Comments on: Month of Art Stars: Artist’s Choice – Jesse Marsh

By: elias montakis

elias montakis — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 16:52:04 +0000

Hi!

As a kid, I kindly remember the very excitement of awaiting for the new issue of Tarzan´s Dell Comics which
was published in my country by a major publishing house named EBAL Comics.Each book had a completely
new cover displaying sometimes a stunning painted illustration or a reproduction of a photograph of Lex Barker,
Gordon Scott, and many other Tarzan impersonators on the big screen.
I never liked the approach some other artists gave to the apeman, excepting Lubbers and Manning; who were
exceptional designers like Marsh himself.
Cellardo was great as well .Those were and still are my favourites artists who brought to life, the masterpiece
of the unfortunately underrated writer Ed Burroughs.

By: Jesse

Jesse — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 02:14:21 +0000

Jesse Marsh was my uncle, my Mom’s brother. I would like to know more about him

By: David Haynes

David Haynes — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:42:47 +0000

Thanks Brian,
And thanks to Paul as well for pointing towards the consummate mastery of Jesse Marsh.
I have long admired this fine artist’s work and as a kid in the mid 1950s, I grew up in the
imaginary world of Paul Don which Marsh brought to life.
Marsh’s work will undoubtedly never resonate with the broad base of appeal like that of the
the other great visualizers of Burroughs’ Lord Greystoke: J. Allen St. John, Hal Foster, Hogarth,
Russ Manning or Kubert. And yet with all the respect due (and as an artist /illustrator myself, for
35 years I’ve got a LOT of respect for these gentleman) they were merely illustrators of Tarzan.
Marsh brought him to life, and more importantly created an entire world for him to live in.
Unlike his predecessors (with the exception of St. John) Marsh was a painter rather than a
graphic artist, and his subtle laid back approach, which eschews the flash of the romantic,
requires more of his audience. He was an artist’s artist and whereas all those who followed the
great Hal Foster attempted to emulate his Howard Pyle approach, only Marsh diverges toward
Caravaggio, Milton Canniff and realism. Marsh is so rare because he was so far beyond adolescence
and super heroes.Tarzan is made an actual man because of the skill of a comic book illustrator
whose depictions of humanity and animals are rivaled by few in this field.
One also has to respect Gaylord Dubois, who in my humble opinion was a far better writer than
Edgar Rice B., and the fortuitous meeting of Marsh and Dubois.
And I was also quite sorry to recently learn that Jesse Hamm’s wonderful website honoring Jesse
Marsh was no longer completely intact. His was a true labor of love.
Thanks much
David Haynes

By: Brian Cronin

Brian Cronin — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:58:46 +0000

Marsh was actually on multiple artists’ lists.

By: benday-dot

benday-dot — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:30:57 +0000

Marsh was underrated in the pantheon of Tarzan artists. Sometimes, it’s easy to see why. He was, after all situated among a group of pencilers who have gained god-like status for their work on the Tarzan character… Hogarth, Foster, Kubert, Manning, Buscema… that’s some pretty lofty company. Still, even if Marsh’s figure work isn’t quite as standout as his colleagues, he has his undeniable strengths. The animals he draws (that leopard and crocodile in the opening panels above are breathtaking) are, as pointed out, superb. His backgrounds and sense of mood are stellar too. All and all, an unexpected but welcome choice of Gulacy.

By: DanCJ

DanCJ — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:45:58 +0000

I can’t see the appeal here – sorry. But then I can’t see the appeal of Paul Gulacy’s art either

By: Andrew Collins

Andrew Collins — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:45:47 +0000

I’ve been reading the Jesse Marsh Tarzan collections that Dark Horse is putting out and they’re just stunning work. I usually associate Golden Age art as being kind of stiff looking, but there’s a certain fluidity to his work. Plus, as you pointed out, every panel is so detailed!

I wasn’t aware that he also worked on some John Carter comics. If so, I hope Dark Horse also gets around to reprinting those. Maybe when the new movie comes out (next year?)…