Comments on: You Decide ’09 – Who Is Your Favorite Swamp Thing Artist/Art Team?

By: Eddie C

Eddie C — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:14:00 +0000

Definitely Bissette and Totleben. Hands down! Though Berni Wrightson comes in at a somewhat close second. But, especially at the time, their style was just so unique and expressive and beautiful.

By: Colugo

Colugo — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 09:09:07 +0000

The real end of the Bronze Age is The Anatomy Lesson rather than Dark Knight Returns or Watchmen. Sure, Moore’s words were crucial, but Bissette and Totleben gave them a particular power. They also brought a distinctly different visual approach to mainstream comics, helping end the genericizing ‘house style.’ The run of the three on Swamp Thing essentially created Vertigo. And a quarter century later Bissette and Totleben’s work doesn’t look dated at all. Look how well the ‘new Un-Men’ issues hold up – and that’s Bissette and Totleben (with Pasko writing) before Moore got on board.

By: Vincent Paul Bartilucci

Vincent Paul Bartilucci — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:44:59 +0000

Okay, Berni is winning now, right Brian?

Please tell me Berni is winning …

C’mon, people! I understand all about personal preferences. That’s why I didn’t complain when Ditko didn’t win in the Spidey poll. But it’s Berni Gosh Darn Wrightson

By: Jack Norris

Jack Norris — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 23:45:08 +0000

Wrightson. As important as Bissette and Totleben’s work on Moore’s run might be, as far as I’m concerned their work was flat-out ruined by the crappy printing of much of the run.
They need to do some serious restoration work on the stuff the next time a nice reprint is done (or has that already happened?.

By: doctor bob

doctor bob — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:13:53 +0000

Much as I love Wrightson’s work – Bissette/Totleben wins it for me – I do agree that Totleben alone was awesome on ST.

By: David Hackett

David Hackett — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:50:39 +0000

@Tom Fitzpatrick, ST #33 was a great issue, and relevant to this poll too, with that beautiful panel fetaturing the Wrightson-style Swamp Thing face to face with the Bissette/Totleben one.

By: Namor

Namor — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:47:16 +0000

“Who’s this Alan Moore guy everyone keeps referring too?”

He’s a magician!

BTW, we can’t discount Veitch. Some of Swampy’s best issues were his doing.

By: kalorama

kalorama — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:44:52 +0000

Bissette/Totleben will probably win, based on the fact that they worked on Moore’s run, but Wrightson’s work on the book was among the all-time classic runs.

By: Dancj

Dancj — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:57:19 +0000

Bissett/Totleben. No contest.

Hester + DeMulder would bet second place choice

By: dhole

dhole — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:36:59 +0000

I think my favorite issues were actually the ones Totleben did solo (including my first, issue 53, the great Batman fight…) He also did great work on Miracleman by himself.

But of course, the work with Bissette is also great, so that got my pick.

I must say I really like Veitch’s work as well, and both Shawn McManus and Stan Woch did some very memorable issues (if I recall, Stan did the issue that introduced Constantine, ish 37, which is when he was REALLY introduced, I don’t count the little cameo in 25).

I would also like to say, Brian, my favorite part of these polls is your selection of covers you post to go with the choices. They make for a very nice nostalgia trip so thanks for those…

By: Tom Fitzpatrick

Tom Fitzpatrick — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:36:45 +0000

Mr. B.C.!!!! You hate Shawn McManus?!?!?!?!?

Besides SotST # 33, # 28 “Burial” was a great fill-in issue!!!
How could you NOT love this very little-used artist?!?

Kelley Jones is also great too.

By: LouReedRichards

LouReedRichards — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:36:45 +0000

I voted for Wrightson. It seems to be bordering on heresy, but I’ve never cared for Bissette and Totleben.
They seem vastly overrated to me.

By: Roman

Roman — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:21:28 +0000

John Totleben almost bought my house once. He’s definitely the coolest person to ever come out of my home town (Erie) and on top of that he’s a nice guy and pretty much the greatest artist ever. I defy you to find a better inker (well, maybe Austin, Giordiano, Janson, Sinnott, or Nowlan are tied with him, but he has no superiors). If only he hadn’t gone blind in the late 80′s, I feel that he would have made an even greater mark on the comics industry.

By: Gabriel Mckee

Gabriel Mckee — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:32:28 +0000

I like Berni Wrightson and all, but John Totleben is basically my favorite comics artist ever. No contest here.

By: Patrick Joseph

Patrick Joseph — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 19:24:42 +0000

O: I figured it was just the first paragraph. I love Swamp Thing, and that very much includes the Wrightson issues, the Redondo ones, and the Yeates. And I did read the original run as a kid thanks to Nickelodeon’s Video Comics show before I picked up the Pasko/Moore second series up off the newsstand.

I as not trying to insult Wrightson’s original design, and was merely trying to more vividly contrast the original version with the Bissette version.

By: AC

AC — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:56:40 +0000

Hester or Swan from the Morrison Millar run

By: azjohnson5

azjohnson5 — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:49:56 +0000

Who’s this Alan Moore guy everyone keeps referring too?

By: "O" the Humanatee!

"O" the Humanatee! — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:58:00 +0000

OK, in that case, forget what I said.

By: Brian Cronin

Brian Cronin — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:43:37 +0000

And Brian, what do you have against Ernie Chan (then Chua), Bo & Scott Hampton, Shawn McManus, Stan Woch, Ron Randall, Mike Hoffman, Kelley Jones, Scott Eaton (whose work, inked by Kim DeMulder was quite good), Pat Broderick, Enrique Breccia, Richard Corben, and many others I can’t recall (and, if we’re counting the Tefe version, Roger Petersen and Giuseppe Camuncoli)?

You got me, I hate all those artists.

Fuckers, all of them.

By: "O" the Humanatee!

"O" the Humanatee! — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:24:39 +0000

Two more things:

Patrick, only my first paragraph above was directed to you.

And Brian, what do you have against Ernie Chan (then Chua), Bo & Scott Hampton, Shawn McManus, Stan Woch, Ron Randall, Mike Hoffman, Kelley Jones, Scott Eaton (whose work, inked by Kim DeMulder was quite good), Pat Broderick, Enrique Breccia, Richard Corben, and many others I can’t recall (and, if we’re counting the Tefe version, Roger Petersen and Giuseppe Camuncoli)?

Seriously, while I suspect they wouldn’t garner many votes, Eaton, Hoffman, and Breccia – as well as the aforementioned Phil Hester – all had substantial runs on the character.