguing, and his anatomy heavily influenced by classical styles of art. This collection is 92 pages, $16.95, and published by Rip-Off Press.
“Richard Corben’s Art Book” is steeped in fantasy, science-fiction, and horror icons. Almost the entire collection of oils, ink and charcoal, and acrylic paintings is reproduced in color.
Corben’s trademark is an exaggeration of anatomy to heroic proportions that make his work operatic. His compositions are full of monsters, barbarians, and women in distress. At their best, they are powerful and innovative. At their worst (“Cosmic Hunter”), almost nothing works; color and characters are flat and lifeless, and the composition is pedestrian.
Although sometimes erratic, his art can grab a reader by the face and demand attention! His collection is 64 pages at $14.95, and published by Fantagor Press.
These books are apples and oranges to one another; there is no comparison. This difference, so often called style, is amazing, joyful, and the most important aspect of art (word missing!).
Richard Corben's Art Book
Suspended Animation Classic #140
Originally published September 1, 1991 (#35)
Richard Corben’s Art Book
By R. A. Jones
Snicker. Snicker.
That’s the sound and attitude of many people when the words comics and artist are wed. Bluntly, it’s artistic snobbery. Many fine artists also draw comic books and strips, and two of the most accomplished are Guy Colwell and Richard Corben.
“Central Body: The Art of Guy Colwell” is mostly reality-based and focused on the alternative lifestyles of hippies in the ‘60s. Two-thirds of this collection is black and white reproductions of sketches, watercolors, oil and acrylic paintings, and comic book line drawings. Colwell’s themes include nudity and graphic sexual situations.
A subdued undercurrent of sadness sometimes descending into desperation runs throughout his art. People seldom smile in these predominantly introspective statements about the artist’s life.
His composition is stunning, especially in crowd scenes, his choices of color subtle and intriguing, and his anatomy heavily influenced by classical styles of art. This collection is 92 pages, $16.95, and published by Rip-Off Press.
“Richard Corben’s Art Book” is steeped in fantasy, science-fiction, and horror icons. Almost the entire collection of oils, ink and charcoal, and acrylic paintings is reproduced in color.
Corben’s trademark is an exaggeration of anatomy to heroic proportions that make his work operatic. His compositions are full of monsters, barbarians, and women in distress. At their best, they are powerful and innovative. At their worst (“Cosmic Hunter”), almost nothing works; color and characters are flat and lifeless, and the composition is pedestrian.
Although sometimes erratic, his art can grab a reader by the face and demand attention! His collection is 64 pages at $14.95, and published by Fantagor Press.
These books are apples and oranges to one another; there is no comparison. This difference, so often called style, is amazing, joyful, and the most important aspect of art (word missing!).