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Mark Haslett
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Posted: 11 July 2020 at 12:21pm | IP Logged | 1 post reply

Something that has sort of nagged at me for years is how impossibly well-
suited John Workman's letters are for Walt Simonson's art.

It is so much so that I have to ask if anyone has heard how this pairing came
about? -- or if there's any story to how they work so well together?

I've seen John Workman's lettering on other people's art, so I assume it can't
be a pen-name for Walt doing his own lettering-- but if I turn out to be wrong
about that, I won't really be too surprised.

Can anyone shed light on this?
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Mark Haslett
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Posted: 11 July 2020 at 12:31pm | IP Logged | 2 post reply

I guess I think of the JBF as a replacement for Google when it comes to comic
book stuff.

After posting the above, I decided to try Google and hit a great interview that
reveals the truth: John Workman is a very accomplished, very real artist who
did a great deal before and after meeting Walt Simonson and just happens to
vibe incredibly well with Walt's work.

Here is a link to the very interesting interview:
LINK
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Eric Ladd
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Posted: 11 July 2020 at 12:43pm | IP Logged | 3 post reply

I believe Walt spoke about this very thing during his Drink and Draw appearance in April. Do a Google or YouTube search for Walt Simonson Drink and Draw. You should be able to find it. Over two hours of stories from one hell of a comic artist. 
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Robert Bradley
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Posted: 11 July 2020 at 1:35pm | IP Logged | 4 post reply

John Workman and Tom Orzechowski are the two letterers I would recognize right away.  Both had their own distinct personal style but were still very readable.



Edited by Robert Bradley on 11 July 2020 at 1:36pm
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James Woodcock
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Posted: 11 July 2020 at 3:48pm | IP Logged | 5 post reply

As an aside, on August 2nd, a Star Wars Facebook page called
Farthest From will be running an interview with Walt bout his Star Wars
days. They talked about other things as well, but those will be posted
later
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Eric Smearman
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Posted: 11 July 2020 at 4:06pm | IP Logged | 6 post reply

Off the top of my head, the only time I can recall seeing
Simonson's work without Workman's lettering is X-MEN/NEW
TEEN TITANS.
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James Woodcock
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Posted: 11 July 2020 at 7:07pm | IP Logged | 7 post reply

Joe Rosen lettered Star Wars
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Brian Miller
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Posted: 12 July 2020 at 10:06am | IP Logged | 8 post reply

Workman inked the last half(?) of JB’s FF run.
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Eric Smearman
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Posted: 12 July 2020 at 8:06pm | IP Logged | 9 post reply

James: I never really read STAR WARS much outside of the
movie adaptatios.

Brian: inked? I think you mean lettered. And I've seen way
more examples of Workman lettering comics not done by
Simonson than the other way around.
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Brian Miller
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Posted: 14 July 2020 at 9:10pm | IP Logged | 10 post reply

Of course I meant worded.
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Shane Matlock
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Posted: 03 August 2020 at 12:47am | IP Logged | 11 post reply

Brian, I didn't realize that John Workman lettered the last half of JB's FF run. I do think his letters are absolutely perfect over Simonson's art. I would imagine Simsonson agrees as well as he's still working with him on Ragnarok. And it is still a synergistic masterwork. I can't think of another writer/artist (or even just artist) and letterer combination that seems so perfect for the other. 
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