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Topic: Favorite work, JB? Post ReplyPost New Topic
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Mikael Bergkvist
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Joined: 29 May 2025
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Posted: 13 June 2025 at 11:29pm | IP Logged | 1 post reply
This might be a stupid question, but is there any one published artwork you did, that you feel was particularly successful in your mind?
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John Byrne
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Posted: 14 June 2025 at 12:47am | IP Logged | 2 post reply
A father cannot choose among his children. ;-)
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Mikael Bergkvist
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Posted: 14 June 2025 at 7:02am | IP Logged | 3 post reply
I worked with Neal Adams on his very last comic book project, and he told me that the one piece that surprised him, was the one where Superman breaks his kryptonite chains. It appearantly took him an hour to create, and he wasn’t very happy with it. But it became absolutely iconic. It popped up everywhere. 

Is there one piece of yours that similarely became this iconic evergreen that really surprised you? I ask, because I see numerous covers and images by you that appear everywhere. Especially in homages. The one with Wolverine and Kitty, with the crossed out wanted posters behind them (days of future past) has been imitated/homaged by everyone and their cat by now. It must be the most homaged cover ever. And yet none has come close.
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James Woodcock
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Posted: 14 June 2025 at 7:55am | IP Logged | 4 post reply
I think I know the answer to this but will wait to see what JB says
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John Byrne
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Posted: 14 June 2025 at 9:43am | IP Logged | 5 post reply
Gonna be a long wait!
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Petter Myhr Ness
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Posted: 14 June 2025 at 11:15am | IP Logged | 6 post reply
A father cannot choose among his children. ;-)
--

An author-friend of mine was at a book signing a few years back, and was asked by a woman which of his books was his favourite. He replied that it was like being asked who was his favourite child.

The woman saw no problem with that, she could readily tell which of her childen she favoured the most!
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Trevor Smith
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Posted: 14 June 2025 at 11:25am | IP Logged | 7 post reply
That is a singularly honest woman. Possibly to a fault!
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Mikael Bergkvist
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Posted: 14 June 2025 at 1:56pm | IP Logged | 8 post reply
Thanks for the answer. I can see your point. One thing is clear though, the iconic power of comic book art can rival any ’classical art’ in terms of impact, especially on other artists. 
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John Byrne
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Posted: 14 June 2025 at 2:43pm | IP Logged | 9 post reply
I’ll extrapolate a bit.

Unfortunately, in the interweb age in which we live, where there are those of such small and empty lives that they feel compelled to ferret out hidden meaning in virtually everything, if I said my favorite of my own work was my time on THE ADVENTURES OF MAJOR AMAZING, there would be those who would rush to assume I was expressing dissatisfaction with everything else I have done.

And here in my twilight years, I just don’t feel like playing that silly game.

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Peter Hicks
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Posted: 14 June 2025 at 3:51pm | IP Logged | 10 post reply
  • I read a quote once that hit me hard as a parent: “I love all my children equally.  But I like some more than others.”
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Phil Frances
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Posted: 14 June 2025 at 8:14pm | IP Logged | 11 post reply
As a father myself, I can appreciate the sentiment - I treasure both of my daughters equally !

JB - any particular works by OTHER artists (comics or otherwise) that are personal favourites ? 

I have a love for 'The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke' by Richard Dadd - I came to this via the Queen song of the same name, which in turn was inspired by the painting. Dadd worked on it for around 9 years all told*.- 1855 to 1864. It's not the brightest of colour palettes, but I love the amount of detail and variety of figures it includes.

I've yet to see it in person but I understand the layering and detail Dadd applied made it almost seem 3D in places.

Dadd later wrote an accompanying long-form poem with details of each of the characters. and many allusions to English folklore. It is part of the collection now at Tate Britain.

*He was held at Bethlem Hospital throughout this time, the lunatic asylum that Victorians termed 'Bedlam'
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John Byrne
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Posted: 15 June 2025 at 4:31pm | IP Logged | 12 post reply
JB - any particular works by OTHER artists (comics or otherwise) that are personal favourites ?

•••

Too many to choose from!!

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