Marvel Comics blabbery

I'm not a fan but I'm not sure why people hate his work so much more than other similar artists. I've never read any of his comics. I guess it's the sometimes awkward integration of photo reference into his work? I've mostly seen cover art by him.

http://comicsalliance.com/files/2013/08/Monica.png

It's not just that it looks like it's swiped from a (probably caucasian) porn star, but take a look at the thigh gap. And also, this was an Al Ewing book, and the cast was supposed to be more 'progressive' than other books.

He does the awkward photo reference thing constantly. It's like rotoscoped spank mag fumetti with hastily-sketched masks and capes.

Also he's just bad and lazy.

https://cdn.bleedingcool.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/the-thing.jpg

Just now realized where her neck sits on her torso... That's not healthy.

I'm guessing it's swiped from two different porn stars now.

now i'm wondering whether theres's a porn star who looks like the thing

if only we had a dedicated ilx porn correspondent who could address my question

Maybe he was drawing Monica mid-cabbage patch

First example does like a tad like Mia Khalifa but I doubt I know most of the stuff Greg Land looks at. I don't watch lamestream porn and I don't read lamestream comics. Those panels are pretty bad.

But honestly most of the porn stuff I talk about are things I dislike intensely but I find it interesting in the same way I find right wing trends interesting. Just a lot of morbidly fascinating behaviour that tells you a lot about bigots.

I promise soon I'll be back to blabbing about Art Zoyd, Supersister, Summoning and goth bands.

i wouldn't even mind the photo-reference so much if land could actually tell a decent sequential story using those materials, but he's not talented enough to turn a series of pin-up photos into anything other than a series of pin-up drawings

thanks for the new screenname, rag!

Teehee

Greg Land drew what I thought was a pretty cool rendition of Pixie until I realized she was only supposed to be like, 13

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Land#Critical_reception

he openly admits to using porn as source material!

btw I only mentioned him to clown a certain line of conversation and let's keep him out of our minds

I'm all-too-happy to do so, particularly since I can only seem to envision him drawing pantsless.

This thread has been vomited upon by a moderator

his lower half is suspiciously absent from view in one of the few pictures i could find of him online, lending credence to your theory

http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/marveldatabase/images/a/ad/Greg_Land_001.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20070103155707

http://jimsmashextended.blogspot.co.uk/2008/07/greg-land-tracing-swiping-recycling.html?m=1

My favourite, not in that collection, was when he traced the #1 GIS for Angry Old Woman.

I guess if you're going to go for it, go bold

I mean, comic book artists have used real models and photo reference for decades (that's Milton Caniff below) so I don't think it's necessarily wrong for Land to use porn as a reference - I'm guessing it's a good way to 'study' the undraped male and female body - just that in his case, the original source is far too obvious and ludicrously, needlessly sexualised (beyond the sexualisation that is an inherent part of all superhero costuming). Also, he's crap.

http://art.cafimg.com/images/Category_2953/subcat_145322/caniffphotodragonlady.jpg

As in Caniff paid a model and photographer to create specific poses for photo reference? That sounds like a lot of work when you can google "sexy woman legs crossed"

I'm waiting for the next level of Greg Land-style work where someone just hunts through pictures of cosplayers at comic conventions against solid color backdrops

I suppose it's to Land's credit that he's never accidentally traced any body fluid spillage.

My favourite, not in that collection, was when he traced the #1 GIS for Angry Old Woman.

Wow, you weren't lying!

http://www.eviepurves.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/angry-old-lady.jpg

http://angryjogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/scared-old-woman.png

https://cdn.bleedingcool.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Mighty-Avengers-2-2013-Page-12-600x701.jpg

srs q: does anyone really, genuinely enjoy greg land? are there ride-or-die greg land fans out there? maybe i'm enjoying the benefits of never really taking in comic-book news and comment outside a handful of relatively grown-up sites (and ilx, obv) but i just don't get how someone so abjectly terrible keeps getting such high-profile work

Seems they missed out his Obama as Norman Osborn.

When he started drawing Sojourn I thought he was really impressive but I rarely saw his interiors. Now I think he's actually capable of competent work if he really goes for it but I just don't like the style.

srs q: does anyone really, genuinely enjoy greg land? are there ride-or-die greg land fans out there? maybe i'm enjoying the benefits of never really taking in comic-book news and comment outside a handful of relatively grown-up sites (and ilx, obv) but i just don't get how someone so abjectly terrible keeps getting such high-profile work

I'm guessing he's excellent with deadlines

are ppl really complaining about the use of photo references? or just greg land being terrible at using photo references

credit where credit's kinda almost due: he's managed to couple his basic competence at drawing with his ability to trace the top results of any given google image search and a deep swipe file of pinups and porn into a successful career in funnybooks xp

greg land being terrible at using photo references

this one

When he started drawing Sojourn I thought he was really impressive but I rarely saw his interiors. Now I think he's actually capable of competent work if he really goes for it but I just don't like the style.

― Robert Adam Gilmour, Wednesday, 18 January 2017 18:16

I should note I was 15 when I thought those Sojourn covers were impressive and that he is capable of drawing well but just usually doesn't seem to but I'm not a fan either way.

Οὖτις - it does look like some people complain about Land using photo reference at all but I think it's mainly that he uses it badly.

that and there's some appeal to what he's doing -- it's not anything i'd pick up for the art alone, but it's semi-competent. it's like a really hackish bryan hitch thing

there's also a different between using a photo reference, which he seems to do sometimes, and just finding a photo that sort of fits what you need and literally tracing over it

Yeah, it's poor use and recycling he deserves ire for.

that one with a woman in a sprawled sitting pose with her arm at an awkward angle where it's obviously a rip of porn imagery where he just moved her hand from her groin to the side is mind-numbingly bad

I'm guessing he's excellent with deadlines

Yes, that was my guess too. Plus - comic book fans have terrible taste!

https://bitchmedia.org/article/marvel-new-hulk-gender-ptsd

What you guys reading these days? I switched my All-New Wolverine sub to Gwenpool, cuz just can't get with where "ANW" has been going (I don't like my heroes to be killers, even if "i'ts complicated"). I feel like Dennis Hopeless's Spider-Woman (a longtime fave) has also kind of squandered its initial potential... the first "reboot" ish (http://marvel.com/comics/issue/49517/spider-woman_2014_5) is one of my fave single issues of anything, but the series has kept getting derailed by crossovers and tie-ins, and never really hit its stride.

"The Unworthy Thor" is great, if you're into Jason Aaron and his Thor schtick.

I enjoy both current versions of the Thor shtick

Did you read the one-shot issue with the "history" of Mjolnir? That was so awesome... it was my first encounter with Aaron (I've since gone back and read more of the recent Thor stuff). I love the blend of sci-fi & fantasy, and the way he cuts the Asgardian diction with slangy/informal bits and punchlines. It's Good Stuff

Mariko Tamaki's "Hulk" is off to a strong start, "Patsy Walker, AKA Hellcat" and "Unbeatable Squirrel Girl" are low-stakes but charming, "Black Widow" and "All-New Wolverine" have been consistently enjoyable, and the Hydra-Cap series has been more compelling than I expected, although it's getting demoralizing to follow that character arc under the current political conditions. I've been meaning to catch up on the present Thors, although I've only really read a few issues of the Simonson "Thor" and Ewing's "Loki, Agent of Asgard," so I'm not sure where to start.

I read "PWAH!" for a while, and I agree it's super-cute. I've been meaning to get back into it -- maybe I'll catch up with the next TPB collection. The "low-stakes" side of nu-Marvel (represented by Hellcat, Gwenpool, Charles Soule's She-Hulk run from a few years back, etc.) tends to be the sweet spot for me.

("Unstoppable Wasp" seems like another potentially good new one along those lines; I've only read #1 so far tho.)

I've been meaning to catch up on the present Thors, although I've only really read a few issues of the Simonson "Thor" and Ewing's "Loki, Agent of Asgard," so I'm not sure where to start.

Maybe start with Straczynski's Thor (although I recall the arc fizzles out near the end, when Kieron Gillen takes over briefly), the onto Jason Aaron's. Aaron's run is widely praised and brings you up pretty much to current day, I think.

Kieron Gillen's run on Journey into Mystery is worth trying after that. It might make Agent of Asgard make more sense.

I'd agree that's a good start, if only to give the excellent Gillen run context. Aaron's run which later turns into Goddess of Thunder is also pretty dang good. I've been reading the Aaron run over the last year and haven't been disappointed. Need to catch up on all things Loki.
An unnecessary (though good) detour might be the pre-"Avengers Assembled" Thor "Ragnarok" run setting him up to die prior to Civil War, I liked that story. The JMS run takes place on his return following Civil War. But ultimately, everyone forgets that it happened.

Aaron's run and Journey Into Mystery are contained enough that you shouldn't have to read anything before them. Is the Straczynski run any good? He sounds like a berk, which has put me off reading it, although I guess I've read enough Comics By Berks by now that it really shouldn't matter.

I'm reading less Marvel stuff than I have in years - just Black Widow and the Thors - and Black Widow is ending soon I think. Wish Dr Strange had a different artist. Wish Waid was capable of writing more than one good book at a time - his other books right now are *awful*. I think they need to steal Tom King from DC and get him on some Hickman-style epic Avengers run for the next 5 years.

I think Daredevil is bringing back Waid's cast next month, presumably to shit over/retcon it.

Straczynski's Thor run is pretty good, certainly better than any other comic by him that I've read... It sorta fizzles towards the end, as for whatever he quit in the middle of a story arc, but the Gillen took the reins and made the book even better during his short run, which set the stage for his incredible Journey into Mystery run, which is pretty much the best Marvel run of the last 5 or so years. So yeah, it's all worth reading.

Unfortunately the main Thor book wasn't very good during Gillen's JiM run, as Matt Fraction had no idea how to write these characters... But thankfully JiM's crossovers with the main book don't really require you to know what's going on there to get what Gillen's doing. He pretty much took the liberty he had with writing such a fringe book, and made it into the Animal Man of the '10s. And Ewing's Agent of Asgard, which is almost as good, continues those themes with Loki.

"as for whatever reason he quit in the middle of a story arc, but then Gillen took the reins"

Agreed that Thor was the best mainstream Marvel book Straczynski did (never read his Supreme Power stuff).

!

http://marvel.com/games/play/34/create_your_own_comic

The Straczynski Thor seemed almost as good as could be when it started, a great mesh of Thor finding his new place in the Marvel universe - having Asgård hover over Oklahoma was a pretty great idea - and Loki plotting to nefarious means. But once the plotting all became clear, it didn't really add up to anything... Gillen couldn't really save the ending, but JiM is as good as everyone says it is.