Friday, May 3, 2013

Comics Nostalgia

When I was younger I got disappointed when favorite comic book artists evolved their styles to something that didn't appeal to me anymore. Dave Cockrum was one such artist, as I was younger and in love with his 'Neal Addams Lite' style form in his early career, and I kinda disliked his faces when he returned to drawing the X-men years later, after Byrne's and Paul Smith's runs. But I understand it now that I've had time to evolve myself, and it's nothing you can anticipate (or even control, I'd imagine). So when I am at a loss what to draw like I was last night when I arrived home too late to post (and too buzzed on cocktails to draw adequately), and I try to sketch an old default and fail, it makes me ruminate on artistic evolution.

Time was that I could draw superheroes effortlessly, but decades after my interest has peaked, it's a struggle to draw the styles I used to idolize. In fact, I spent so much time trying, it I kept wondering why I even wanted to make it look like I used to draw. Which is interesting, because I'd already developed a newer comicbook style in the past 10 years, but even that I don't try to do. How strange to know I'm evolving and improving, but unable or unwilling to draw the way I used to.

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