| Author |
|
Mitch Denoyer
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 21 September 2006
Posts: 131
|
| Posted: 01 March 2024 at 4:42am | IP Logged | 1
|
post reply
|
|
Here’s a question for the group. Was the DC Style Guide a good use of Garcia-Lopez’s talents or a waste of his talents?
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Rodrigo castellanos
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 03 July 2012
Location: Uruguay
Posts: 1469
|
| Posted: 01 March 2024 at 7:30am | IP Logged | 2
|
post reply
|
|
Was the DC Style Guide a good use of Garcia Lopez's talents or a waste of his talents?
Greatest use, IMHO.
I'm biased of course because I was born in the '80s but my first exposure to comic art was through his licensed art on everything (sticker albums, posters, t-shirts, watches, Super Powers figures box art, large etc.) of every DC character in every form and product.
There's nothing more influential than that. And I don't think I've seen such a thing since, or that lasted that long. Those were the definitive versions of the DC characters for "the real world", for a long time.
And will always be for those of us who were kids at the time. They couldn't have picked a better artist for the task.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Brian Miller
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 28 July 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 30914
|
| Posted: 01 March 2024 at 1:18pm | IP Logged | 3
|
post reply
|
|
Why would it be considered a waste of his talent? This question baffles me.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Fred J Chamberlain
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 30 August 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 4020
|
| Posted: 01 March 2024 at 1:21pm | IP Logged | 4
|
post reply
|
|
The style guide was used for 3 generations of artists. Editors used to hand
the binders to artists and inform them that this was the “look” that
character depictions should be based off of. The influence that this has had
on artists can never be fully measured.
It was great for DC, great for the craft and great for Jose, since it allowed
him to work without the pressure of deadlines.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
e-mail
|
| |
Doug Centers
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 February 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 5490
|
| Posted: 01 March 2024 at 1:46pm | IP Logged | 5
|
post reply
|
|
Yes, all of that Fred!
Of course, on a purely selfish note ,probably because of that we didn't get a nice long run on a title. At least not during my initial tenure of reading between '75-'80.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Peter Martin
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 March 2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 15833
|
| Posted: 01 March 2024 at 3:43pm | IP Logged | 6
|
post reply
|
|
I love the style guide, from what I've seen of it. Not a waste of his talents. DC could and should have actually sold it to fans though.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Mitch Denoyer
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 21 September 2006
Posts: 131
|
| Posted: 01 March 2024 at 4:13pm | IP Logged | 7
|
post reply
|
|
My question was asked because the style guide didn’t tell any stories. It also didn’t require the subtleties we see in the pages shown on this thread. The counter argument has been made by all of you.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Mark Haslett
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 19 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 6143
|
| Posted: 01 March 2024 at 5:33pm | IP Logged | 8
|
post reply
|
|
It's almost a mind-bending idea to think of any drawing as a "waste".
I guess if a great talent can only find work on a series that doesn't suit their talent or let them shine, that would be the kind of opportunity-loss that shows this industry at its worst.
But the style-guide certainly isn't that.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132389
|
| Posted: 01 March 2024 at 6:29pm | IP Logged | 9
|
post reply
|
|
I’d argue the Style Guide was a waste mostly due to timing. JLGL’s wonderful drawings were used mostly for advertisers. The artists working on the books were already spreading into the MY WAY!! approach. They didn’t want to be told how to draw the characters properly.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Peter Martin
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 17 March 2008
Location: Canada
Posts: 15833
|
| Posted: 01 March 2024 at 11:04pm | IP Logged | 10
|
post reply
|
|
I think what you say in totally true in terms of the details, JB. It's a real shame that the Style Guide didn't come out a few years earlier and that the editorial powers didn't lay it down as law for the creators working on the various characters.... But the sheer reach via the advertisers makes it hard for me to see it as a waste. In a way, those images kept the flame alive for decades and decades of the true versions of those characters for the broad public (and to this day).
I find it hard not to view it as a monumental work.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Rodrigo castellanos
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 03 July 2012
Location: Uruguay
Posts: 1469
|
| Posted: 01 March 2024 at 11:09pm | IP Logged | 11
|
post reply
|
|
I don't know if its 100% but this was the most complete version I've seen online:
(Facebook link, but you don't need an account to check it out)
Truly a thing of beauty, such an impeccable work of art. I'm sure I'm not the only one here willing to pay top dollar for an official printed version if DC ever decided to publish it commercially.
Not really likely, but one can hope.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
|
| |
Fred J Chamberlain
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 30 August 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 4020
|
| Posted: 01 March 2024 at 11:32pm | IP Logged | 12
|
post reply
|
|
Rodrigo, most of us didn’t ever expect to see reprints of the company
crossovers, but we are getting them. Also possible to see an artist edition of
that material.
Don’t be surprised if DC makes an announcement of a published style
guide, in the near future.
|
| Back to Top |
profile
| search
e-mail
|
| |
