Wallace Wood: The Best Comics Artist Ever?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ก.ค. 2024
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Wallace Wood is one of the most respected artists in comics history and his work continues to inspire future artists, from his art and stories at EC Comics in the 1950s from Weird Science to MAD Magazine to his superhero work in the 1960s to his self-published and erotic art. Because Wallace Wood contributed to comics in so many areas, this episode narrows its focus to his EC Comics work, breaking into the industry, and what inspired him. - บันเทิง
“Wallace Wood’s 22 Panels That Always Work” still holds true today for sequential art storytelling.
Nah, it’s stupid. Learn to draw.
That sheet should be taught to every artist in comics today… I think the deep craft of comics is long gone.
"Being a comic book artist is like sentencing yourself to life imprisonment at hard labor in solitary confinement." What a tragic statement. I am a huge Jack Kirby fan, and Jack also was a very hard working man. He called his basement studio "a dungeon". But at least he had a loving wife and lots of children and he could work at home, even though he would only leave his dungeon for short times.
Ehh every job is like that. The truth is comic book artists are very lucky to draw for a living.
I know Bob Layton, who doesn't live too far from me in Seoul, and we've spoken a lot about his life in comics. Layton worked under Wood and speaks fondly about him,. Calling him 'Woody', Layton says how much he learned from Wood and how brilliant he was as a creator, a teacher, and a friend. Wally Wood is a legend.
Awesome Sauce 🤓👍
Wallace Wood's story was always heart breaking. It is good to see he is still getting love after all these years. He inspired(and continues to inspire) generations of artists. ComicTropes always brings the good stuff.
Chris I'm sorry to hear that you're having a rough time emotionally . Creative , smart , witty people seem particularly prone to self doubt and the less appealing side of our emotions . I share your struggle and I'm very much an admirer of you and the educational work you do here on TH-cam my long time educator .
The struggles of an artist
Chris sorry to hear of your depression. We love you man, your passion for comics is a gift to us all!
I understand your battle with depression. I’ve been battling it for half my life. Your channel is one of my go-to’s for great comic stories about comics’ greatest creators. Keep fighting the good fight.
Amen 😂 🙏
This channel is the best kind of therapy ever 🤓👍
Stop whinging
@Reginaldforthright805 stop being unkind
So happy to see you covering him! There should be more stuff about him. He's one of the few artists that was equally good at "realism" and cartooning!
His realism is stiff as a board.
Wooden? I love his Daredevil... Reall life is pretty static most of the time@@reginaldforthright805
Glad to see a Wallace Wood episode! Loved his Daredevil work and it led me to finding his Cannon work.
It's so sad that he only did so few Marvel issues, because he couldn't consistently meet the deadlines. That's why he lost the job on Daredevil (and because he wanted writing credits).
I discovered Wallace Wood because I really like Power Girl. My favorite bit of trivia is that Wood realized his editor didnt care about what he was doing so he kept increasing PG's bust size to see if his editor would even notice.
That was the guy that did that? I heard that before, but I didn't know that was him. Huh.
I ❤ power girl. She's not just fan service but has lot of personality and fun
A lot of Sally Forth was put into Power Girl.
@@MrModaman I'm gonna have to check out Sally Forth. I'm still trying to find time to read more Wallace Wood stuff.
@Akutabai5 I have heard this COUNTLESS times about Jim Balent on Catwoman. Which makes me think it’s complete horseshit.
I was a student/assistant of Bill Pearson's in 1984 - 1988. Bill had/has a huge collection of comics and comic art, most impressive was he had inherited all of Wood's original art after Wood passed. I saw the originals of Superduperman and tons of other icons of Wood's work. Unfortunately, much of Bill's collection was lost when a fire destroyed a storage shed he kept much of his collection in. Much survived but much more was lost. Wally Wood really was one of the very greatest cartoonists ever.
Sad yet interesting.
Wally Wood was my dad’s favorite artist. He turned me onto him, and comics in general, when I was very young. Thanks, Pop!
The constance of Wood's work is amazing! Certainly one of the greatests. All the best, my friend!
Wood was an amazing artist. I absolutely love his classic pulp sci-fi stuff. The rocket ships... the bubble helmets... The whole look. Fantastic!
There is nothing like a comic illustrator who loves comics and the history itself. The biggest thing about Wood that impresses me is that he was a damn fine, good funny cartoonist too. Many great action adventure illustrators can’t draw funny, period. I also loved his versatility being able to mimic styles from the drawing to the inkng; he did the best mad comic strip parodies.
In the mid 80s, I worked with a young woman who said her brother was in an assistant for him at Syracuse, New York. She said that Wood, drunk with a gun, chased around her brother. Does any of this check out?
Wood and Frazetta were the top artists in that time period, along with Al Williamson.
Alex Raymond and Al Williamson are my all time favorites.
Al and Fritz had a dynamic quality that Woody couldn’t match. But Woody was overall a notably better comic artist than Fritz, imo. Al remains the king, imo, who was great at every element of comic art.
No other comic channel I watch does deep dives into artist like Chris. THAT'S why I'm a patreon member.
God Loves Comics often does.
@@saintsataniko2116 I'll have to their channel out too.
Wood’s influence on the entire comics industry is tangible even today. I loved his EC stuff, particularly on “Weird Science.” His lush drawing style cannot be imitated. When I saw the “B-17” segment of “Heavy Metal,” I immediately thought “this looks like a Wallace Wood story from “Frontline Combat”
Mike Ploog did the main artwork for that "B-17" bit from the HEAVY METAL movie, but he would probably be the first to admit to being influenced by Wallace Wood's style.
Comic tropes uploads = a good way to start my weekend.
One thing I noticed, even at a reduced size you can always tell what’s going on in his panels. He was a master at values.
His quote about working in comics is like a life sentence in solitary confinement is spot on. Great episode Chris, thanx!
To hear what he said before he passed is heartbreaking. To think he regrets having the talent he had. Sending positive vibes Chris, I know having depression myself it can be all consuming so stay busy and I love the channel, been killing it lately!
My all time #1, Wood's 22 panels is a must have/see for any comic artist. Thanks for the Video on him.
If there was a Mount Rushmore of Comics, Wood would def be one of the group. A master who could draw any genre and make it look better than anybody.
From what little I've heard about his condition, Wallace Wood may have suffered from Pseudo Tumor Cerebri (PTC), a condition where the spinal chord makes too much fluid, causing pressure on the brain which causes constant headaches and can lead to blindness. Even in the early 2000s it was difficult for doctors to diagnose, usually being treated as 'just a headache.'
Became a fan of Woody's during the 60's. His work, along with Kirby, Ditko & Gil Kane, was incredible for kids truly into comics. Any story he did was an event. Like Steranko & Adams he was a true star. He could draw any genre.
Solid intro to Wood. I agree with the title-he’s the GOAT in my book (along with Kirby & Crumb). Besides the top-notch craft, something indescribable about his work (charisma? soul?). Looking forward to more …
Another great piece and wonderful to hear one on a legend like Wallace Wood.
Thank you, Chris for consistently putting out the most thoughtful and in-depth comics related content. You have a true passion for the art and the medium.
Thank you for your support!
The thought of drawing *10-12* hours per day every day for years is so bad I can almost feel my rist seize up from carpal tunnel injuries and my eyes turning to jelly from strain. Absolutely hellish. How comic book artists back then managed that remorseless pace while still retaining *such* stunning high quality is mind blowing.
Seems like Bob Kane took Wallace Wood's advice to heart!
Excellent job. The distinctive, fluid compositions, and stellar anatomy makes Wood's art something that made the world better because of. Remember that daredevil cover. His style is something you can't unsee😂❤
This is a really great tribute to easily one of the greatest artists the comics medium has ever known; Wood was so ambitious and versatile it's hard not to be inspired by him. I remember taking a year off of my comic series just to beef up my drawing skills and more than anyone else I studied Wood (and yes, I improved!), mainly his work on MAD, Cannon, and witzend. It's always great to find more of his work out there, so thank you again for the recommendations.
EDIT: also forgot to mention the Dr. Doom stories he did for Astonishing Tales; he only did a few but they're still fantastic (...sorry, Doom, should I choose a different adjective?)
An excellent summary of my favorite EC artist. But you'd never want to tell him "I liked your old stuff better"!
Legend has it that when Wally would come into the office to start his day the other artists would greet him saying, "Morning, Wood," and Wally would reply, "That's what she said." Hysterical. I bet this never got old.
Thanks for this episode, love your reviews of great comics creators! 😁👍
Wood was the GOAT. His EC stuff is unparalleled.
Such an important artist in the honored history of comics. Thank you Chris for bringing for spotlighting these Legends 🙌
Woody is definitely on Comics Mount Rushmore!!
Such a huge influence on the medium from his beginning to today and beyond.
Thanks Chris!!
Incredible work, I want to search for more of his 50s work now. Regarding a permanent headache, I got something similar a few years ago and it was a combination of burnout, bad sleep, eye strain that needed glasses, and the "incinting incident" was a very bad flu, that I think just was the final straw for all the previous problems get to me and my body just gave out. I imagine Wood's vacation gave him a proper rest in years just brought all the abuse he got to his mind and body to the surface; smoking as he did surely didn't help: probably had blood circulation problems as smoking thickens the blood making it a strain to the heart to pump it, so it can lead to heart failures. It's sad that such a great, talented artist was abused and exploited to that extent his body just gave up on him like that 😢 what's worse it's still such a common situation even today...
@Shinmsl A friend of mine was being treated for migraines and her doctor was prescribing her stronger and stronger medication with no relief. One day when she went to get her latest prescription filled, the pharmacist asked her how long she had been taking this particular drug. When she told him it was her first time, he refused to fill it, explaining that the prescribed dosage was intended for someone who had been on the drug for some time and was building up a tolerance for it. I suggested that she have her eyes examined. I had experienced migraine like symptoms before I got glasses. She went to an optometrist and found out that she was extremely farsighted. She was working 8 - 12 hours a day at a computer. She got glasses and her "migraines" stopped.
One of my greatest pleasures of working Cons oh-so-many-years-ago was getting to hang out with Al Feldstein for a day.
When I asked him about Wood, this rock-hard New Yorker got a sightly pained look on his face, glanced away and said: "Great artist - great guy!...I really, really don't know what happened with him...".
I didn't push the subject.
Anyway.
Cheers, Chris.
Oh! And keep up the great work you are doing, buddy.
To answer your title, the answer is Yes. One of my big regrets was to see Mr. Wood sitting behind me at a convention and never telling him what his work meant to me and the field.
Love this channel.
I'm glad to hear that you are making Wallace Wood a multi-episode endeavor. He is a fascinating creative force. I understand depression since it's something I've dealt with my entire life. Thank you for all you do to make us more informed on the great creators of the past. You are their voice in our times. Only special people can do that.
I was 11 years old in the 50's and anything I could find by Wallace wood was my art school. He taught me to draw!
Oh, can't wait to hear more about Wallace Wood! More artist related videos please!
Hi Chris, just wanted to say I'm sorry to hear about your struggle with depression. I'm also in the same boat and can honestly say your videos are a wonderful escape from it. Thanks for each video and hope things get brighter for you, man.
Wait! Have we seriously not covered this already?! How did this go unnoticed?
Been a long time coming!
So much thanx!!!
🙌🏼
Wood was one of those artists that made a friend and I want to create our own comics back in the 60s and 70s. We got pretty good at drawing but we learned that it was harder than you might expect. Discipline is key. We didn't have it.
Im sorry to hear about your struggle with depression. I know it can be a black hole that just sucks you in and all you can do is survive until it passes. I hope it helps to know that so many care about you and how important you are to all of us! 😊
Wallace Wood is one of the only artists whose black & white reproductions outshine the original printed page. Stripping away the color allows you to see how good the artwork really is. Fantastic stuff.
Wood was a master. On another note: Thank you so much for your amazing videos, Chris! Please take care of yourself ❤
Thank you so much for this story on one of my favorites. I found him with the THUNDER AGENTS books and I became a life long fan. I think you're doing a great job. I hope you continue doing this.
MAD has always had an absolute glut of talented artists. Before I got into comics, it was MAD magazine. I would love to see more about MAD in general.
Really cool hearing about the man, the myth, the legend: Mr Wallace Wood! The working conditions always sound so terrible so it's no surprise a lot of those guys got kinda jaded. Such a shame to see that talent and production come at the cost of their lives basically. Thanks for sharing this though. At least we can remember his work as the greatness it is
I loved his mad magazine work. Top quality.
It is worth noting that the Harry Harrison you mention is not just any Harry Harrison, but actually the SFWA Grand Master, Science fiction writer Harry Harrison, creator of series such as Deathworld, the Stainless Steel Rat, and Bill the Galactic Hero.
Looking forward to your future episodes on Wood!
Sorry to hear about your depression. 😢 Keep your head up, dude. Hope you’re doing okay.
As someone who deals with Migraines I'm not surprised that with no medical relief He would use alcohol. The pain takes a lot of your concentration to sought of manage and you don't realize the physical strain until the pain subsides and your feel exhausted, with no relief his life would have become a living hell. To do anything under those conditions takes an incredible effort.The tablet I use is called maxalt it works very well I'm sure if medication like this was available to him it would have made a world of difference. Really enjoying your channel I Thank you and all who work with you for making it. Take care
If you look at Wally’s work on Mad Magazine’s Blobs you can see how it influenced Pixar’s Wall-e. I wonder if they named it after Wally Wood?
Terrific little pocket review of Wood's EC career. Loads I didn't know. Enjoyed it immensely. Thanks.
Hope your health improves. Let us know if you get better. Don't like to think of people struggling like this. Take care.
7:51 "Never draw what you can copy, never copy what you can trace, and never trace what you can cut out and paste up"
Wallace Wood
Wood was the greatest. My fav. artist of all time. If I could go back in time, I would go back to 60's just to meet him. I would pay just to watch him work. He was THE MAN.
Great timing theres a Wallace Wood art book being published in September.
Stay strong and get well soon. Always love your videos.
Do you have any further info about the upcoming Wood book?
I am fortunate. I am 68 and retired. Now I can draw and sketch whatever. A dream come true😊
As a 70's kid MAD Magazine was a highly sought delight. Beside the monthly issues, you could buy reprint paperbacks that included comic features from the 50's and 60's like Wood's "Superduperman" and "The Wild One Half." These had dated subject matter but the retro art style and humor were gripping. Wood could impersonate any other comics artist, and his own style had a ludicrous dignity that was hilarious even if you had no idea who or what was being parodied.
YES! I'LL NEVER FORGET WALLACE WOOD! HIS FUNNY STUFF FOR MAD, THE AGENTS OF THUNDER, AND MORE!
I remember Daredevil vs Sub-Mariner from the 1974 Marvel Holiday Treasury. Clearly Stan Lee knew this was one in a million. Best comic art ever.
I agree, that ‘74 Holiday treasury is a terrific place to read “In Mortal Combat with…Sub-Mariner!” from Daredevil issue 7. Might be the only time this story was reprinted in an oversized format.
Great episode! Thanks for this one!
I'm excited for this extended look at a creator. So cool!!
Fantastic video as always!
Amazing episode! Excited for future eps on Wallace Wood!
"If I had it all to do over again, I'd cut off my hands" THAT is IT! As a comic book artist, it defines the experience perfectly. I'll share it with every buddy artist I meet.
Great episode Chris!
You might have read these words many times, but believe me, your channel is a gem, and that's coming from all over across the ocean
Fantastic episode!
Excellent video, Chris!
Awesome episode can’t wait for more. 😊
Great episode yet again, Chris!
Excellent video. Well done!
thank you for making this episodes looking foward for the next one
Great stuff as ever Chris
Fantastic video. Can't wait for next episode on Wallace Wood
Thanks you for this! One of the greats!!!
great episode chris! you rock man!
This is a great episode! As per usual, I learned a lot!
Man hope there’s a part 2 soon. This was great
Beautifully made content, as always. Keep up the good work!
Wonderful episode of a wonderful talent! Thanks !
Fascinating video, looking forward to part 2. Thanks for sharing about your struggles, you have all our support
Precious tribute to one of the most important artist ever. I'm 82 today and have drawn since my scholl days. Wood was my inspiration and had been one of my favourites. His work with DC was classical!
Excellent video on an excellent artist! Well done!!!
This was great! Would love to see more EC stuff.
I love these videos -- there's always something cool to learn!
Keep your head up chris! Thanks for another great video - has been a time since i last watched an episode - still, always great stuff when i do
Great episode, Chris! Always learning with your channel. Thank you.
Thanks for creating another amazing episode. You always do a great job showcasing comic history.
great, visionary and extraordinary comic book artist Wally Wood, Thank you very much Chris
fantastic ep. More please.
Thank you for sharing this story with us, Chris. I hope you are having a good day.
Great video!
Great episode! Wallace Wood is one of one of those names I heard a lot and I’m glad to learn more about him on your channel