Comic books are a visual medium. I believe it was the art that first drew me to comics. I used to love all of the colorful art in the magical stacks of comic books my brother would buy from the Linda Burke down the street. It wasn’t long before I was drawing my own little pictures of little superheroes with ball point pens and scratch paper from little white pads my dad would bring home from work.
Then, I discovered that actual people had actual jobs drawing actual comic books. How cool is that? Sign me up! Soon, I discovered my favorites and tried copying their styles. And just absorbing as much boldness and beauty my brain could handle.
I’ve been reading frequent articles lately about comic art not getting its due. Mediocre and multiple artist interrupted runs seem to be plaguing the Big Two. Smaller companies with consistent and stellar art seem to be soaring. While every single person involved in making comics is important, the art is really where it’s at. I’ll pick up a comic for good art and follow that art wherever it goes. Writers have to work a little harder for my loyalty.
Many comic art legends have lent their talent to Wonder Woman over the years. Art is a subjective medium and, therefore, privy to taste. I’ve always found myself a comic art snob, and you may or may not agree with me about my opinions on the best Wonder Woman artists. But that’s the beauty of art. There’s good art. There’s bad art. There’s okay art and brilliant art, but the good news is – all of it is art! So, keep in mind these are my choices, and please share yours in the comments. Without further ado, I give you my top ten favorite Wonder Woman artists!
10. Brian Bolland: Although he never did a proper run or lengthy interior story on the book, Bolland has more than earned his place on this list having completed a lengthy run of cover art for the series. I first discovered Brian’s meticulous line work on Judge Dredd back in the day. It was in black and white and completely blew me away. Of course, he went on to illustrate Batman: The Killing Joke. I always found Bolland’s cover work Norman Rockwellian in the way they always told a story often with a little wry humor.
9. Terry Dodson: Terry Dodson always reminded me of an early Adam Hughes when he first hit the scene. Of course, he has grown into his style and has been one of the top and most lucrative artists for both Marvel and DC for the past several years. Terry supplied the art for Allan Heinberg and Gail Simone’s memorable runs.
8. Nicola Scott: Australian artist Nicola Scott has just come off her epic arc of Wonder Woman Rebirth. Nicola has a powerful, yet elegant, style steeped in traditional comic art. I appreciate her aesthetic in what I consider a dying breed. Her contributions to Wonder Woman ’77 were nothing short of iconic. You should definitely check out her creator-owned Image series, Black Magick, with Wonder Woman collaborator Greg Rucka.
7. Drew Johnson: Drew Johnson is one of my favorite WW artists. I love his clean, sleek style. His attention to detail is amazing. Not only did Drew draw Greg Rucka’s first Wonder Woman run, he more recently supplied art for Wonder Woman ’77 and the much missed Sensation Comics. I had the pleasure of being on a Wonder Woman panel with him at a convention last year. He’s also a heck of a nice guy, and his work on his creator-owned project, Midnight Society, for Dark Horse Comics is stunning.
6. John Byrne: John Byrne’s lengthy run on Wonder Woman is almost as divisive as the man himself. Despite being a little bit of a curmudgeon, Byrne has and always will be one of my favorite artists. He’s a legend, simple as that. He has drawn basically every comic character in existence and quite well at that! I would love to see his take on Wonder Woman ’77.
All right, my little Amazons, Manazons, and Glamazons. That wraps up this week’s WWW. Have a Happy Thanksgiving and read lots of comics before that turkey nap. See you next week for the second part of my top 10 favorite Wonder Woman artists. And, as always, like, post, and pursue the “I Am Wonder Fan” page on Facebook.
