My first 13th Dimension article of 2026! 1986: Comics’ Watershed Year — 40 YEARS LATER

[AndyFish]

While Curt Swan's art wasn't flashy I didn't find it bland, and it was my absolute best friend Paul Ryan (RIP) who really got me to appreciate Swan. Ironically, Ryan's art had a Swan quality to it. Gibbons art is very bland to me and once again, Sprang, you nailed it for me-- it was too kid friendly for my tastes. It's a crazy nit pick for me but the way he drew chairs was a great example of how it didn't work for me, he drew them using strict perspective lines as if any chair in the world is completely 90 degree angles-- they'd be the most uncomfortable things in the world. As Will Eisner told me personally when I was in his class at SVA if you can't draw everyday items that people are very familiar with you're going to pull them out of the story quickly.

[BiffPow]

he drew them using strict perspective lines as if any chair in the world is completely 90 degree angles-- they'd be the most uncomfortable things in the world.

Reminds me of something I once read that Frank Lloyd Wright said when he was asked what his idea of Hell would be:

“Being forced to sit in one of my chairs.”

[AndyFish]

That's a perfect example!