Favourite FLASH artist - Barry Allen edition

[Comic-Reader Lad]

I never saw what others saw in Alex Saviuk's art. I believe he was just a kid when he came to work in comics--14 or so. And while that was interesting to me, I felt like he was too young and should have used the time to go to art school and improve his skills rather than doing work that he wasn't really prepared to do. For a kid it was okay, but it looked inept next to the pros. I was always conflicted about his work--because I felt sympathy for him, yet I hated his artwork and I never understood why he kept getting so much work. I just don't see what's good about it.

I don't know Saviuk's backstory, but I do remember being disappointed in his tenures on both Flash and Green Lantern.

It didn't help that he had to follow Irv Novick and Mike Grell, but he just didn't have "it."

I think Irv Novick is very underappreciated as an artist. He co-created Archie's Shield character in late 1939, and really updated his style to fit then-current comics in the 1960s and 1970s.

I think he was very instrumental and really didn't get his due for his part in updating Batman and returning him to a more serious character after the campy 60s. He drew pivotal stories like Batman 217's "One Bullet Too Many," which saw Dick Grayson leave for college and Bruce take residence in the Penthouse apartment, which really set the tone for Bronze Age Batman. Novick's Flash was the one I grew up reading in the 1970s, and it will always be a favorite of mine. For an artist to stay relevant from the 1940s through the 1970s and beyond was a testament to his work.

[SJNeal]

I feel weird voting for someone with a "lesser pedigree" as far as history is concerned, but I gotta give it to Manapul. Every one of his pages was a masterpiece.

But if this was a Wally thread Wieringo would be the obvious choice.

[married guy]

I feel weird voting for someone with a "lesser pedigree" as far as history is concerned, but I gotta give it to Manapul. Every one of his pages was a masterpiece.

But if this was a Wally thread Wieringo would be the obvious choice.

I'm surprised to see Manapul rate so highly. Especially when looking at who he's competing against!

[Lee Stone]

I went with Ross Andru.

[SJNeal]

I'm surprised to see Manapul rate so highly. Especially when looking at who he's competing against!

Oddly enough, I've never been a Porter fan. I used to like Kolins in the 90's when he was little more than a fill-in, but when he changed his style 10+ yrs ago he lost me.

I still like Booth (I know we're not supposed to, sorry!) but his Flash work isn't his best. He's much more of a Marvel artist in my mind.

[married guy]

Oddly enough, I've never been a Porter fan. I used to like Kolins in the 90's when he was little more than a fill-in, but when he changed his style 10+ yrs ago he lost me.

I still like Booth (I know we're not supposed to, sorry!) but his Flash work isn't his best. He's much more of a Marvel artist in my mind.

I actually like Brett Booth!! I thought his style was well suited to the Flash.
And don't get me wrong, I adore Francis Manapul's work (a painted piece he whipped up for me at the drop of a hat at Melbourne Comic Con years ago is some I hold very dear) but I was expecting Carmine to win this in a canter!

[MajorHoy]

I'm surprised to see Manapul rate so highly. Especially when looking at who he's competing against!

But how many people might have had their first exposure to Barry-as-Flash under Manapul?
(Or at least in the post-Brightest Day era?)

[WallyWestFlash]

Irv Novick for me. He was the Barry artist I grew up on.

Carmine Infantino is a legend but like Jack Kirby his later stuff became a parody of himself.

I dont think any of the modern artists have really defined themselves as a Barry artist.

[Superfly Frankenstein]

Ross Andru by a nose

[Jim Kelly]

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Carmine Infantino is a legend but like Jack Kirby his later stuff became a parody of himself.

Other than the odd job here and there, I think Infantino left comics (or they left him) before his skills declined that much. If the art in the 1980s is weird, I see that as more a failure of the inkers at that time. Actually, modern embellishment could probably have saved both Infantino and Kirby.

And it's not like there aren't seventy some comic books of the Flash that Carmine pencilled between 1956 and 1967. Why should what he did later on detract from that?

[The Darknight Detective]

Irv Novick for me. He was the Barry artist I grew up on.

Same here, though Infantino was the first (I read Barry's origin in Secret Origins #1 back in 1973).

[Jim Kelly]

When Carmine Infantino got kicked upstairs in 1968, Irv Novick's Batman was very much in Infantino's style. He changed his Batman later on, when the Neal Adams version was the model. But I really liked Novicktino as inked by Joe Giella--and Irv's covers that he inked himself.

Likewise when he got the Flash gig, Irv was referencing Carmine's model. But it was better when Murphy Anderson inked Novick--and it would have been great if Joe Giella had been his inker. For me Giella was the best Flash inker. Also, Carmine was around in the early 1960s, when Iris was wearing the sophisticated styles of the time (think Audrey Hepburn and Jackie Kennedy). But in the 1970s, Iris had to wear the garish garments styled for women then. She looked like she was wearing Bea Arthur's cast offs.

[WallyWestFlash]

Other than the odd job here and there, I think Infantino left comics (or they left him) before his skills declined that much. If the art in the 1980s is weird, I see that as more a failure of the inkers at that time. Actually, modern embellishment could probably have saved both Infantino and Kirby.

And it's not like there aren't seventy some comic books of the Flash that Carmine pencilled between 1956 and 1967. Why should what he did later on detract from that?

It definitely does not detract from Infantinos legendary skill. I just grew up more on Novicks Bronze age Barry rather than Infantinos Silver age and prefer it more.

Same here, though Infantino was the first (I read Barry's origin in Secret Origins #1 back in 1973).

Lol. Well technically same as well, as my first Barry comic I read was a 90's reprint of Showcase 105.

After that though it was Novick right away with his Barry stories In Adventure Comics. That is such a great series. Got my fill of so many great characters when they were in the spotlight there . From Supergirl to Aquaman to the Spectre to even Black Orchid and Dial H for hero.

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I remember one of my first Barry stories from there was where Abra Kadabra had turned the world upside down. Great memories.

[Jon-El]

I never saw what others saw in Alex Saviuk's art. I believe he was just a kid when he came to work in comics--14 or so. And while that was interesting to me, I felt like he was too young and should have used the time to go to art school and improve his skills rather than doing work that he wasn't really prepared to do. For a kid it was okay,

I looked this up because I remember seeing a lot of Saviuk art when I was a kid in the late 70’s. Mostly Flash & DC Comics Presents. He’s 68 now and started at DC in 1977 so he would’ve been about 25. That’s all according to Wikipedia so what do I know! He was solid on Flash but didn’t stand out. I know he came in around the time they killed off Iris.

I love 60’s Infantino & like his 80’s work mostly. Depends on the inker. My guy though is Novick. He was the artist when I picked up my first Flash comic. It was right after they killed the Top. His Flash was lean and looked like a runner to me. I don’t know if this was Novick but I remember the caption balloons having little hands that pointed to the action at times. It’s one thing I remember about the Novick run.

[Jim Kelly]

I looked this up because I remember seeing a lot of Saviuk art when I was a kid in the late 70’s. Mostly Flash & DC Comics Presents. He’s 68 now and started at DC in 1977 so he would’ve been about 25. That’s all according to Wikipedia so what do I know! He was solid on Flash but didn’t stand out. I know he came in around the time they killed off Iris.

I love 60’s Infantino & like his 80’s work mostly. Depends on the inker. My guy though is Novick. He was the artist when I picked up my first Flash comic. It was right after they killed the Top. His Flash was lean and looked like a runner to me. I don’t know if this was Novick but I remember the caption balloons having little hands that pointed to the action at times. It’s one thing I remember about the Novick run.

Ha! I got it wrong. I swear I read about him in the letter columns back in the day and thought he was a teen. But I guess I had it wrong all these years. It made some sense to me that his art wasn't very good, if he was young and maybe they hired him because he came cheap. But if he was 25, then I really don't understand it.

The hands on the captions was an Infantino thing. He invented that. He was very clever at inventing design elements in stories. Novick used it in his Flash as a nod to Carmine--which any older readers understood as an homage.

You can see an example of it on the Infantino & Anderson stylized cover design for DETECTIVE COMICS 352 (June 1966).