Not average; really, REALLY great

Martin Jameson · 25 January, 2009, 10:45:31 PM

What's the best bit of art you've ever seen in 2000AD or The Meg?

For me the first one that springs to mind will always be the final (I think) Bolland strip on Block Mania where Dredd fights Orlok.

Perhaps we have been spoilt by so much good art over the years and it is hard to pick some over others.

Jim_Campbell · 25 January, 2009, 11:36:19 PM

Quote from: "Martin Jameson"Perhaps we have been spoilt by so much good art over the years and it is hard to pick some over others.

God ... there's so much flat-out iconic imagery that 2000ad has served up over the years. Where do you start? Covers? Stand-out panels? Whole pages?

You've made my head spin now ... I'll have to go for a lie down and a think ...

Cheers!

Jim

Dog Deever · 26 January, 2009, 12:10:34 AM

I really liked the Dillon episodes of Block Mania. All the artists on the story were great- but for some reason Dillon's sticks in my mind as the 'definitive' Orlok. That picture of him in the Judges uniform firing out of the panel oozed evil intent. I've found all other pictues of Orlok to be bland next to his.

Ignatzmonster · 26 January, 2009, 02:22:22 AM

O'neil's work on Nemesis book three I can stare at for hours. Especially the siege of the tree fortress.

McMahon on Slaine The Sky Ships (is that the actual title?). I was stunned by it and decided to search for more 2000ad. The whole idea that something THAT beautiful existed, and I hadn't known about it, drove me nuts.

stront692 · 26 January, 2009, 02:24:17 AM

the strontium dog 'monster' covers from that run in lush painted artwork preferebly featuring feral

Bouwel · 26 January, 2009, 08:11:24 AM

O'Niel's work on 'Killer Watt', 'Terror Tube' and 'The Gothic Empire' stand out for me as does Bellardinelli's work on 'Meltdown Man'.

-Bouwel-

brendan1 · 26 January, 2009, 09:22:10 AM

Slaine may well have waxed and waned in terms of plot and story over the years, but there's no denying that it's had some of the very best art and artists working on it over the years:

McMahon's "scratchy" period, Fabry being, well, Fabry, brilliant efforts from Nick Percival, Dermot Power, Staples et al (yes, yes "too dark", "muddy" but still largely brilliant), and of course The Biz operating at a voltage so high it was fucking *humming*

But I must say, the first post has a decent chance of being my favourite, Bolland's depiction of that watery, bone-crunching scrap between Orlok and The Chin has so many amazing panels.

As a kid, I could make a pretty decent fist of copying the art and style of anyone from Ezquerra to Gibson to Bisley - given enough time, erasers and patience - and also a nice flat 2-D frame to copy!- but there was something about Bolland that I just couldn't nail, and God knows I tried.

brendan1 · 26 January, 2009, 09:34:03 AM

QuoteGod ... there's so much flat-out iconic imagery that 2000ad has served up over the years. Where do you start? Covers? Stand-out panels? Whole pages?

You've made my head spin now ... I'll have to go for a lie down and a think ...

Cheers!

Jim

One single panel?

I would nominate "Gaze Into The Fist Of Dredd" by Bolland.

TordelBack · 26 January, 2009, 10:07:05 AM

Has to be the McMahon splash of the two Sky Chariots locked together. There's just so much going on, and it's frighteningly beautiful. That, or McNeill's Nemesis balancing on the thrown spear as it skewers numerous Terminators.

Or Bellardinelli's Knucker in flight in Dragonheist, with all those fabulous naturalistic animals in the foreground. I'm also drawn to the last few pages of Halo Jones Book III, where Gibson, already turned up to 11, just explodes genius all over the page.

Simon's Dante in Prog 2000, watching Jena walk away is also burned in my memory.

There's also a Kim Raymond panel of Rookie Judge Dekker swinging in through a window that I think is magnifcent.

And in my first ever Prog, Ezquerra's centrespread of the Executioner Blanche Dubois in a black cat suit sneaking up on a guy in the shower, has caught my imagination for nearly 30 years.

And and and and and

Richmond Clements · 26 January, 2009, 10:16:40 AM

QuoteHas to be the McMahon splash of the two Sky Chariots locked together. There's just so much going on, and it's frighteningly beautiful.

Yup!
There is a real sense in that panel that you're actually watching a moment in time, if you know what I mean- it really feels like a freeze frame of an actual event you're watching.

LARF · 26 January, 2009, 10:29:25 AM

Frank Quitely's work on Missionary Man was a lesson is less is more and the delicate use of linework is truly awesome.

As a complete opposite Mark Harrison's amazing Durham Red artwork is still, for me, some of the best artwork ever to behold and, contrary to possible popular opinion, his Cover for Prog 2004 is amazing*

* I would say that seeing as I have his original artwork :-)

+rufus+ · 26 January, 2009, 10:35:15 AM

Quote from: "His Lordship rac"
QuoteHas to be the McMahon splash of the two Sky Chariots locked together. There's just so much going on, and it's frighteningly beautiful.

Yup!
There is a real sense in that panel that you're actually watching a moment in time, if you know what I mean- it really feels like a freeze frame of an actual event you're watching.

My favourite too... and I really love the tiny Slaine in the upper corner, he's not the central focus, but lost in the Melée of battle.

Peter Wolf · 26 January, 2009, 11:27:37 AM

I think my all time favorite panel is the exploding Snow City in the penultimate episode [as well as the first page of the same] in Meltdown Man.The detail is staggering and apart from the rest of his work its the main reason i started drawing recently and i want to achieve a similar standard in my own work which i very nearly have done.Some of the other cityscapes are just as good.

Another very recent page was the semi erotic full page in Dead Eyes with the naked women and wolves.Very nice.

Ron Smiths cityscapes in Judge Dredd.

Dunk! · 26 January, 2009, 11:33:56 AM

McMahon's "Hey Law Jockey!" Double page spread during the Judge Child.

Bliss.

brendan1 · 26 January, 2009, 11:55:21 AM

Quote from: "peterwolf"I think my all time favorite panel is the exploding Snow City in the penultimate episode [as well as the first page of the same] in Meltdown Man.The detail is staggering and apart from the rest of his work its the main reason i started drawing recently and i want to achieve a similar standard in my own work which i very nearly have done.

So you have very nearly matched the quality of your all-time, favourite-ever piece of "staggering" art, in your own work?

That must be a weight off.