Now Then!

February 15, 2005 6:01 PM

Now Then! What did professional comic artists draw like when they were 12 years old, you ask? The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art takes a look at 25 artists... now and then.
posted by Robot Johnny (18 comments total)

Excellent. Reminds me when I spent my days as a kid drawing cartoons and cell animations (complete with painted backgrounds and transparent overlays.)
posted by NewBornHippy at 6:24 PM on February 15, 2005

That's really cool! With some of the "then" ones, you can even see a hint of their future style (well, the Gary Baseman and Charles Burns ones, at least).
posted by May Kasahara at 6:29 PM on February 15, 2005

Lovely. I really, really like the Then one for Kirsten Ulve. The sense of colour is simply spectacular.
posted by jacquilynne at 6:33 PM on February 15, 2005

Yes! Great stuff! Thanks for the link.
posted by greasy_skillet at 6:38 PM on February 15, 2005

Hee! I work with Bob Staake all the time. Now I have something to tease him about. Thanks!!!
posted by miss lynnster at 7:16 PM on February 15, 2005

Huh, slipknot was around in 1986?
posted by delmoi at 7:51 PM on February 15, 2005

Excellent, Robot Johnny - I really enjoyed this - thanks!
posted by madamjujujive at 8:17 PM on February 15, 2005

Really cool link.

I thought this one was rather disturbing and uh... phallic?, in a fun kind of way. Esp. when compared to the 'now'.
posted by Espoo2 at 9:39 PM on February 15, 2005

I was disappointed that I didn't recognize any of the artists. Nothing from the span between Kirby and Liefeld, and certainly no name brand comic strips.
posted by Eideteker at 11:13 PM on February 15, 2005

Eideteker, these artists are name brand - Charles Burns, Roz Chast, Tony Millionaire, and Gary Baseman are very well known (not to slight the rest of the artists involved). I love Kirby as much as the next true believer (but Liefeld? BLECCHH!), but comics are about a lot more than superheroes these days, and it would do you good to branch out.
posted by sluggo at 5:12 AM on February 16, 2005

I love this!
posted by Songdog at 6:53 AM on February 16, 2005

From the FPP:

... now and then.

Wow, I had no idea that Gary Baseman grew up as Roz Chast. Fascinating.

No really, this is good stuff. Thanks, RJ.
posted by soyjoy at 7:47 AM on February 16, 2005

Oh man! There's even a guy with a drawing of his d&d character! Great stuff, thanks.
posted by kavasa at 8:12 AM on February 16, 2005

Robot Johnny, you post really good stuff.
posted by amarynth at 8:37 AM on February 16, 2005

sluggo: I didn't say I liked Liefeld, I just said I'd recognize it. Between Kirby and Liefeld there was about a 30-year period of artists (great and mediocre) working on comic books. None of them are there (again, that I recognize). And no name brand comic strips, either; I don't see Garry Trudeau or Berke Breathed or Cathy Guswhateverhernameis. Name brand meaning my grandma has heard of them (Grandmas being universally accepted as a statistically representative audience).

In all seriousness, how would you suggest I go about branching out? Other than by RTFA (which I did) and storing the names away for next time I hear them mentioned? I didn't know about them and now I do. But I'm still disappointed in the selection of artists on the site (no slight to Robot Johnny). Am I not hanging out at the right clubs, buying the right magazines, reading the right blogs? How do I make it so these very well known artists are known to me? Because you telling me they're well-known doesn't mean I know who they are, and in my comment I expressed my dismay that I didn't know who they were.
posted by Eideteker at 4:20 PM on February 16, 2005

Eideteker -- this other post from today may be a good place to start
posted by Robot Johnny at 7:38 PM on February 16, 2005

Robot Johnny: Saw that, and headed back to this thread to check for comments. Thanks!
posted by Eideteker at 4:47 AM on February 17, 2005

Cool. Thanks!
posted by safetyfork at 8:04 AM on February 24, 2005