Comments on: The wit and wisdom of Vinnie Colletta http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/ The News Blog of Comics Culture Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:13:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v= hourly 1 By: Ed Gauthier http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15980 Ed Gauthier Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:34:15 +0000 http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15980 fatboyskinny: "Like comparing a kindergarden crayon scribble with, well, a professionally done piece of art." Yes, and COLLETTA'S would be the crayon scribble! fatboyskinny: “Like comparing a kindergarden crayon scribble with, well, a professionally done piece of art.”

Yes, and COLLETTA’S would be the crayon scribble!

]]> By: fatboyskinny http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15979 fatboyskinny Sun, 26 Apr 2009 01:54:56 +0000 http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15979 I have seen the "art" of Ed Gauthier. I would provide you with a good belly-laugh if I could publish a scan here. The nerve that some talentless people have criticizing professional artists is almost criminal. I urge you to find some Ed Gauthier drawings and hold them up next to Colletta's. Like comparing a kindergarden crayon scribble with, well, a professionally done piece of art. I have seen the “art” of Ed Gauthier. I would provide you with a good belly-laugh if I could publish a scan here. The nerve that some talentless people have criticizing professional artists is almost criminal. I urge you to find some Ed Gauthier drawings and hold them up next to Colletta’s. Like comparing a kindergarden crayon scribble with, well, a professionally done piece of art.

]]> By: fatboyskinny http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15978 fatboyskinny Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:46:07 +0000 http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15978 I have read this James Van Hise "fantasy story" about Blevins at least twenty times. Get a freaking life, James. It has been pointed out to you that Blevins turned in layouts, not complete pencils. You ask us to ask Bret about this but I have never heard the story told by Bret, just by you. Did I already say "Get a freaking life, James?" I have read this James Van Hise “fantasy story” about Blevins at least twenty times. Get a freaking life, James.

It has been pointed out to you that Blevins turned in layouts, not complete pencils.

You ask us to ask Bret about this but I have never heard the story told by Bret, just by you. Did I already say “Get a freaking life, James?”

]]> By: James Van Hise http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15977 James Van Hise Sun, 01 Feb 2009 04:55:31 +0000 http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15977 Someone talked about how Vince Colletta would take advantage of his friendship with Jim Shooter by turning in unfinished work and telling them to have staffers finish it. He did this once on a job penciled by Bret Blevins but claimed his own poor inking was the penciler's fault! Shooter accepted this and had someone else finish it and Marvel deducted a thousand dollars from Bret Blevin's payment for the job (he didn't find this out until he got the check as no one ever called him to claim what he'd turned in was incomplete or unprofessional). Bret goes to Comicon every year. Ask him what he thought of Vince Colletta and how Colletta took advantage of his position at Marvel while Bret was just starting out in comics in the 1980s. Someone talked about how Vince Colletta would take advantage of his friendship with Jim Shooter by turning in unfinished work and telling them to have staffers finish it. He did this once on a job penciled by Bret Blevins but claimed his own poor inking was the penciler’s fault! Shooter accepted this and had someone else finish it and Marvel deducted a thousand dollars from Bret Blevin’s payment for the job (he didn’t find this out until he got the check as no one ever called him to claim what he’d turned in was incomplete or unprofessional). Bret goes to Comicon every year. Ask him what he thought of Vince Colletta and how Colletta took advantage of his position at Marvel while Bret was just starting out in comics in the 1980s.

]]> By: Robert Basile http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15976 Robert Basile Sat, 29 Nov 2008 00:23:31 +0000 http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15976 People like sleestak and gauthier are hateful people who pollute these sites with nasty comments and stupid opinions. Regarding the Vince Colletta letter, haven't seen anything like it since and it's been how many years? I'm sure plenty of artists have been screwed by editors. How do they handle things these days? People like sleestak and gauthier are hateful people who pollute these sites with nasty comments and stupid opinions.

Regarding the Vince Colletta letter, haven’t seen anything like it since and it’s been how many years? I’m sure plenty of artists have been screwed by editors. How do they handle things these days?

]]> By: Growl http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15975 Growl Mon, 22 Sep 2008 04:58:50 +0000 http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15975 Put me in the "I Love Vinnie" camp. Both his art work and his integrity. Put me in the “I Love Vinnie” camp. Both his art work and his integrity.

]]> By: Gordon 'Kid' Robson http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15974 Gordon 'Kid' Robson Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:56:56 +0000 http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15974 Wow...some of these exchanges get a little personal, eh? Jack Kirby deserves everything good ever said about him, but this 'deification' of every pencil stroke he ever rendered takes things a little too far. In my humble opinion, magnificent as Kirby's pencils were, Kirby art as inked by Wood, Sinnott, Ayers and, yes, even Colletta, was nicer to look at than Kirby inked by himself or printed directly from the pencils. It's interesting to note that, in the couple of instances I've seen where Kirby inked himself, to me, the end result does not seem too disimilar to that of Colletta. Speaking as someone who re-inked and restored a few pages of Kirby's art for a couple of the Marvel Masterwork volumes, when some of the 'abstractness' of Jack's work was diluted or subdued by another hand (and I'm NOT talking about the pages I worked on), the end result was the better for it. Colletta made Jack's musculature on THOR actually believable, so, on balance, he gave it far more than he took away from it. Certainly, when I read the THOR tales in high quality black and white reproduction in the pages of FANTASTIC (a British publication) back in the 60s, I did not feel I was viewing 'second-rate' art. Feel free to disagree, but please...no vitriol. Wow…some of these exchanges get a little personal, eh? Jack Kirby deserves everything good ever said about him, but this ‘deification’ of every pencil stroke he ever rendered takes things a little too far. In my humble opinion, magnificent as Kirby’s pencils were, Kirby art as inked by Wood, Sinnott, Ayers and, yes, even Colletta, was nicer to look at than Kirby inked by himself or printed directly from the pencils. It’s interesting to note that, in the couple of instances I’ve seen where Kirby inked himself, to me, the end result does not seem too disimilar to that of Colletta. Speaking as someone who re-inked and restored a few pages of Kirby’s art for a couple of the Marvel Masterwork volumes, when some of the ‘abstractness’ of Jack’s work was diluted or subdued by another hand (and I’m NOT talking about the pages I worked on), the end result was the better for it. Colletta made Jack’s musculature on THOR actually believable, so, on balance, he gave it far more than he took away from it. Certainly, when I read the THOR tales in high quality black and white reproduction in the pages of FANTASTIC (a British publication) back in the 60s, I did not feel I was viewing ’second-rate’ art. Feel free to disagree, but please…no vitriol.

]]> By: Reck http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15973 Reck Sat, 28 Jun 2008 05:08:12 +0000 http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15973 <strong>effective book reading skill...</strong> Thanks for the information, love it.... effective book reading skill…

Thanks for the information, love it….

]]> By: mike rockwitz http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15972 mike rockwitz Mon, 12 May 2008 16:22:01 +0000 http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15972 I worked with Vinnie on the classic New Universe series, Justice and a few other stinkers. During this time of growth in Marvel's history, when Jim Shooter would lurk in your doorway and say, "Give the book to Vinnie" you didn't have much choice. Most of the good artists fled Marvel for DC during the end of Shooter's regime. Vinnie was quite a character, sure he erased backgrounds but in the grand scheme of things did it matter? Maybe he inspired the background-less hacks like Liefeld and his ilk in the 90s. A lot of shit has been said about Vinnie once he left this mortal coil. Everyone gets pretty brave sitting behind a computer. No one would ever say any of this shit to his face-he was about 5 foot 7 on a good day and built like a bull in his 60s!!! In this day and age of whiny bitch ass artists, we could use a few more pros like Vinnie. It is a BUSINESS to sell books not hang this shit in a museum. I remember the day that letter came into the Marvel offices. It was Vinnie being Vinnie-you bunch of yellow, prickless... I worked with Vinnie on the classic New Universe series, Justice and a few other stinkers. During this time of growth in Marvel’s history, when Jim Shooter would lurk in your doorway and say, “Give the book to Vinnie” you didn’t have much choice. Most of the good artists fled Marvel for DC during the end of Shooter’s regime. Vinnie was quite a character, sure he erased backgrounds but in the grand scheme of things did it matter? Maybe he inspired the background-less hacks like Liefeld and his ilk in the 90s. A lot of shit has been said about Vinnie once he left this mortal coil. Everyone gets pretty brave sitting behind a computer. No one would ever say any of this shit to his face-he was about 5 foot 7 on a good day and built like a bull in his 60s!!! In this day and age of whiny bitch ass artists, we could use a few more pros like Vinnie. It is a BUSINESS to sell books not hang this shit in a museum. I remember the day that letter came into the Marvel offices. It was Vinnie being Vinnie-you bunch of yellow, prickless…

]]> By: Ed Gauthier http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15971 Ed Gauthier Wed, 07 May 2008 08:32:05 +0000 http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15971 "If the average comic book fan could see some of the excesses originally pencilled in by the Kirbys, etc. of the art world they would be thankful, indeed, that an inker stepped in and got rid of some of the clutter..." Nice try, but no, Coletta did not magically know to erase only the "right" background images - he just erased everything in a mad dash for the deadline. That's mainly why this unabashed hack was used, and even then only as a last resort when something had gone horribly wrong. He was the "hitman" that sometimes had to called in at the last moment to take care of the dirty work, even though you didn't really want to. Sure, he was steadily employed by the bosses in the organization because he got the job done, but it wasn't a pretty sight, my friend. Better you should maybe go out and look at some nice flowers outside in the park or somethin' - capice? “If the average comic book fan could see some of the excesses originally pencilled in by the Kirbys, etc. of the art world they would be thankful, indeed, that an inker stepped in and got rid of some of the clutter…” Nice try, but no, Coletta did not magically know to erase only the “right” background images – he just erased everything in a mad dash for the deadline.

That’s mainly why this unabashed hack was used, and even then only as a last resort when something had gone horribly wrong. He was the “hitman” that sometimes had to called in at the last moment to take care of the dirty work, even though you didn’t really want to.

Sure, he was steadily employed by the bosses in the organization because he got the job done, but it wasn’t a pretty sight, my friend. Better you should maybe go out and look at some nice flowers outside in the park or somethin’ – capice?

]]> By: Fred Hemmingway http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15970 Fred Hemmingway Tue, 11 Mar 2008 13:09:10 +0000 http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15970 Vince Colletta's go-for-broke honesty is remarkable in a world where most people are afraid to say "boo" for fear of being criticized or, worse, fired. Colletta is a great example of a bygone era where men were men and stood up for their beliefs. Vince Colletta’s go-for-broke honesty is remarkable in a world where most people are afraid to say “boo” for fear of being criticized or, worse, fired. Colletta is a great example of a bygone era where men were men and stood up for their beliefs.

]]> By: Billy Taylor http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15969 Billy Taylor Tue, 08 Jan 2008 01:27:35 +0000 http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15969 One comment that I would like to make regarding inkers who erase some of the pencillers work: Many illustrators are prima donnas and cry when anyone dares to make changes to their work. If the average comic book fan could see some of the excesses originally pencilled in by the Kirbys, etc. of the art world they would be thankful, indeed, that an inker stepped in and got rid of some of the clutter. Why do you think that most pencillers were not allowed to ink their own panels? Be thoughtful. Think. One comment that I would like to make regarding inkers who erase some of the pencillers work: Many illustrators are prima donnas and cry when anyone dares to make changes to their work. If the average comic book fan could see some of the excesses originally pencilled in by the Kirbys, etc. of the art world they would be thankful, indeed, that an inker stepped in and got rid of some of the clutter. Why do you think that most pencillers were not allowed to ink their own panels? Be thoughtful. Think.

]]> By: R. Maheras http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15968 R. Maheras Tue, 01 May 2007 14:20:18 +0000 http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15968 I guess the best way to sum up (for me) Colletta's inks on Kirby's work is that it was transparent to me when I was a young Marvel Zombie and didn't know any better. However, once I became more savvy, and learned how the comics industry sausage was made, Colletta's inks became much more problematic for me. That being said, he, and other slop-ink speedsters like George Roussos, probably saved Stan Lee's butt on deadline many, many times. Of all of Kirby's inkers, I can't truthfully say Colletta was "the worst." I can, however, quickly name about a dozen inkers who did a more attractive, effective job inking Kirby, in my opinion. I guess the best way to sum up (for me) Colletta’s inks on Kirby’s work is that it was transparent to me when I was a young Marvel Zombie and didn’t know any better. However, once I became more savvy, and learned how the comics industry sausage was made, Colletta’s inks became much more problematic for me.

That being said, he, and other slop-ink speedsters like George Roussos, probably saved Stan Lee’s butt on deadline many, many times.

Of all of Kirby’s inkers, I can’t truthfully say Colletta was “the worst.” I can, however, quickly name about a dozen inkers who did a more attractive, effective job inking Kirby, in my opinion.

]]> By: Journalista - the news weblog of The Comics Journal » Blog Archive » May 1, 2007: Hunter S. Thompson’s missed opportunity http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15967 Journalista - the news weblog of The Comics Journal » Blog Archive » May 1, 2007: Hunter S. Thompson’s missed opportunity Tue, 01 May 2007 13:00:26 +0000 http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15967 [...] I’ll be damned if I know what to make of this transcription of a phone conversation with late comic-book inker Vince Colletta, recorded shortly after editor-in-chief Jim Shooter was fired from Marvel and Colletta found himself out of favor with replacement EiC Tom DeFalco, let alone the fuming-from-the-ears letter reproduced at the link (excerpted above), but they’re entertaining as all hell. (Link via Heidi MacDonald.) [...] [...] I’ll be damned if I know what to make of this transcription of a phone conversation with late comic-book inker Vince Colletta, recorded shortly after editor-in-chief Jim Shooter was fired from Marvel and Colletta found himself out of favor with replacement EiC Tom DeFalco, let alone the fuming-from-the-ears letter reproduced at the link (excerpted above), but they’re entertaining as all hell. (Link via Heidi MacDonald.) [...]

]]> By: Dave Gibbons http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15966 Dave Gibbons Tue, 01 May 2007 09:09:30 +0000 http://www.comicsbeat.com/2007/04/30/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-vinnie-colletta/#comment-15966 I've got a lot of respect for Coletta's work ethic and I can remember when his inking on early "Tales Of Asgard" was hailed as an artistic breakthrough. However, talking of interviews and transcripts, I was once moved to channel his *perceived* persona over at http://www.comicon.com/moore/7_interview_dashing.htm I’ve got a lot of respect for Coletta’s work ethic and I can remember when his inking on early “Tales Of Asgard” was hailed as an artistic breakthrough.

However, talking of interviews and transcripts, I was once moved to channel his *perceived* persona over at

http://www.comicon.com/moore/7_interview_dashing.htm

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