"Frankly" speaking.

Hello everyone. Here's a page from what I'm currently working on. I've recently had the opportunity to teach a one day cartooning class at a local library and later this week I'll be doing the same at a elementary school. There are artists that we revere in our youth. For me that man was John Byrne. In my high school days you couldn't convince me that a better artist had ever lived. In time I outgrew my obsession with Byrne but I still think he is an excellent writer/artist. There was another artist whose work I hated during that same period of Byrne worship: Frank Robbins. You may know of him from his work on "The Invaders" and his own strip "Johnny Hazard". If you're unfamiliar with his work I strongly suggest you seek it out. There are artists who serve as milestones in the evolution of our tastes. Work that seemed inferior to our younger eyes takes on a new meaning and life when viewed through a more mature perspective. As I continue my never ending education I've learned to see things better. Frank Robbins work had a vitality and an energy to it. Although his anatomical stylizations might seem unorthodox compared to the post Neal Adams/Jack Kirby school of comic art, his work is based on solid knowledge of the fundamentals of structure, anatomy and composition. His early 70's Batman stories reveal another facet of his talent: his energetic brushwork. Frank Robbins work stands as a testament to an artist of unique vision whose work was solidly rooted in the fundamentals of art and coupled with a strong work ethic fueled by a desire to improve his work. That's a lesson for us all.