If there is one thing, just one thing I've learnt from this tourney its how to spell Belardinelli (please tell me I got this right) and just as I do so he hits up against Bolland - damn!
Anyway would it be weird if I went all meta here and tried to parody myself parodying someone / something else to basically just say I don't care if you can see beyond the links of Bruce Patterson and think that Camelot 3000 is an artist wonder, nor do we wish to discuss the best colouring on Killing Joke. To try to find a new level of humour (ahem) to mock how I'd say ignore early works in Battle, Valiant and others and later pictures of bearded maestros found in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ... or should I just give it to you straight that we are only to consider works for Tharg here?
Alas we have to pick our favourite and to do so just pop the name of the art droid you'd most like to go through to the Quarter Finals, but please add anything else you'd like to say as well.
Massimo Belardinelli - more info (http://www.2000ad.org/?zone=droid&page=profiles&choice=MASSIMO)
OR
Brian Bolland - more info (http://www.2000ad.org/?zone=droid&page=profiles&choice=BRIANB)
This one will close and be counted on the morning of Friday 22nd January
What the hell is all this? Current state of play Find out more about the Art Droid Tourneys and Round 2 (https://forums.2000ad.com/index.php?topic=47242.0)
Who made the 32 in both tourneys?
Entrants in the Current Art Droids Tourney (https://forums.2000ad.com/index.php?topic=47044.msg1042917#msg1042917)
Entrants in the Classic Art Droids Tourney (https://forums.2000ad.com/index.php?topic=47044.msg1042893#msg1042893)
Rules for what they are worth (https://forums.2000ad.com/index.php?topic=47242.msg1049293#msg1049293)
Anything else just ask and I'll make something up.
Massimo Belardinelli
Aww, no way!
(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OwQJvOlaP9w/Wqfr7Sm3inI/AAAAAAAAsYk/IkRd34vPaqAacCupz2GT3jFQZLu15XGrwCLcBGAs/s640/2000ad%2Bwraparound%2Bmark%2Bwest%2Bstrange%2Btales%2B236%2B1981%2Bbrian%2Bbolland.jpg)
vs.
(https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zyU4tf2D0hg/WqfsN5ewjsI/AAAAAAAAsYw/LC9VEbyRChQUxEoBwnyi9a4iZRSjq86IQCLcBGAs/s640/wraparound%2Bbellardinelli2.jpg)
I love them both equally, man! On the one hand, super-clean and amazing figure work, on the other hand the flights of whimsy and creativity that brought everything so to life.
Okay - it's Brian Bolland for selling 2000 AD to me in the first place*, but they're both wonderful.
*My first prog:
(http://www.2000ad.org/covers/2000ad/mediumres/146.jpg)
Some "madness" versus "authority":
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/73/01/1c/73011c7694815bdff41f9e8bbdc714e1.jpg)
vs
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/4e/d4/01/4ed40120405acebf1af481c08411f78f.jpg)
Two absolute legends.
Just love Belardinelli. But it's gotta be Bolland.
Massimo Belardinelli, for a legacy of such great stuff: Meltdown Man, Slaine, The Dead...
Bolland is one of the supreme beings of 2000AD whose unprecedented art lent the comic so much cachet and recognition, it's hard to imagine it without him. But for Bride of Crom and Dragonheist alone, never mind everything else, my vote goes to Massimo. Completely unique art, never equalled.
Belardinelli
Not a fair contest by any means, but an easy choice for me: Massimo Belardinelli.
Unfair! Again! Still, at least I don't find this one as difficult as I thought I might - Massimo for me! There's no question that Brian Bolland is one of my favourite 2000AD artists but when I compare his contributions to those of Massimo, it's an easy choice. Bolland's amazing covers and legendary work on Dredd vs. Ace Trucking, Meltdown Man, Black Hawk (and the rest) and the endless, fizzing energy of Belardinelli. Both meticulous craftsmen but in terms of artistic output and the resultant hours of enjoyment, Massimo has the edge.
Brian Bolland !
Bolland is a wonderful draughtsman, and his fine, detailed inking has rarely been matched in the Prog, and on covers only Cliff Robinson hits the same notes. Some of his Dredd work remains among the best around. But there's not that much of it.
Belardinelli had his issues with drawing the human figure, but everything else was eye-popping, imaginative and witty. He could turn strips that were a trudge into a delight. He was treated really shoddily by the comic towards the end of his tenure, and so I'm really glad this forum let him know how much he was appreciated before he passed.
So for being bonkers and brilliant: Belardinelli. Sorry, Brian.
For every criticism levelled at Belardinelli, I could throw an equally cutting one back at Bolland. But what would be the point? Both are masters of their craft, and this comes down to a very personal gut feeling of which I prefer and would prefer to read: and that is absolutely, no question, Belardinelli.
SBT
Massimo Belardinelli.
Bolland for me
Massimo Belardinelli
Brian Bolland.
massimo.
his crazed depictions of silversun will haunt me forever.
Quote from: IndigoPrime on 19 January, 2021, 10:24:28 AM
Bolland is a wonderful draughtsman, and his fine, detailed inking has rarely been matched in the Prog, and on covers only Cliff Robinson hits the same notes. Some of his Dredd work remains among the best around. But there's not that much of it.
Belardinelli had his issues with drawing the human figure, but everything else was eye-popping, imaginative and witty. He could turn strips that were a trudge into a delight. He was treated really shoddily by the comic towards the end of his tenure, and so I'm really glad this forum let him know how much he was appreciated before he passed.
So for being bonkers and brilliant: Belardinelli. Sorry, Brian.
How much Dredd did Massimo do? I can only think of one early episode, the one with the "censored" over his face.
Quote from: Magnetica on 19 January, 2021, 02:00:47 PM
How much Dredd did Massimo do? I can only think of one early episode, the one with the "censored" over his face.
Amazing that he only did one Dredd story.
Some of the greatest Dredd art was created by Brian Bolland. His work on Judge Death and Judge Death Lives is part of everyone's favourite Dredd art. I like to think if I met a cooperative genie or fairy godmother and had a wish granted to become an incredible comic artist, I'd start producing images which approach what Bolland can do.
On the other hand, I think you'd need to have a run in with an insane chaos demon to be bestowed with the kind of gifts Massimo Bellardinelli had. His art is perfectly delightfully bonkers and always will be. I was re-reading Ace Trucking Co recently to see if I could make any more sense of it than I could 35 years ago. Not a hope! It's still crackers! Mindbendingly genius creative madness. His full colour Slaine warp out in the 1985 Annual is still the benchmark by which all others are measured.
In this contest, today, I'm going to choose the mad art of Belardinelli over the perfection of Bolland.
This guy.
It ain't even close.
(https://futureshockd.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/futureshockd-summary-26-50-prog-88-art-belardinelli-copyright-rebellion.jpg)
(https://futureshockd.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/one-mans-meat-prog-563-art-massimo-belardinelli.jpg)
Massimo Belardinelli
Bolland.
I have to go with Brian Bolland (probably my favourite 2000ad artist ever).
Bolland...as I have not yet read much of Belardinelli's work.
Nightmare choice.
As of right now, I'll go Bolland for the amazing first two Death stories and some lovely Judge Child work, amongst others.
Massimo was absolutely amazing though at creatures and worlds.
Massimo!
Have to be honest through the lens of my own biase this one doesn't seem to be going the way I was expecting at all. For me this could be a massive surprise BUT the vote isn't over so if you haven't voted yet please pop your vote in and I will count up in the morning and we'll see if we have a surprise or not.
I tough this was going to be an easy victory for Bolland but I think Massimo's energetic, exuberant style might win the day for him
I thought I'd be in a minority of one here. For all of Bolland's brilliance, the gnarled, wild and reeking landscapes of The Wickerman alone means Belardinelli wins it for me.
BOLLAND by a country mile - Massimo is fantastic at some things (weird aliens and landcsapes) but terrible at others (human figures in motion), whilst Bolland is the very first time I made the effort to actually look at and remember a creator's name 'cos it was so good.
I only ever read Bolland's stuff after the fact in the Best of 2k and the like. Obviously it's good but Belardinelli was all over the first Progs I actually read like nothing else. From Slaine to The Dead I loved it all.
Ultimately, I find the stylistic choice to try and make something look realistic a lot less interesting than the choice to make it look as strange and gooey and oozing as possible.
Massimo Belardinelli.
Vote for Bolland
Bolland....
VOTING CLOSED
Well, well, well. Now whenever you comment on art you do so through the lens of your own subjective biase but for me this one has turned out a massive shock. I really thought the clean style and iconic imagary of Brian Bolland would have made him one of the favourites and one of the artists that might, just might challenge Carlos BUT while there was much love and appreciation for him here to my surprise and by a decent margin
Massimo Belardinelli
Is through to the quarter finals.
I'm shocked too and the vote was never even close.
Bolland is my absolute favourite by miles. No one even comes close. Oh well. I kinda know who I'm going to vote for instead now.
Vote for Simon
Quote from: Magnetica on 22 January, 2021, 07:12:32 AM
I'm shocked too and the vote was never even close.
Bolland is my absolute favourite by miles. No one even comes close. Oh well. I kinda know who I'm going to vote for instead now.
Yeah that's the nature of these things. Art is so subjective and I'm sure others have lost their absolute favourites along the way. This though, Bolland is so iconic and his work is so embedded in the formitive years and I say that as some who wouldn't list him in my top 5, very probably my top 10 even. BUT I defo get why he's in others top spots. Add to that my personal issues with the art of Massimo - again through my own lens - and when I drew this I just didn't see any other outcome than a Bolland win.
The extent to which Massimo Belardinelli has engrained himself on the consiousness of folks, the undeniable charm and warmth of his work is far greater than I'd realised.
I'm not taking names here like I did when The Mighty Yeowell went out in the Current tourney, but I'm really surprised. Which is why this type of thing is so much fun!
Quote from: broodblik on 22 January, 2021, 07:34:48 AM
Vote for Simon
Always vote Simon!
Bolland's contribution is foundational, integral to the visual identity and wider perception of Dredd and the comic itself. But his last proper strip work (IIRC) was a few episodes of Block Mania, while Bellardinelli was slogging away at his unique brand of whimsical crazy from Prog 1 and was still a seemingly-weekly presence 600 progs later. It's not unlike comparing the 30-odd Vermeers with the 2000-ish Van Goghs.
(Plus, there are single panels in Dragonheist that equal the technical precision of Bolland at his best).
Seconded.
2000 AD is as much an 'attitude' of comics as anything and personally I think Massimo embodies that more than Brian.
I see Bolland, McMahon alongside O'Neill as founding fathers of the prog. These guys via their art help establish and create the prog we know and love today.
I'm sure I've recounted this before but at the 40th, there was a table of us on the friday night, catching up and chatting about the prog, when it was noticed that standing behind us and doing exactly the same thing were Carlos Ezquerra, Mike McMahon and Dave Gibbons.
The whole table just went silent and watched for a moment as three of the building blocks of our lives had a natter.
A wonderful moment.
I should add Gibbons as one off the founding fathers.
I see Carlos (his name can also be added to the founding fathers as the creator of Dredd), Gibson, Ron Smith, Massimo as the golden age renaissance-ers. These are the people whom contributed to the first golden age of the prog and established some off comics strongest and most awesome characters off all time.
Throw in O'Neill and I'm with you 100%.
O'Neill is definitely part of the group. I see him as a founding father but he can also be seen as one of the golden age renaissance men.
Quote from: broodblik on 22 January, 2021, 10:17:53 AM
O'Neill is definitely part of the group. I see him as a founding father but he can also be seen as one of the golden age renaissance men.
Yep, sorry, I somehow missed you'd already stuck O'Neill in there with the first group, which is perfectly valid.
This vote was stolen! I blame Venezuelan voting machines, and we all know that Colin YNWA is a Soros stooge.
aaah all those mail-in votes...............
Nah, this is one vote that went the right way (meaning the way I voted) for once.
'Tis a fascinating process.
Yep, I voted for the Italian Scallion, but really expected it to go to Bolland. Once again, the polls are not to be trusted.
@ Colin - I know your issues with Belardinelli's art are well documented. Personally I don't share those concerns and with Blackhawk, Meltdown Man and Ace Tucking he very much was part of my formative 200AD reading years.
Slaine took it to a whole other level. It seems incredible now that reprints of Slaine used to miss his work out as it was deemed not good enough. He is absolutely a great. Just not as great as Bolland for me. I guess this tourney is going to come down to Carlos versus O'Neill - so long as the draw allows for that.
At this level, I'm happy that my choice didn't get through. They both deserve it, and I've always been very fond of Massimo's work.