Friday, December 26, 2008

The Best of Comic Art Friday 2008, Volume 2

Last week on Comic Art Friday, we took a fond look back at my favorite commissions from the year now concluding.

For me, the highlight of 2008's art collecting season came in the form of my newest theme gallery. Bombshells!, a loving tribute to my Air Force childhood (during which my affection for comics flowered), features superheroines from the Golden Age of comics (the late 1930s through the early 1950s) posing in pinups styled after World War II-era bomber nose art.

From the day of its debut in late May, Bombshells! proved itself one of the most popular sections in my online gallery, with the posted items garnering more than 9,600 individual page views.

Bombshells! affords me a unique opportunity to salute some of my favorite classic heroines, such as Mary Marvel (pencil art by Jeffrey Moy)...



...enduring second-tier characters, such as Liberty Belle (pencils by Daniel B. Veesenmeyer, inks by Bob Almond)...



...nearly forgotten former stars, such as Miss Masque (pencil art by Anthony Carpenter)...



...and utter obscurities that only the most fanatical comics history buffs have heard of, such as the Purple Tigress (pencils and inks by Terry Beatty).



Look for more new Bombshells! coming in 2009.

And now — drumroll, please, Maestro — my Comic Art Friday Artist of the Year for 2008.

[wrestling with recalcitrant seal on envelope]

And the winner is...

Gene Gonzales, the Florida-based pro whose clean lines and fresh, vibrant characters added boundless excitement and beauty to my collection this year.

Gene contributed three magnificent pinups to my Bombshells! theme:

Kitten, Cat-Man's youthful assistant...



Yankee Girl, a one-shot patriotic powerhouse...



...and this absolutely splendid rendition of Sun Girl.



Not content with these fine creations, Gene also swung for the fences with this addition to my Common Elements theme, starring Shadowcat and Phantom Girl.



And in case you thought he'd exhausted his wellspring of artistic genius, Gene also drew this sweet rendition of Supergirl, wearing her classic costume from the swinging '70s.



Thanks, Gene! And thanks to every one of the artists whose work entered my collection this year. You all honor me with your amazing talents.

And that's your Comic Art Friday for 2008.

Labels:

5 insisted on sticking two cents in:

Anonymous Bob Almond offered these pearls of wisdom...

From last year's recipient to this year's, lo, let the crown be passed, so say ye all!

Congrats, Gene!

7:41 AM  
Blogger SwanShadow offered these pearls of wisdom...

Bob: Don't sell yourself short, my friend -- you were the recipient the last two years!

10:48 AM  
Anonymous Bob Almond offered these pearls of wisdom...

Obviously the awards weren't for my memory;-)

2:11 PM  
Blogger Gene Gonzales offered these pearls of wisdom...

Wow! I am completely speechless. Hence, the typing. Seriously, thank you very much for the kind words and the honor, Michael! This came out of the blue and really added to my already festive holiday. If you have increased traffic to your blog it's because I told everyone I know about this. :) Happy New Year!

Thanks for the Congrats Bob! You are a tough act to follow so I do appreciate the passing of the crown. :)

3:50 PM  
Blogger SwanShadow offered these pearls of wisdom...

Gene: You're quite welcome. As anyone viewing this page can see, the honor is well-deserved. I'm glad that it helped brighten your holidays!

4:04 PM  

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