So we covered the artist, lets not forget about the writers.
Alive or Dead.
Jason
I guess so no one chimed in on this one I will kick it off.
Peter Bagge is my favorite writer. I also enjoy Kim Dietch but the funny thing about both of them is that I enjoy there art just as much as their art. I think Jay Lynch is a really good writer too!
On the other hand as much as I enjoy S. Clay Wilson's art I don't care for his writing skills.
Jason
I know it's horribly generic of me, but it's difficult not to love Crumb.
I think Crumb is a much better artist than writer, but that's just me.
Any Harvey Pekar fans?
Jason
Y'know, I just couldn't think of any writer. All I could pull outta my head was artists. However, I guess most of the UG artists were their own writers, too.
'Cept Harvey. Ah'm a big, I say BIG Pekar fan!
Yeah, my brain is much more drawn to the art. I have to agree that Crumb is an entertaining writer, although it's hard to say what I'd think if he didn't know how to draw.
Yes... I am much bigger fan of art than I am writing but for me a person like Bagge who can pull it altogether with his great writing skill and unique art... It's like every time I pick up something new of his I can't wait to read it as much as look at it!
Jason
Excuse me, but Gilbert Shelton and Rand Holmes both, are comedy comix gold. Short stories to novel length...all hilariously funny. Body of work =massive. Never stale Wonder Warthog Hitler's Cocaine? Hello? No nominations for Jan Strnad's(sp) Corben sf/horror stories. Spain's high adventure Trashman. Irons horror! Jaxon historicals. Ya'll read this stuff, right? The Fabulous Furry Freak Bros. and Harold Hedd...drugs are bad, mkay?
I like Shelton when he writes Freak Bros. but not so much when he does Warthog, maybe Warthog is too tame for me? I do like his drawing style fer sure.
Jason
I liked the Warthog where he sneezed and blew Lois Lane away.
Fat Freddy's Cat still cracks me up. Damn-near perfect combination of art & story.
Nobody mentioned Tom Veitch. Go figure. :01_wtf:
Welcome to the forum, glad to see you found us.
You might find some more people for bartering here.
I have a lot of favorite writers: Spiegelman, Guy Colwell, the Hernandez Bros., Shelton, Aline Kominsky, Shary Flenniken, Jaxon, Joel Beck, Jay Kinney, Roberta Gregory, Kim Deitch, Jay Lynch and yes, certainly Crumb.
Great comic illustration is what makes a comic book professional. Great comic writing is what makes a comic book eternal.
I like Shelton's Freak Brothers writing- generally very consistant, though somewhat predictable.
I think that Rand Holm's work on Herold Hedd # 2 was outstanding, but I suspect I'm being influenced by the art since I hold it in such high regard.
R. Crumb's writting all depended on his art to help tell his story and the story was very unpredictable.
Jan Strnad's writing in Fever Dreams was most excellant.
Hard to chose between these four.
"The late, great Stanley Kubrick ("2001:A Space Odyssey") used to say that if you can turn off the sound and still follow the story, you've made a film, but if you black out the picture and can still follow the story with only the sound, you haven't."
I think this applies to comic/ comix stories as well, via art verses dialogue.
Though not an underground artist, MOEBIUS is a good example of an artist who can tell a story with only art. There are a lot of undergrounders that did the same.