Artists, writers etc. whose work went DOWNHILL

[AnthonyO'Brien]

Love the 1930's Floyd Gottfredson Mickey Mouse comics. Everyone was wacky and rubbery. Later he switched to a suburban Bing Crosby golf player look for Mickey and was dismissive of his early work.

Dan de Carlo, his Archie, Josie and Sabrina characters were way cuter in the 60s with more expressive faces. His art seems a bit rushed in the 70-80's.

Others?

[Timothy Hunter]

Dave Sim is an interesting situation because his work on Cerebus became more incoherent on Cerebus, but his artistic skills continue to improve.

[Joker]

Sim has certainly gotten more photo realistic, but whether that's "improved" or not is up for debate.

Either way, his work just became disgusting garbage.

[Kirby101]

Styles change and mature, many always like the "earlier work". But outside of infirmities, I don't know any artist who went downhill.

[CSTowle]

I feel like a lot of artists change their styles over time, sort of like bands (that last long enough). Sometimes that change improves them (in my opinion), and other times it turns me off of them (also like bands). I can't say that their skills have declined (don't have the eye/experience to say that), just that they might no longer be my cup of tea or that I prefer their older stuff. I'd say John Byrne, for example, changed his style a bit from the X-Men to his take on the FF and again later on. Still recognizably his, but maybe more cartoony. Art Adams did something similar, changed to a sort of cartoony style for a while, but sometimes has a more realistic (if clearly his style) look. Ooh, Erik Larsen. Really liked his stuff on Spider-Man/early Savage Dragon but not a fan now. Again, not sure that's his skill so much as taste.

[ed2962]

Sim has certainly gotten more photo realistic, but whether that's "improved" or not is up for debate.

Either way, his work just became disgusting garbage.

If you mean his "Glamorpuss" stuff ( ignoring the title's premise for a moment) visually I thought it was pretty good. However, I was under the impression that he'd hurt hand or something and can't draw with that same skill level anymore? I'm pretty sure the new comics he puts out "Cerebus In Hell" are constructed around a lot of clip art.

[Riv86672]

Frank Miller.

[Kirby101]

Anybody dare say Kirby has to answer to me.

[ed2962]

The thing is, not only does an artist sometime change style for creative reasons, but also health reasons, trends change, and people just simply get old. Can we really be mad that the Rolling Stones of the 2000s aren't still putting out material as strong as "Exile on Main St" anymore?

[DebkoX]

Rick Riordan.

Or maybe I just outgrew itt.

[Joker]

There's a trend with visual artists that as they get older their styles tend to simplify.

The thing is, not only does an artist sometime change style for creative reasons, but also health reasons, trends change, and people just simply get old. Can we really be mad that the Rolling Stones of the 2000s aren't still putting out material as strong as "Exile on Main St" anymore?

No, you sure can't! Nobody really wants to keep playing the same song every night, and nobody wants to keep writing the same song, either. It leads to experimenting, which doesn't always capture lightning in a bottle.

Frank Miller.

Nah. I know his current stuff isn't to a lot of people's taste, and maybe for a while there he was dealing with health issues that effected his work (certainly his output levels, but alcoholism and cancer will do that to a person) but he's definitely not worse. He's different. Still an incredibly talented draftsman, though.

If you look at his "best" most famous work, Janson was inking him, and Varley was coloring him. Until Sin City, which hit the apex on That Yellow Bastard. After that he loosened up, and he's largely stayed in that mode since. There's been changes and adjustments since, but you can see a clear line in the sand post TYB.

[Ragged Maw]

Ridley Scott.

[SquirrelMan]

Styles change and mature, many always like the "earlier work". But outside of infirmities, I don't know any artist who went downhill.

I'd say Byrne seems to care less about the end product than he used to, coasting on Being Byrne.

Or maybe he just used to have inkers.

[Joker]

Terry Austin was his inker on those seminal X-Men books.

Ridley Scott.

He definitely needs to pick better scripts, but hot damn does he still know how to make a fantastic looking film.

[SquirrelMan]

Terry Austin was his inker on those seminal X-Men books.

Huge if true.