In describing his version of Colossus, Marc Silvestri speaks to the character’s capacity for visceral visual impact, but also of the (less-considered) emotional relationship between artist and character, something that can impact (or even define) the resulting imagery. #xmen 1/6
For Silvestri, that relationship is defined by “glee,” something that might be counter-intuitive for an artist known for dark characters and kinetic violence, but his sense of joy is clearly the focus when he describes Colossus in an interview with Marvel Age: 2/6
“Colossus is always a lot of fun. Any time you have to draw a big bruiser like that, you know you’re going to have a good time. There’s a lot of broad action with him because of his strength and size.” 3/6
“You can have people flying all over the place, crashing through walls and windows, and that’s always a lot of fun. When I have to do a scene with Colossus, I’m in a good mood that day.” 4/6
“His armored body is also visually striking. It works well in a color comic to have this chrome-plated giant running around with these giant fists and pounding the bad guys. It’ a lot of fun.” 5/6
Even in comics scholarship, we speak constantly about the emotional relationship between writer/character but the relationship between artist/character is just as pivotal, and considering that Silvestri/Piotr is defined by glee adds new layers to the art. 6/6
Just as an aside that I’m cheating by putting into this thread, I’m wondering if this connects at all to something we disproved last year with content analysis: the long-held belief that Byrne drew Wolverine more than anyone.
My thought, which I can’t prove, is just that it might not be volume of illustration that put said idea into people, so much as care of composition or any of the infinite subtleties by which an illustrator’s preference for a character can emerge in their figure drawing? I dunno.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
In light of his recent passing, I’d like to re-post this thread we did in 2020 on Neal Adams’ immense impact on the Claremont run of X-Men comics, and on the X-Franchise in general: #xmen
Though Claremont is credited with reviving the X-Men, the run prior to Claremont’s very nearly accomplished the same thing but for some unfortunate circumstances; nonetheless, Neal Adams’ run served as an important precursor for Claremont’s. 1/6
Neal Adams’ run on X-Men began in 1969. He was credited as artist for the series (with Roy Thomas scripting) but it was Adams doing most of the plotting as well (as revealed by Thomas in later interviews). 2/6
Illyana Rasputin’s initial character development unfolded along a complex and atypical trajectory, yet so much of who the character is and would become is deftly articulated in the prose found on the first page of the Magik mini-series. #xmen 1/11
The context preceding the story is important. Claremont let the nature of Illyana’s time in limbo dangle for over a year with just a few hints at what might have been, most notably in UXM 171. It is not clear if Illyana is a victim, or a demonic villain infiltrating the team 2/11
That changes immediately with the first words on page 1 of the mini, which gives the reader their first real interior perspective on Illyana: “I was born in a small house in a land so vast you could walk for days and never see another living soul.” 3/11
Where suggestive imagery is often considered a lazy and salacious aspect of comics storytelling, UXM 137 contains a sequence of vignettes that use sexuality to create a complex balance that advances important themes and symbols of the Dark Phoenix Saga. #xmen 1/10
Claremont & Byrne give the X-Men an evening’s respite before the final battle, and the narrative takes the time to portray each of them in brief scenes that highlight intimacy (and with it vulnerability), undress, and, in some cases, sexual drive. 2/10
Jean is seen in her robe in her private quarters; Logan emerges naked from the shower; Colossus rises out of bed in his underwear; Storm luxuriates in her own bed in the nude; Beast exchanges sexual innuendo with a Shi’ar attendant; and Scott and Jean kiss. 3/10
UXM 137 showcases one of Tom Orzechowski’s greatest (and most necessary) talents as a letterer: enhancing the sense of a scene’s spatial geometry and movement, thus bridging the distance between the competing interests of script and imagery. #xmen 1/10
The first thing to note is the degree of difficulty. The issue is scripted by (arguably) the wordiest writer in Marvel history and pencilled by (arguably) one of the finest illustrators in that same history. Orz is caught between them, laying reams of text over drawings. 2/10
We should also note that Tom’s career began largely as an inker; thus he’s an artist with a background in visual composition – someone with an intimate understanding of how to create and enhance the sense of space on a comics page. 3/10
Inherently and individually, Claremont & John Bolton’s “Classic X-Men” vignettes often contemplate the art of storytelling. In “The Gift” from CXM #9, Nightcrawler, a fantastic being & performer with a deep love for popular stories, is an ideal conduit for this theme. 1/13 #XMen
The story opens in a New York hospital, where the X-Men await news of Jean Grey, hovering between life & death after saving the team. The team’s naturalistic poses, rendered impeccably by Bolton, emphasize their close, complex bonds. But Kurt chooses to stand apart. 2/13
Kurt is also forced to stand apart; sharing the vigil means using an “image inducer” to hide his true appearance. Yet Kurt doesn’t adopt a generic face; instead, he resembles Errol Flynn. Hence, he’s not simply hiding; he’s performing a specific glamorous identity. 3/13
In a brief self-insert scene from UXM Annual #12, Claremont uses the 4th-wall-breaking character Mojo to shine the satirical lens onto Claremont himself and onto his own creative team for a bizarre bit of autocriticism. #xmen 1/9
The narrative problem presented is that the X-Men have recently died in “Fall of the Mutants” and thus the demand for X-Men stories on Mojoworld has no supply. Mojo goes off on his team of sycophants, but this time, among them, is the X-team of creators themselves. 2/9
In a single panel, we see Bob Harras, Glynnis Oliver, Ann Nocenti, Art Adams, a blustering Chris Claremont and Tom Orzechowski. Notably absent is inker Bob Wiacek, though perhaps this is reflective of the fact that Wiacek was not the main x-inker at the time. 3/9