I'm slightly late on this because I had other posts queued.
Joe Kubert made an amazing contribution to the comics industry despite the fact that he rarely drew superheros - his style did not suit what is expected there. Instead, he drew war comics and Tarzan comics. (He did create the classic image of Hawkman).
His legacy does not so much come in his own work, but in the work of others. And that legacy - the Kubert School in Dover, NJ - will long outlast him. It is the only accredited trade school for comic book artists. He will be remembered more as an artist, perhaps, but I feel he should be remembered most as a teacher - inspiring his two sons to continue in his footsteps and hundreds more students to create. I have an incredible respect for artists - I can't do what they do and consider it the 'hard' part of making a comic book. And I know the impact a good teacher can have on a student's work...and on their life.
On the note of him as a teacher, Thom Zahler of Love and Capes had a fun and touching article up about his experiences as a student of Kubert. http://thomz.com/wordpress/?p=2729
ReplyDeleteIt's been wonderful seeing the sheer number of artists and sites doing Kubert tributes and sharing memories this week. Clearly this is a man who had a huge impact on many lives, and he will be remembered very fondly.