Stanley Lau

Stanley Lau

Within Stanley Lau’s work, Stanley demonstrates his mastery over anatomy and digital media.  His work has a very smooth texture to it, with no visible brush strokes or heavy outlines, and is extremely well done and blended, giving his work a hype realistic Flair. Most of his work consists of various comic inspired art and fan art, but this is to be expected since he has made illustration works for both DC comics and Capcom. Stanley uses both western and eastern influences, which creates his visually outstanding style.  

Stanley Lau was chosen for the top five list because of his mastery over his skill and his great aesthetic appeal.  His work is the perfect fusion between realism and the comic/ anime style, making it something that everyone can enjoy. His shadows and shading are extremely complex, adding depth to whatever he creates. It is also a major appeal that he portrays any character he creates a fan art illustration of with this brilliant style, making him even better known within and out of the comic world. Along with this, Stanley also does portraits of popular celebrity figures from popular TV shows, movies, and etc. Recently, Stanley has also started uploading tutorial videos on his new YouTube channel, giving out useful tips and tricks to other aspiring artists.

Works Cited

Lau, Stanley. "Artgerm | Art by Stanley Lau." Artgerm. Accessed March 16, 2016.                                        http://artgerm.com

Lau, Stanley. "Artgerm on DeviantArt." Artgerm (Stanley Lau). Accessed March

         16, 2016. http://artgerm.deviantart.com/.

http://artgerm.com/

http://artgerm.deviantart.com/

-Nancy Brockert

Annie Wu

Growing up in central Florida, and graduating from Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore; Annie Wu is a newcomer to the DC Universe, and she has become the artist behind DC Comics’ new Black Canary.  Her characters actually feel like real people, and they have a little bit of an imperfection in the way that she draws them. 

Wu has also worked with Marvel Comics and Vertigo Comics, and is a storyboard artist for ‘The Venture Bros’ (an animated television series) on Adult Swim. 

Wu not only draws the characters in Black Canary, but she also has a lot in common with the main character of the comic.  Annie Wu is stylish and bold, has her own sense of style, and loves music and fashion.  It is apparent that Wu has fallen in love with creating the main character of Black Canary.

Music also plays a big role in Black Canary.  Mixing a goth-tinged rock band with superhero powers, the music must parallel the tone of each story.  With the main character in a band, Wu illustrates her holding a microphone, fishnet stockings, and an all-leather suit.

Annie Wu describes her series, Black Canary as, “It’s a rock n roll kung-fu road trip.  We’re getting an opportunity to see Dinah in a new light while also reminding the audience just how brutal she is as a martial artist in the DCU.”

Beedle, Tim, “Are You Ready for Black Canary’s Annie Wu?” dccomics.com, last modified June 17, 2015, http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2015/06/17/are-you-ready-for-black-canarys-annie-wu.

Foxe, Steve, “Guest List: Annie Wu Kicks out the Jams with Black Canary” pastemagazine.com, last modified June 15, 2015, http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/06/guest-list-annie-wu-kicks-out-the-jams-with-black.html.

Fiona Staples

FIONA STAPLES

Fiona Staples is a Canadian-born comic book artist as a graduate from Alberta College of Art and Design. Staples is relatively known for her work on titles such as: North 40, DV8: Gods and Monsters, T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents and, recently and most notably Saga with writer, Brian K. Vaughan. She's rapidly climbed the ladder within the comic industry of becoming a go-to artist and has definitely earned her place with Saga winning the Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story, Goodreads Choice Awards Best Graphic Novels & Comics, and nominated for Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist. She's helped open the doors for many aspiring female artists of all forms as she herself is diverse in her genre of works, while maintaining a rich and vibrant style that has gone from a space opera with aliens and grotesque explicit monsters in Saga to the streets of the small town of Riverdale in Archie. Her diverse productivity earned her this spot among many other wonderful artists on this list, as they've all inspired each other, as I've seen them interact with one another on social media.

           

"Artist Unmasking: Fiona Staples." Artist Unmasking: Fiona Staples. The Book Report, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.

"Image Comics." Fiona Staples. Image Comics, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2016.

Babs Tarr

                                                      

Barbara "Babs" Tarr graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland, where she earned a bachelor in Illustration. While originally from Charleston, South Carolina, Babs currently lives in San Francisco, doing work as a freelance illustrator. She's worked for big companies such as Hasbro and Disney, but most notably does work for DC Comics, and was specifically hired to work on the reboot of the Bat Girl comics. As a highly contemporary artist, this is her first big breakthrough in the industry, but our group members felt that she is already made a notable impact. In an industry that was largely dominated by men, female characters weren't always designed in ways that were relatable to readers. However, Babs simple and sophisticated steps with the Bat Girl comics have opened a doorway for other comic illustrators. Her history of an interest in fashion is largely seen in her work, as clothing designs are still iconic, while being trendy and plausible. This more accurate representation of young ladies in the comic world not only will attract interest in new customers, but will hopefully serve as a foundation for future artists looking to tell their stories in the comic medium.   


                         

Examples of both fashion illustration and one of her comic covers. 

-Lewis 

1. Babs Tarr, “babsbabsbabs’ (blog), March 15th, 2016, http://babsbabsbabs.com/.
2. "Babs Tarr." DC Comics. March 15th 2016. http://www.dccomics.com/talent/babs-tarr

Adam Hughes

Adam Hughes deserves to be at the top five due to his technical, design, and narrative skills as well as his accomplishments. His art style is a combination of pinup and art nouveau. He pays special attention to lighting and details such as textures. His works make the characters feel so alive because of how realistically they are drawn, and people want their favorite characters to seem alive, as well as the way he makes them their own person. An example of this is his large illustration of the iconic DC women. Hughes gives each of them out outfit corresponding with their usual costume and personality.  He takes care in making the faces especially, and is great at drawing a person’s likeness. For example, his Star Wars  display the main characters and you instantly can recognize them as Harrison Ford, Carrie Fischer, and Mark Hamill.

Hughes’ anatomy and coloring technique is frankly admirable. He has said he colors digitally with a mouse and the lasso tool in Photoshop for covers but for con sketches uses Copic markers. Still, the way he blends, shades, and draws in general makes the sketch just as amazing as any of his covers (and not cheap).

1. "AdamHughes on DeviantArt." AdamHughes (No One We Think Is In His Tree). March 16, 2016. http://adamhughes.deviantart.com/.

-Brianna

Bengal | Staples | Tocchini

BENGAL

(A Comic Connoisseur Native of France)

A rising star within the comic book industry, Bengal has been widely known for his fantastical and whimsical styles on classic characters such as his take on the crime-fighting femme fatales --Supergirl and Batgirl, as you see below. He's had the privilege to become a "go-to artist" for being featured as a variant artist for covers and some interior works such as being chosen to do Batgirl: Annual as well as helming probably one of his bigger works, the Adventures of Supergirl. "Based on the CBS television series Supergirl, to welcome in newer and unfamiliar audiences to the young and sprite cousin of the Man of Steel." (Kelly) Bengal is praised for the elegance he places in the postures and moods of his characters to contrast the fixed, yet visually pleasing perspectives within his backgrounds and environments.

Kelly, Caitlin. "‘Adventures of Supergirl’ #1 Brings Readers Back to the Beginning." Review. Web blog post. Hypable, 30 Jan. 2016. Accessed 21 Feb. 2016.

http://www.hypable.com/adventures-of-supergirl-1-review/

FIONA STAPLES

(The George Lucas of Comics)

If you truly believed the space opera genre was only available in the form of Star Wars, you my friend have been living under a space rock then! In 2012, the full throttled-Fiona Staples along with the bizarre-minded Brian K. Vaughan, presented to the world the Rated-R version of Star Wars, this is SAGA. Fiona's painted simplistic yet vibrant style truly brings out the visuals in not only the characters fashionable wear to contrast their off-world appearance, but also the vast blue, yellow, or purple sky, and deep black void of space. SAGA stands today as my top favorite comic book series because of it's rich lore of two world and races at war with two loves from opposing sides coming together to birth a child that has the entire universe on their horns and wings. "The series has also managed to obtain numerous awards, including a number of Eisner and Harvey Awards in 2013, 2014 and 2015. The first trade paperback collection won the 2013 Hugo Award for Best Graphic Story. It has also been noted for its diverse portrayal of ethnicity, sexuality and gender identity, and for its treatment of war." (Bauman)

Bauman, Nadia. "The Hidden Message of Saga, Or, Why We Can't Help But Love It - Women Write About Comics." Web blog post. Women Write About Comics. N.p., 20 Mar. 2015. Accessed 21 Feb. 2016.

http://womenwriteaboutcomics.com/2015/03/20/the-hidden-message-of-saga-or-why-we-cant-help-but-love-it/

GREG TOCCHINI

(A lot of warm tones here, cool tones there)

Take your 10 year old selves' imaginative mind...and dunk it in warm earthy tones, with cool hues to make it feel like you're underwater, cause in LOW, that's where your 10 year old self will grow up!

"The sun is going supernova and the surface of Earth has long since burned into a scorched wasteland. Humanity has fled the surface, seeking refuge from the ravages of the dying star’s radiation in submerged mega-cities on the ocean floor. Before the world burns once and for all, mankind bides its time beneath the sea, clinging to the shred of hope that one of their many probes will find a habitable planet somewhere in the deep expanses of space." (Mutton)

Now that you know the story thus far, let's talk about Tocchini. After reading a bit of LOW, I have a sense that Tocchini just loves playing with warped perspectives, truly immersing you into the ruinous "Under the Sea" world of LOW. There can be so much to look for in one page spread and at the same time be greeted with a sequential side panel of other characters going about their business. His style is very reminiscent of  Renaissance pantings with the fluid gestures he gives the characters, especially within his covers.

Mutton, Robert. "Low #1 by Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini Review." Review. Web blog post. Pastemagazine.com. Disqus, 1 Aug. 2014. Accessed 21 Feb. 2016.

http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2014/08/low-1-by-rick-remender-and-greg-tocchini-review.html

- Royal Dunlap

Babs Tarr/Francis Manapul/Annie Wu

Review 1

Babs Tarr’s ‘Batgirl’

By Lindsay Casimir

February 20, 2016

Babs Tarr’s newly redesigned Batgirl has an excellent sense of design and detail.  She is also an excellent fashion illustrator, so when designing the new Batgirl, Tarr made sure that she also had a great sense of style.  Although, Tarr’s background is in traditional illustration, all of her work is digital. 

Batgirl’s new costume is something anyone could go to the store, and put together on your own.  It makes Batgirl appear to be more down to earth, and relatable to everyday people.  In the past, woman were often represented in comics wearing the same thing with the same hair style.  Tarr gives each girl their own style and color palette, and each character styles her hair differently.  Leaving the former dark Batgirl behind, she becomes more independent by moving to a new city and making her own suit.

Being a Fashion Design major, I was drawn to Babs Tarr’s work because of her sense of fashion and style.  Her fashion illustrations blend well with the characters she creates in her comics.  I love that she takes the time to give each of her characters a specific style and originality.

Spending more time on a character’s fashion can be rather intimidating for the male comic illustrator.  Having more female illustrators like Babs Tarr, can give some of the female characters a lot more credibility in the superhero world. 

1. Beedle, Tim, “Building a New Batgirl: An Interview with Babs Tarr,” dccomics.com, last modified October 10, 2014, http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2014/10/10/building-a-new-batgirl-an-interview-with-babs-tarr.
2. Babs Tarr, “babsbabsbabs’ (blog), February 21, 2016, http://babsbabsbabs.com/.
3. Beedle, Tim, “Are You Ready for Batgirl’s Brenden Fletcher and Babs Tarr?” dccomics.com, last modified June 20, 2015, http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2015/06/25/are-you-ready-for-batgirls-brenden-fletcher-and-babs-tarr.

Review 2

Francis Manapul’s work in ‘The Flash’

By Lindsay Casimir

February 20, 2016

Francis Manapul is the artist and cowriter of The New 52 Flash.  Manapul is a Filipino-born comic book artist, who was awarded the 2011 Joe Shuster Award for Outstanding Comic Book Artist.  He currently resided in Toronto, Canada.

Manapul’s 52 title series introduced a new villainous group, with new character designs.  Manapul is known as an outstanding painter, sketch artist, graphic designer, and computer graphics expert. 

I noticed that Manapul’s line work style has more of a retro feel to it, rather than the more ‘modern’ styles of Wu and Tarr.  His characters seem to keep that nostalgic appeal to them.  Giving his illustrations a more classic comic book aesthetic.  His characters are much more masculine, and lack the femininity that Wu and Tarr bring to their characters. 

“His work on DC Comics’ Flash has consistently been the best mainstream comic art in the past few years.” (Gaffin).  Manapul’s dynamic line work brings a new look to some of the most popular characters and villains from The Flash.

A hardcover edition of Manapul’s New 52 version of the Flash is set to be released in March of 2016, and will feature the extraordinary era of the Flash collected into one deluxe edition. 

1. Hyde, David, “Francis Manapul on THE FLASH,” dccomics.com, last modified July 16, 2011, http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2011/07/06/francis-manapul-on-the-flash.
2. Gaffin, Bryan, “20 Awesome Comic Book Artists to Follow on Instagram’ konbini.com, July, 2015, http://www.konbini.com/us/entertainment/20-great-comic-book-artists-follow-instagram/.
3. DCE Editorial, “A Look at Francis Manapul’s Artwork from THE FLASH” dccomics.com, last modified March 2, 2010, http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2010/03/02/a-look-at-francis-manapuls-artwork-from-the-flash.

Review 3

Annie Wu’s ‘Black Canary’

By Lindsay Casimir

February 20, 2016

Growing up in central Florida, and graduating from Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore; Annie Wu is a newcomer to the DC Universe, and she has become the artist behind DC Comics’ new Black Canary.  Her characters actually feel like real people, and they have a little bit of an imperfection in the way that she draws them. 

Coming from someone who has a lot of difficulty drawing what I see (or in my head, for that matter); I find myself drawn to artists who embraces their imperfections, and turns it into part of their drawing aesthetic. 

Wu not only draws the characters in Black Canary, but she also has a lot in common with the main character of the comic.  Annie Wu is stylish and bold, has her own sense of style, and loves music and fashion.  It is apparent that Wu has fallen in love with creating the main character of Black Canary.

Music also plays a big role in Black Canary.  Mixing a goth-tinged rock band with superhero powers, the music must parallel the tone of each story.  With the main character in a band, Wu illustrates her holding a microphone, fishnet stockings, and an all-leather suit.

“It’s a rock n roll kung-fu road trip” (Wu)

1. Beedle, Tim, “Are You Ready for Black Canary’s Annie Wu?” dccomics.com, last modified June 17, 2015, http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2015/06/17/are-you-ready-for-black-canarys-annie-wu.
2. Foxe, Steve, “Guest List: Annie Wu Kicks out the Jams with Black Canary” pastemagazine.com, last modified June 15, 2015, http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/06/guest-list-annie-wu-kicks-out-the-jams-with-black.html.