Keskustelujen arkisto

I meant that the Pogo comics I read (in paperback book collections) were originally newspaper strips...so that's what I'm referring to when I say Walt Kelly's Pogo.

OK, intangible (as well as invisible). Is that better or worse, in terms of gender symbolism? But Shrinking Violet and Phantom Girl are the only two girls I remember from c. 1970. Perhaps I don't remember Saturn Girl and Dream Girl because they just stood around and *thought*? And your list does support my point in a way; telepathy, precognition and shadow-casting are not quite powers on a par with the guys' powers. (Supergirl for sure wasn't on my two-page guide to the LSH; either she wasn't officially a member then or they figured she needed no introduction.) I presume a LSH created today would likely do a much better job of gender equivalence. Though actually, the Incredibles didn't do that much better re: gender-typing powers, did they?
Anyway, I seem to get corrected for anything I say about any comics other than Disney, so I'll just stop talking about them!

In no specific order (apart from the first one which is indeed my unbeatable number one!):

Hal Foster ?? Prince Valiant
Hal Foster: with his Prince Valiant the only comic creator whom I place on a par with Carl Barks. The same oneness of the perfect writer and artist and the creator of a whole, rich and full world. Prince Valiant: a true masterpiece that lets arise a highly stylized, though acribically researched Middle Ages with adventure, heroism and chivalry, but that also includes in a skillful balance a warm humor and the depiction of the "private" side of its hero.

It is absolutely astonishing that Foster could keep the level of his series constantly highest for such a long time. Apart from the first one, two years, where he was still "experiencing" a bit, the artwork stays the same for decades ?? one has no chance to distinguish a Foster Prince Valiant drawing from, say, 1940 and 1970 by its artwork. But also the script of the series stayed on a high level until Foster laid down the pen.

It was Foster??s biggest mistake then, however, to decide not to finish the series (be it with a happy or with a tragic end or simply with a "cut") but to hand on the baton to a sucessor. Just by himself, John Cullen Murphy may have been a good artist, but he simply could not reach the graphic heights of Foster. No one could have. His artwork, too, got frouzier with the time, and the story got pointless and fizzled out more and more. Today, with further successors, the once glorious prince is only a sad joke.

René Goscinny, Albert Uderzo ?? Asterix
Approved as great. Uderzo's latest solo tries, however, were a fall into hell.

René Goscinny, Morris ?? Lucky Luke
Attention and applause for Asterix has always been larger, for whatever reason, at least in Germany. But I place the western funny by Goscinny and Morris as equal to it. And just as much as with Asterix, the post-Goscinny work could not keep the level. However, the fall is not as far as deep.

André Franquin ?? Gaston
Gag fiest. Really makes one laugh.

Peyo ?? Johan et Pirlouit (Johan and Peewit)
Always loved this Middle Ages funny. Even if (today) not as known and popular as The Smurfs (who emerged from this series), it is somehow Peyo??s most very own work.

Peyo ?? The Smurfs
Very funny and some stories even quite intelligent little plays about society.

Jijé ?? Jerry Spring
Nice western series. Only discovered it short ago with the new complete edition in Germany.

Manfred Schmidt ?? Nick Knatterton
The best German comic. Intelligent, well-puzzled out detective parody with nice 50s flair.

Jean-Michel Charlier, Jean Giraud ?? Blueberry
Also one of the discoveries I made only a few years ago. The best western comic (at least the best "serious" one ?? Lucky Luke simply plays in a completely different league). Extremely complex stories with "cycles" stretching across several albums and with plot lines diverging and running together again after. The atmosphere rather "Italo western"-like, full of dark abysses and cynism and Blueberry being a "broken hero". The graphic of Giraud (also known as Moebius) impressing. The post-Charlier albums could not keep the level of the story, however, and the post-Giraud Blueberry can be completely kicked in the curb.

Warren Tufts ?? Lance
Another very recent discovery for me. Lance had been, however and completely mysteriously, never pubished in Germany before the now running grand complete edition of Bocola. Never had heard of the series before, too. When started, it was praised by the publisher as "the Prince Valiant of the Wild West". I thought that was a bit big-mouthed, but after reading the first album, I had to learn that this comparison was not unjustified. By story and graphics somehow really similar to Prince Valiant and both, too, on a high level.

Don Rosa ?? The Pertwillaby Papers
Rosa without page number and editor bonds. Don??t find his Captain Kentucky that good (and understandable for readers who did not live in 70s and early 80s Louisville).

Hergé ?? Tintin
Generally approved. Tintin the blankest, most faceless and non-personal hero ever (compared with him Asterix, Lucky Luke and long-pants Mickey appear as multi-dimensional, deep personalities). But the universe around this black hole in its center rich and full.

Maurice Tillieux ?? Gil Jourdan
Nice semi-funny, semi-realistic 50s and 60s detective series. A Franco-Belgian classic.

Edgar Rice Burroughs, Rex Maxon, Hal Foster, Burne Hogarth ?? Tarzan
The story may have some unrealisms and "sillinesses" (that's why Hal Foster took leave and created his own), but it's thrilling and atmospheric, and the Foster's and Hogarth's artwork (Maxon's not really ...) is great.

Massimo Fecchi ?? Fix und Foxi
Ach ja, thanks for reminding me of this one, Ramapith. The stories drawn by Fecchi were indeed the main reason why I bought and read Fix und Foxi when I was a child. (A complete edition exclusively of Fecchi's Fix und Foxi would be great, but I think this stays a pipe dream. Not really an idea how extensive it would get, but it's quite a lot stuff, I guess.

Carl Barks ?? Barney Bear and Benny Burro
Must list Barks??s little moondog of his planet Duckburg.

J. R. R. Tolkien, David Wenzel, Charles Dixon ?? The Hobbit
Nice comic adaptation of Tolkien's book. Would be great if Wenzel and Dixon would also go about The Lord of the Rings. Would become a significantly voluminous and complex comic work, though.

Marie Ranke, Wolfgang J. Fuchs, Monika Sattrasai, Franz Gerg et al. ?? Max und Luzie
A well-written, well-drawn (at least the older magazines) advertizing comic that was published and passed for free by the Allianz insurance. 20-pagers about a few kids and a grown-up nerd travelling through time into different epochs.

Peter Wiechmann, Erwin Frick, Fred Kipka et al. ?? Knax
Another (once?) well-written, well-drawn free advertizing comic by the Sparkasse bank. Playing on the small island "Knax", with the good "Knaxianers" against the evil-dumb "Fetzensteiners". Liked to read the stuff as a child. But I can't say what??s going on today in that magazine which is still produced and handed and if it's still hit or meanwhile turned shit.

Quote from user: CoolwaterHergé ?? Tintin
Generally approved. Tintin the blankest, most faceless and non-personal hero ever (compared with him Asterix, Lucky Luke and long-pants Mickey appear as multi-dimensional, deep personalities). But the universe around this black hole in its center rich and full.
I love the movie by Spillberg BTW. It was propably my favorie animated movie of that year...
I'm still supprise how they manage make Tintin a fasinating character without changing a thing from the book...

Plus that big chase scene they made in ONE shot... WOW! O_o I was never amazed by a camera shot n a live action movie as much by this one which was animated...

Quote from user: Charlie BrownAsterix by René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo (only the books done by both)
I'm among few people who like most of Uderzo's 'solo stories (especialy "The Son of Asterix" story was great) but the last one was just terrible and so off character for the series to the point I don't consider it an Asterix story but more of a self-parody...

But yhe - they don't hold the candle to Goscinny in anyway, other then the artwork improve a bit...

Quote from user: CoolwaterUderzo's first four solo tries were okay, in my eyes. That whole thing really crashed in the cellar with Asterix and the Secret Weapon, 1991.
I actually like this one (Secret Weapon) It had some good satire and I like Bravura character however my main complain is that the ending (last 4-5 pages) is "Meh"...

One Uderzo story I most people like and I don't care for that muh is "The Great dive"... I can imagine this being an exelent cute story with some new characters but as an Asterix story it lack any satire, the plot was way to "deus ex machina" and Asterix, Obelix & Getafix felt like guest stars rather then main heroes...

Quote:I wonder with what the readers will be buffled in the next album!
Interesting enought Uderzo allready picked artist and a writer who will be continuing the series! Frédéric Mébarki (who was Uderzo asisant over the years and made plenty promotion art which so his style is almost identical) and Jean-Yves Ferri (who is apereantly pretty great writer and create some popular one shot comics)

I honestly don't see the point other then... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCkOmcIl79s

I guess It will be interesting to see a couple of new Asterix stories made by new creators since unlike Batman or Uncle Scrooge who had many wriers and artists over the year Asterix only had this one duo... Oryginal Asterix writen by Goscinny is such a big classics here in Europe It will be a bit odd to continiue the series but 2-3 stories maybe an interesting homage...

Quote:You do mean Asterix and the Falling Sky, don't you?
Yep...

Quote:By the way: "2006 Eagle Award for Best European Comic" (Source). Must have been a bad year ... :D
A terrible one I asume...

BTW -> Have You gus seen the three page Asterix/Duckburg crossover by Vicar?

If Your an Astrix fan the book (I have no clue if it came out in english) is worth the price. It's hard cover and is 64 pages of 1-4 page stories featuring Asterix homages by other comic book artists from around the world, some even include crossovers with other well known characters (Marsupilami, Cerdic, Lucky Luke, Thorgal, Titeuf, Gastone, Donald Duck, Walthery's Natasha, Rick Hochet etc.) Many stories include apperance by other Uderzo/Goscinny character Umpapa. Some styles are just beutyfull to look at and most stories are trully funny.

The Vicar story itself is nothing that spectaclar or laugh out loud funny but it's cute. It's fun to see those charachers in his style as well to have interaction with few Duckburg personalities. I would love to see one by Rosa since he mentione to be an Asterix fan in some interviews but Vicars did a ok job.

I'm supprise Disney alow those character to be used since the book isn't a disney property but then agian Asterix is distribiutet by Egmont as well...

Tintin is on my list of comics to read.
Admittedly, this is a good time to discover old classics. Fantagraphics, IDW and others are doing a solid job of making that happen.