Panels by Experts

While a lot of this blog will be about appreciating artwork, today’s entry focuses more on the story. This is The Incredible Hulk #388, page 28, panel 1, by Peter David, Dale Keown, and Mark Farmer. When I first read it, this panel changed my perspective forever.

Here, long-time Hulk sidekicks Jim Wilson and Rick Jones have been attacked by new Hulk villain Speedfreak. As you can see, Jim takes a serious slash across the chest, while Rick suffers minor cuts to his hands. In this panel, Jim begs for help, while Rick looks at his hands, not knowing what to do. While a couple of scratched palms would normally be no big deal, earlier in this issue Jim Wilson revealed to Rick that he is HIV positive. Rick can’t help Jim without putting his own life at risk.

I was in my late teens when this book came out, and being a big, fat geek, sex wasn’t exactly a big part of my life. Thus, my concern over HIV/AIDS was very low…until I read this. By concern, I don’t mean that this book made me fear HIV more, rather it opened my mind to the idea that the issue was far more complex than my narrow, not-getting-laid perspective. That a hero could be hesitant to do the right thing out of caution for their own safety was a concept I’d never considered, and one which since has become fodder for drama in virtually every medical and cop tv show, as well as at least one reality-based ER show.

One note on the artwork. Times sure change. In a modern book by another team, this would likely be a double-page splash, rendered with hyper-realistic detail. Here, it’s a small panel, the first of seven on the page. Yet the impact of this one, small panel left an indelible mark on my consciousness.

Moments like this one are what draw me to the comics medium. When the old “picture is worth a thousand words” adage proves truest, comics can excite and inform at the same time, both to great effect. I’ve often referred to this book as one of the most important I’ve ever read, and this panel is the reason why.

Few artists drew Westerns as well as Doug Wildey. His portfolio The Movie Cowboy includes pinups of scenes from great western films, and must be seen to be believed. I’m fortunate enough to have a piece of original art from this era of his work, and it’s gorgeous. But The Movie Cowboy isn’t why we’re here.

The panel above comes from Rio, published in Eclipse Monthly #5 (left) and the Graphitti Designs collection (right). Prior to this panel, a company of soldiers comes across a group of Apache women and children. Here, as the Apache flee and the soldiers find themselves unable to pursue, Colonel Elgin fires a shot, knocking an Apache boy from his mount.

Wildey uses a number of techniques here to hint at Elgin’s state of mind without overtly stating it. First, Wildey uses a dutch angle, which not only benefits the composition, allowing the outstretched gun and gunfire to take the maximum space, but also visually implies that this action is unbalanced. As the story progresses, Colonel Elgin’s decisions become increasingly irrational, but here we see one of the first glimpses that that may be the case. Along with the angle, Wildey uses his depiction of the horse to the same effect. The wild-eyed surprise of the horse adds to the suggestion that Elgin’s attack shocks those in the story as well as the reader. Finally the lone line of dialog in the panel lets the reader know that Elgin’s dislike of the Apache runs deeper than merely being battlefield enemies.

I also find the differences between the two printings interesting. It appears that Wildey went back to the board and made some significant changes between the first printing and the collected edition. In various spots on the Colonel Elgin figure, Wildey added zip-a-tone effects to enhance the shading. More interestingly to my eye, though, are the changes he made to the horse and to Elgin’s hat. Looking at his Movie Cowboy drawings, especially the one I have in my collection, it’s clear that Wildey uses crosshatching masterfully. However, he also employs a technique that I’ve rarely seen elsewhere, using a series of parallel lines of varying width and closeness to create shading without that exact crosshatching effect. It adds an almost wood-cut-like texture to his drawings. This added texture gives the piece even more depth, and enhances the drama of the scene.

For those that haven’t already read Wildey’s Rio material from Eclipse, Graphitti, Marvel, and Dark Horse, you’re in luck. IDW will soon be releasing a complete Rio edition including unfinished, previously unpublished material. It should be a great introduction to the work of an amazing artist.

(By the way, I just noticed that all my posts so far have mentioned IDW. I promise you, I’m not an IDW shill. Far from it. It’s just a coincidence that they’re putting out great material. Next week is all Marvel.)

Today I’m starting a new blog, in which I examine specific comic panels that have special meaning to me. Where better to start than with one of the all-time greats, from my favorite of his stories, and on his birthday, no less? First published on September 5, 1948, this is the last panel from page five of The Story of Gerhard Shnobble by Will Eisner. This scan was taken from The Best of the Spirit, published by DC Comics in 2005.

Here we see Gerhard, who once had taken flight as a little boy, leaping off of a building, hoping to fly once more. Eisner portrays the dizzying perspective perfectly using the high angle, even at the cost of seeing the protagonist’s face in this moment (which comes on the next page). The faint action lines illustrate the movement without being intrusive. The fine lines used to create the building facades also serve as speed lines, giving the reader the sense that Gerhard will be quickly plummeting toward Earth if his supposed ability doesn’t resurface.

I had the good fortune to see the original art for this page as part of the Masters of Comic Art exhibit held in Los Angeles a few years ago. I stood transfixed by the drawing. At its original size, the art is stunning. I desperately hope that IDW’s upcoming Artists’ Edition of The Spirit includes this story, so that I can have a full-sized copy of this original art to enjoy.

I’m sure Will Eisner will appear in the blog again. His work both on the Spirit and on his New York stories, especially A Contract with God, has dozens and dozens of panels worth of discussion. His talent was unparalleled, and his presence in comics has been sorely missed.

Posted on March 6, 2012