Thread "Rob Liefeld draws Shakespeare." in forum "Comic Talk and General Discussion *"

Posted at 2:10PM, Oct. 21, 2021

Just a funny idea I have, is whenever I hear about comics/animation/any visual media with bad art often argued that it is in the writing that counts. I get annoyed by that statement, at times feeling like it a lazy get out of work free card to avoid putting money and/or effort into the visuals but I wonder if the statement is actually true.

And I would love to see that put to the test by letting Rob Liefeld draw William Shakespeare, from Macbeth to Othello, not writing but just draw them.

Posted at 2:10AM, Oct. 22, 2021

Othello would be perfect for him. Othello would be easily portrayed in his style and it has a clear villain in Iago.
Probably also do well with Richard III and Macbeth.
But not any of the comedies unless they were done as superheroes put on Shakespeare As you Like it for charity.

Posted at 1:10PM, Oct. 23, 2021

'A pouch, a pouch, my kingdom for a pouch'…

Posted at 9:10PM, Oct. 23, 2021

"It is a tale drawn by a Liefeld. Full of beef and fury, signifying nothing."^^

Posted at 7:10PM, Oct. 24, 2021

Andreas_Helixfinger wrote:
"It is a tale drawn by a Liefeld. Full of beef and fury, signifying nothing."^^

Ironscarf wrote:
'A pouch, a pouch, my kingdom for a pouch'…

HAHAHA

Posted at 7:10PM, Oct. 24, 2021

I don't think he's a bad artist.
His art isn't directly representational of reality, it's slightly stylised…

I think Liefeld symbolically represents the feelings he wants to convey about a scene or a character with his art which is why he draws a million teeth, broken back spines for the women, huge bodies for the men, millions of pouches and gigantic misshapen tubes for guns.
And it's actually effective! Believe it or not.

Back in the 1990s people didn't really have much problem with this style, in fact it was wildly popular, so much so he was able to go it alone and start his own company.
Now the problem is that we take the art out of context and look at it too literally, but the truth is that you can do that with most things and make them look stupid. That's one of the chief bassies of bad comedy and bad criticism:
Taking things away from their context and removing their symbolism, and looking at them literally. :/

*He does have an issue with feet and has been known to trace over the art of other artists though, THAT isn't so good.
——————-

I think he'd do Shakespeare well.
His Jesus comic, which I think he wrote, was pretty awful though.

Posted at 6:10AM, Oct. 25, 2021

Ozoneocean wrote:
I don't think he's a bad artist.
His art isn't directly representational of reality, it's slightly stylised…

I think Liefeld symbolically represents the feelings he wants to convey about a scene or a character with his art which is why he draws a million teeth, broken back spines for the women, huge bodies for the men, millions of pouches and gigantic misshapen tubes for guns.
And it's actually effective! Believe it or not.

Back in the 1990s people didn't really have much problem with this style, in fact it was wildly popular, so much so he was able to go it alone and start his own company.
Now the problem is that we take the art out of context and look at it too literally, but the truth is that you can do that with most things and make them look stupid. That's one of the chief bassies of bad comedy and bad criticism:
Taking things away from their context and removing their symbolism, and looking at them literally. :/

*He does have an issue with feet and has been known to trace over the art of other artists though, THAT isn't so good.
——————-

I think he'd do Shakespeare well.
His Jesus comic, which I think he wrote, was pretty awful though.

Yeah, I pick on him too much and honestly I would love to see this happen, he does have a dynamism that is lacking in modern big 2. Yes, the new artists can draw feet but at the cost of everyone feeling like they're cheap mannequins being used in some Chuck Lorre Sitcom.

I started this topic because of the very present idea that art doesn't matter in a visual medium as long as the story was good, this is big in Western comics but I've seen this almost unanimously in Western animation and all I can say is no, this is bullshit, art is the reason you are showing up to the show and the writing is why you stay a lot of times, it matters. Otherwise you would be better off just writing a book.

I did question my thoughts on this a bit after encountering Scott Snyder/Greg Capullo, where the art was good but the story was utter crap done so much better else where but honestly after a second read through it felt like Capullo was phoning it in.

And to be honest I'm more peeved that people are letting something that looks like Paradise PD or Family guy slid under the idea that the writing is "good enough" to cover it all.

Posted at 7:10AM, Oct. 25, 2021

Me, I have no opinion on Rob Liefeld or his work. Which is why I'm telling a joke^^ When I have no opinion I just tell a joke:P