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.
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.
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.
- Royal Dunlap
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