Dredd Artists

[Steve Green]

No.

Simplified, sure - abstracted, sure - but a child? No.

[Rio De Fideldo]

Hey Sauchie

Where did you find that coloured image of Blockmania from? Its not from the new IDW recoloured reprint book is it?

[JOE SOAP]

His work in 2000ad over recent years looks like it was drawn by a child. Sorry, but it's true.

Even as an adult I couldn't draw like that.

[Frank]

Hey Sauchie Where did you find that coloured image of Blockmania from? Its not from the new IDW recoloured reprint book is it?

Certainly is, Arty: http://ryallsfiles.tumblr.com/post/47073406585/judge-dredd-block-mania-by-mike-mcmahon-new

[Frank]

I like his early work most. Great detail, amazing skill.  His work in 2000ad over recent years looks like it was drawn by a child. Sorry, but it's true.

SORRY:




The composition, narrative flow, characterisation and design sense of that page blows me away. Look at how the trajectory of the tumbling figure in the first image carries on seamlessly into the curve of the skedway in the second frame, which curves down into the bulge of the bad guy's hat and chin, and how the hook of his nose leads your eye to the figure leaning in to the left, then the leg of his fallen companion takes you back to the right hand side of the page, see how the flare of Dredd's helmet guides you back to the hand of the bad guy, before the gun and the jutting leg take your eye and your hand to the corner of the page you're about to turn.

That is narrative art at its most effective, stylish and sophisticated.

[Spikes]

Nowt against Judgerussell - well, apart from that 'true' bit, but thats a cracking post Sauchie.

[SIP]

That was a good post sauchie, and a fantastic page (which is why I have two pages of that very strip hanging on my wall. Just beautiful and exciting pages in my opinion.

I can appreciate that the style might not be to everyones taste, but you can't deny the skill.

[Rio De Fideldo]

Interesting thing about that Dredd Blockmania page and the connection between the Blocks.

Max Jaffa played at the Scarborough Spa from 1960 to 1986.

Fred Gee was a character in Coronation Street played by Fred Feast who lived in....Scarborough.

True dat.

[O Lucky Stevie!]

Stevie's said it before & will say it again.

It wasn't until the tour de force  that is Howler that he went back & re-evaluated his opinion of McMahon's work.

But hey, horses for courses. Believe it or not, there are squaxx who don't rate Kevin O'Neill's monumental genius on Nemesis. 

I'll be honest, I think that the sole Dr Who story he illustrated (Junkyard Demon) may have been the first thing of his I saw and just thought: "That's brilliant."

It's almost as if Tom Baker is in the same room, isn't it?

[hippynumber1]

McMahon is a fascinating artists and, unlike some, is constantly evolving and experimenting.  I remember when his work first appeared on Slaine thinking that something had gone wrong at the printers - I just didn't get it at all.  And again when he went through that 'blocky' period wondering what the hell he was doing. But these are reasons why I love him as an artist. He challenges perceptions, he taxes the viewer and most of all shows us that his work is a living thing. Like him or not, he should be embraced as one of the all time greats!

[judgerussell]

I just wanted to stir the pot. 

[SuperSurfer]

As I 've mention before, some of the artists I didn't really 'get' as a kid are some of my favourite artists now. Kirby is one and McMahon is another.

It was the 1982 Dredd annual that made me realise what a genius McMahon is. But that was only after having watched a tv documentary on 2000AD. At the Nerve Centre, Art director Robin Smith was showing Harry Twenty on the High Rock artwork by a young, up and coming artist by the name of Alan Davis. Robin Smith then showed original McMahon art from the 1982 Dredd annual and commented that Davis could become as good an artist as McMahon. At that point that it struck me just how great an artist McMahon is.

I was privileged to see that original artwork at the V&A a few years ago.

No sign of that tv documentary anywhere online. Would love to see it again.

[Jim_Campbell]

As I 've mention before, some of the artists I didn't really 'get' as a kid are some of my favourite artists now. Kirby is one and McMahon is another.

See also: John Buscema.

Cheers

Jim

[SuperSurfer]

See also: John Buscema.

Great stuff.

John Buscema was probably my favourite artist when I was young. Buscema Savage sword of Conan inked by Enie Chan/Chua, Avengers – loved that stuff.

I recall Kirby v Buscema discussions in the letter's pages of Marvel Comics. I was firmly in the Buscema camp. 

A couple of years ago I bought a knackered 1970s Roy Thomas and John Buscema Conan the Barbarian comic from my local Oxfam. A stunningly good comic. (If I had it to hand I would scan a couple of pages and upload them, but I living out of boxes at the moment.)

[WhitBloke]

If I had it to hand I would scan a couple of pages and upload them, but I living out of boxes at the moment.

Better than living in them. 
With you on that side of the Buscema/Kirby divide, mind you.  Seen some of that black and white Conan work over the years and it's just plain grand.

As for Dredd, I can't ever seem to pull myself out of the orbit of Dillon when it comes to diving into the back-issues and back-progs, though I'm developing a rekindled liking for Alex Ronald's stuff on Dredd.