Tell about your Influences

Post by **Greg Stephens** » Tue Oct 09, 2001 8:03 pm

This sounds like a basic but fun new topic.

Unfortunately, I'm gong to be brief with my own reply here, here's my pedestrian little list:

Some standard American comic book artists: John Byrne, Art Adams, Alan Davis.

Some comic strips: Peanuts, umm.. probably others, too. More recently- Get Fuzzy. Online: Bruno, Sluggy.

Geez- the more I think about it, the more I could write paragraphs and paragraphs about these and so many others. Don't have time right now. Just starting this thread-- Sound off!

Max Leibman · Post by **Max Leibman** » Wed Oct 10, 2001 12:38 am

The more Eisner I read, the more I realize that I've picked up riffs from him, usually unconsciously and/or second-hand. I also find myself emulating Schultz for little bits now and then, although in very subtle ways.

More conscious influences include Scott McCloud -- whenever I'm deliberately cartooning, i.e. not doing abstract or life drawing, I find I do a lot of visual problem solving for people and scenery using things I've seen in Understanding Comics and Zot!.

I think my online work (<a href="http://www.geocities.com/comicmetaphysi ... iderata</a>) has probably also suffered a heavy dose of Zwol and <a href="http://www.nukees.com/">Nukees</a> influence (courtesy of Greg Stephens and Darren "Gav" Bleuel, respectively), as those are the two web comics with which I'm most familiar.

Jack Masters · Post by **Jack Masters** » Wed Oct 10, 2001 5:21 am

Dr. Seuss, Elfquest, Scott McCloud, Ranma 1/2, <a href="http://www.nightlightpress.com/">Checkerboard Nightmare</a>, <a href="http://wnt.cc.utexas.edu/~ifqy342/comic ... ability</a>, Dilbert, <a href="http://people.ne.mediaone.net/pshaughn/ ... ">Triangle and Robert</a>, <a href="http://fewandfarbetween.com/">Few and Far Between</a>, <a href="http://yellow5.com/pokey/">Pokey</a>, <a href="http://flaminglips.com/">The Flaming Lips</a> (Music), and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... 342">House of Leaves</a> (Book).

I decided to focus my life on comics for the most part based on an aptitude test I took at the <a href="http://members.aol.com/jocrf19/">Johnson O'Connor Research Foundation Human Engineering Center</a>. I have very high scores in structural visualization and memory for design, and although comics artist does not appear in their list of recomended careers specifically, the gist of their research pointed toward it.

Supposedly all good composers have high structural visualization. Although music does not have a physical structure, when writing and working with music, you must represent TIME AS SPACE. Just like comics.

Perhaps Scott's obsession with chess stems from an overflow of some aptitude that comics-making does not use, maybe? I think of analytical reasoning here mostly. (I have it and also like chess.)

Sean Frost · Post by **Sean Frost** » Wed Oct 10, 2001 6:53 am

Currently, my chief sources of inspiration are George Herriman and Patrick McDonnell. For comic books, Will Eisner and Peter Milligan.

In comic strips I'd like to achieve Herriman wild imagination and McDonnell's charm. I'm drawn to the sketchiness of both, artwise.

In comic books I have a strong need to learn Eisner's ability to fit a strong, exciting narrative into very few pages. I'd love to have the intelligence of Milligan's "Shade" or "Enigma".

catgarza · Post by **catgarza** » Wed Oct 10, 2001 8:12 am

Excerpts from an interview i did this past april at sequentialtart.com:

"Well, I'll start with the obvious and work my way down: Max Fliescher, George Herriman, E.C. Segar, Otto Messmer, early Walt Disney cartoons (particularly the work of Ub Iwerks), Winsor McKay, and my most personal favorite George Carlson! Other less direct influences are Keith Haring, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Rodney Alan Greenblat, Kenny Scharf, John Kricfalusi, Edward Hopper, Bobby London, Robert Crumb, Charles Schulz, Scott McCloud, William Blake, Shel Silverstien, Maurice Sendak, Jimmy Hendrix, Bob Dylan, the Beatles, Lance Myers, Shannon Wheeler, Tom King, Walt Holcombe, and Sam Hurt."

"George Herriman is a very enigmatic character in cartoon history. I'd love to just sit down and smoke a cigarette with him and chat over some coffee. Same with George Carlson. Did you know that he was the guy who invented the "What's Wrong With This Picture" drawings? He was a great cartoonist in his day and did marvelous work for children's comics, "Jingle Jangle Tales". I'd want to hang out all day in his studio and just chill and watch the man work."

"But to be honest, it was the scene in Austin at that time (early 90's). They had all the best people at the Daily Texan in those days (Chris Ware, Walt Holcombe, Shannon Wheeler, Robert (Desperado) Rodriguez was doing his strip "Los Hooligans", Tom King, Lance Myers, Korey Coleman...). And we were getting copies of these at the university paper's office every week, a pile of 'em. I would have to wrestle the arts and entertainment editor for them. That's what got me the most inspired about the possibilities of comics."

and then of course along came the internet....

rcar · Post by **rcar** » Wed Oct 10, 2001 8:28 am

Mad magazine has always been a big influence for me. I got my first subscription in the 70s and I still get it.

Of that group, Don Martin has always been my favorite. I still refer to his books when I need inspiration.

I'm also a big fan of Will Eisner. I also pull his books out for inspiration.

Randy

Zubkavich · Post by **Zubkavich** » Wed Oct 10, 2001 11:54 am

Let's see,

Story-wise, The Makeshift Miracle is my little take on anime romantic-comedy type storylines like Video Girl Ai or Kimagure Orange Road.

Art-wise, I think the look of the series is influenced the most by Chris Bachalo's work on the Vertigo series "Death:The Time Of Your Life". I love the extensive dialogue scenes and variety of expressions.

Other artists I really dig are
Brain Froud (designer of The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth),
Tony Diterlizzi (Planescape),
Alphonse Mucha (Art Nouveau),
Glen Keane (Disney Animator),
Adam Hughes (Comic Book covers for Wonder Woman)
and Mike Kunkel (Hero Bear and the Kid).

glych · Post by **glych** » Thu Oct 11, 2001 3:25 pm

Let's see...

Comic Books -Art: Jim Lee and Todd McFarlane's early art (pre-quitting Marvel), Richard Bennett, Daniel Clowes, Kaare Andrews, Burne Hugarth, and Katsuhiro Otomo.

Comic Books -Writing: Kevin Smith, Paul Dini, Scott McCloud, Daniel Clowes (again), Alan Moore, and Micheal A. Stackpole.

Comic Strips (both Art and Story): <a href="http://framed.keenspace.com">Framed</a>-Frank "Damonk" Comier, <a href="http://www.untitledagain.com">Untitled Again</a> -Paul "Pauly" Roustan, <a href="http://miracle.keenspace com">The Makeshift Miracle</a> - Whom I will affectionately call "z" (Yes that guy that posted above me), <a href="http://www.sluggy.com">Sluggy Freelance</a> -Pete Abrams, and <a href="http://www.choppingblock.org">Chopping Block</a> -Lee Adam Herold...

There are many many more influences, but these are my top in no particlular order...

as for some honorable mentions, I'll have to include Triangle and Robert, Toonbots, Silly Cone V, Glick Glidewell, and Shlock Mercenary...

-glych (not that anyone cares what I think)

_________________
---
God is Love,
Love is Blind,
Ray Charles is blind.
God is Ray Charles!??!
http://glych.keenspace.com

[ This Message was edited by: glych on 2001-10-11 15:28 ]

Bjorn · Post by **Bjorn** » Thu Oct 11, 2001 8:49 pm

Morris was my first one.

Magazines like Spirou and MAD (many artists in both of those), also artists like Uderzo.. And of course Scott McCloud.

Des · Post by **Des** » Fri Oct 12, 2001 2:29 am

For that Zen comic-strip intangibilty: Bloom County (Berke Breathed)

For Realism and Absurdity: Bloom County, Zwol

For Proper Use of Talking Animals: Bloom County (and Sluggy Freelance in the case of Kiki and Bunbun.)

For the beauty of black and white and that stark, symbolic aesthetic: the work of Edward Gorey, Bruno, Art Spiegalman's Maus 1 & 2

For giving hope to all superheros who aren't Batman or Superman or radioactive: Scott McCloud's Zot! online. (Mr. McCloud also receives a nomination for "Best Villain" for his creation of Dekko. )

I can't decide who draws the most inspiring monsters and aliens. Bill Watterson is definately nominated.

Desmond

damonk13 · Post by **damonk13** » Fri Oct 12, 2001 5:45 pm

well, in terms of what spurred me to draw strips, my three biggest influences are Garry Trudeau (Doonesbury), Berke Breathed (Bloom County, Outland), and Bill Amend (FoxTrot).

All three are notorious for stuffing their strips with a bajillion tiny details and easter eggs, hence why seem to have picked up the habit/desire to do the same in my attempts at strips.

Also, their ability to have multiple punclines, to have anti-punchlines, and to have third-panel punchlines with a fourth-panel followup is likewise admirable and something i tend to attempt as well...

Basically, those three are my comic strip gods, and I am ALWAYS going to Used Book Stores to search for ANY of their older collections that I still don't have.

I worship them to no end.

...

In terms of comic BOOK influences, I was never as impacted in my later years, but i still remember such writers as Keith Giffen, the entire MAD Magazine crew (Argones is ANOTHER mad man when it comes to tiny details, as is Jaffee!), and Dave Sim for their ability to inject humour aplenty into action/adventure formats!

Of course, later writers i admire include Neil Gaiman, Jeff Smith, Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Terry Moore, John Rey Neiber, Peter Gross, Grant Ellis, etc.

Comic book Artists never really influenced me, i think, even though i love and respect so many of them?

...

In terms of ONLINE comic influences, I's have to list the following:

-Avalon (for having gotten me started in the field)
-BoxJam's Doodle (for it's ability to play with content and form, to break walls yet keep them all intact at he same time, to just be one of the BEST webcomics out there, bar none)

and here are some comics/people who influenced my decision to start playing around with form and content and theory:

-BoxJam's Doodle ('nuff said)
-Fans! (plays with form and takes advantage of infinite canvas)
-Scott McCloud (he got me thinking about it in through his books)
-...and then there was Fred (a very simple comic that ended its run a long time ago, but that made me realize how much you can stretch form and not be limited by panels)

...

There. Now you know what got me started and what shaped me into the lump of Acadian toonist that i am... So do the opposite of everything i said, and you should be fine...