Sequential Illustration Flashcards
Lynd Ward
(1905 – 1985)
- Considered one of the founders of the graphic novel
- Born Lynd Kendall Ward in Chicago, Illinois. Supposedly, Ward first considered becoming an artist at age 7 when he realized that Ward was “draw” spelled backwards
- Ward learned linoleum-block printing in high school and attended Columbia Teachers College with a major in fine art. He learned wood engraving, etching and lithography while studying at the National Academy for Graphic Arts & Bookmaking, while living in Leipzig, Germany for a year. While there, Ward became inspired by the wordless novels of Franz Masereel and Otto Nückel.
- Ward began illustrating children’s books soon after graduating from school
- In 1929, Ward created Gods’ Man. It was published the week before the stock market crashed, but still sold more than 20,000 copies over the next four years. It was not only the first American wordless novel, but also the first American novel-length story told in wood engravings
- Ward produced five more wood engraving novels over the next eight years: Madman’s Drum, Wild Pilgrimage, Prelude to a Million Years, Song Without Words, and Vertigo
- These wordless, wood engraving novels were very influential on the graphic novel movement and on the writers of the Beat Generation, including Allen Ginsberg.
- Ward’s illustrations blend Art Deco and Expressionist styles and he’s known for the socially conscious themes in his work, particularly regarding issues of labor and class struggle.
- 1937 – Lynd Ward became director of the Graphic Arts Division of the Federal Art Project, part of the WPA (Works Progress Administration)
- Although known for his woodcut novels, Ward worked in a variety of media including lithography, watercolor, mezzotint, and many more. He worked for over 50 years, illustrating around 200 juvenile and adult books, 26 of which were written by May McNeer, his wife.
- Ward won a Caldecott Medal, illustrated six Newberry Honor books, and two Newberry Award books. He’s also in the Will Eisner Hall of Fame.
- He served as president of the Society of American Graphic Artists from 1953 to 1959
Lynd Ward
Gods’ Man (1929)
Lynd Ward
Vertigo (1937)
Lynd Ward
Beowulf (1939 Heritage Press edition)
Lynd Ward
The Biggest Bear (1953)
Lynd Ward
The Silver Pony (1973)
Will Eisner
- One of the most important contributors to comic book medium.
- Established the graphic novel as a form of literature.
- Highest main stream comic book award, “The Eisner” named after him.
Eisner was born in Brooklyn, New York. He was influenced by J.C. Leyendecker. He studied for 1 year at the Art Students League. Then he worked as an advertising writer and cartoonist for the New York American newspaper and created $10/pg illustrations for pulp magazines.
1936: Eisner contributed 4 comic strips to Wow, What a Magazine! before it folded. He then worked with that editor producing and selling original comics material. He became rich before the age of 22
1939: Eisner created The Spirit, a detective comic for a more adult audience for Quality Comics. It was distributed in Sunday Newspapers. It was extremely popular and influenced many super hero comics, even though its protagonist didn’t have super powers.
The Spirit featured a range of styles – crime drama, noir, adventure, mystery, horror, comedy and romance. Hybrid elements that twisted the genre and reader expectations. It ended with its Oct. 5th, 1952 edition. It was known for its innovative “Splash Pages” – One image with integrated text, rendering of atmosphere (mist, night skies, fuming sewers). The Spirit began as a daily strip from in newspapers in 1941 and became a comic book in 1942.
Will Eisner was drafted into the Army in late 1941, early ’42. He created comics for training and editorial comic strips, including Joe Dope, for Army Motors. Eisner spent four years working in the Pentagon, editing and illustrating Firepower and PS (Preventative Maintenance Monthly) – two of the earliest comics created for instructional purposes.
While Eisner was working for the Army, the Studio “ghosted” The Spirit, which meant that other illustrators secretly drew the comic even though he was still listed as the illustrator. Eisner returned to working on The Spirit after the war.
Eisner tried to launch other comic series. None succeeded, but some of the failed material was later used in The Spirit.
1978: Will Eisner created A Contract with God, an early American graphic novel. It thematically linked short stories into a single-bound volume and proved that graphic novels could tell serious and/or realistic stories. It turned into a string of graphic novels that tell the history of New York City immigrant communities, particularly Jewish communities. The title story was inspired by the death of Eisner’s leukemia-stricken teenaged daughter in the 1970s.
Will Eisner created new books into 1970s and ‘80s at average rate of a book a year.
He died 2005 of complications from a quadruple bypass surgery performed the year before.
Will Eisner
Wow! Vol 3 (Sept 1936)
Will Eisner
Will Eisner
The Spirit (June 30, 1940)
Will Eisner
Will Eisner
Will Eisner
Will Eisner
Will Eisner
Jean Giraud / Moebius / Gir
(1938 - 2012)
- French comic artist known for his wide range of sci-fi and fantasy comics in highly imaginative and surreal, almost abstract style
- Born Jean Henri Gaston Giraud in France.
- Giraud originally worked under the pseudonym ’Gir’, while focusing on creating Western comics early in his career. During this time he worked on one of his best-selling comics series, Blueberry, per recommendation from mentor Joseph “Jije” Gillain. Blueberry featured one of the first anti-heroes in Western comics
- Inspired by a trip to Mexico, Giraud’ s style often featured desert settings, and large, flat shapes and areas contrasting small areas of high detail.
- The name “Mœbius” was used for Giraud’s fantasy / sci-fi work.
- Created in 1963 for a short magazine strip, the name was later resumed in 1975, during which he became one of four founding creators of Metal Hurlant, a French sci-fi magazine that was eventually published in America as Heavy Metal.
- Moebius created Arzach (1975 – 2012, worked on throughout his life), one of the first fantasy / sci fi comics to not use speech bubbles, captions, or written sound effects, non-linear plots
- Some of his other well-known comics: The Airtight Garage of Jerry Cornelius, The Incal, and Edena Cycle
- He was extremely influential. While Giraud garnered universal praise for his work as ”Mœbius” (especially in the US, the UK, and Japan), it should be noted that as “Gir”, Blueberry has always remained his most successful and most recognized work in his native France and in mainland Europe.
- Giraud also created storyboards and concept designs for movies, including Alien, Willow, Tron, The Fifth Element, and The Abyss
- In 1979, he met Alexandro Jodorosky, a Chilean Filmaker attempting to adapt to film a version of Frank Herbert’s novel, Dune. Giraurd created storyboards and character designs, but the project fell apart before it could be made. Jodorosky and Giraud continued collaborating as writer and artist on several graphic novels after.
- Giraurd created a full-length animated movie Les Maitres du temps (Time Masters) in 1982. He also wrote the story and worked as the conceptual designer for Japanese animated film version of Little Nemo:Adventures in Slumberland (’82).
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He was adaptable to various working methods: etchings, black and white ink illustrations, ligne Claire, water colors. He drew very quickly.
-Moebius/ Jean Giraurd/ Gir died in March 2012 at the age of 73 from cancer
Jean Giraud / Moebius / Gir
Blueberry (1963- 2007)
Jean Giraud / Moebius / Gir
Blueberry (1963- 2007)
Jean Giraud / Moebius / Gir
Arzach, 1975
Jean Giraud / Moebius / Gir
Arzach, 1975
Jean Giraud / Moebius / Gir
The Airtight Garage , 1976-1979
Jean Giraud / Moebius / Gir
Storyboards and concept art from Jodorosky’s Dune attempt
Jean Giraud / Moebius / Gir
Storyboards and concept art from Jodorosky’s Dune attempt
Jean Giraud / Moebius / Gir
Storyboards and concept art from Jodorosky’s Dune attempt
Jean Giraud / Moebius / Gir
Voyage d’Hermes, 2011
-2 of 9 images created for the luxury fashion brand, Hermès, but never used, possibly because they contain zero reference to the brand
Jean Giraud / Moebius / Gir
Voyage d’Hermes, 2011
-2 of 9 images created for the luxury fashion brand, Hermès, but never used, possibly because they contain zero reference to the brand
R. Crumb
Zap Comix (1968 &1970)
R. Crumb
Zap Comix (1968 &1970)
R. Crumb
1969 - R. Crumb’s Fritz the Cat
-published. In 1972, this was turned into the first animated feature film to receive an X rating. The most successful independent animated feature to date. R. Crumb had little to do with the film other that provide the source material.
R. Crumb
R. Crumb
R. Crumb
The Book of Genesis Illustrated by R. Crumb (2009)
art spiegelman
Day at the Circuits - Arcade #2 (1975)
art spiegelman
Breakdowns (1978)
art spiegelman
1976
-Spiegelman moved to New York City. He married Françoise Mouly and the two created RAW, an innovative magazine of underground art on her printing press.
art spiegelman
Doodle comic for RAW #1
art spiegelman
MAUS I (1986)
art spiegelman
MAUS II (1991)
art spiegelman
art spiegelman
