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realbooks4ever's review
5.0
I admit it – I picked up this book solely on the cover! The name Basil Wolverton didn’t ring a bell but I had to know who this genius was who created such fabulous art. Turns out he was a comics creator who was born in Oregon in 1909 and began his career in the 1930s. This first volume of two covers his early years..
Comics were then as they are now, a tough business to be in when you’re trying to make a living. Wolverton couldn’t get by on the infrequent checks he received for his work and subsidized them by working in a cannery.
All throughout this book there are photos of his many comics, artwork, sketches, family photos, notebooks, and even rejection letters. Author Greg Sadowski presents a treasure trove of artifacts from Wolverton’s career, from childhood to 1940.
It was surprising to me the almost dictatorial instructions he received in communications from publishers. He was constantly told to change things, to tone down the grotesque, to be patriotic, that his space themes were passé. It would have been enough to make me quit! Is it still this way in the comics world?
It’s clear that Wolverton’s work became better and better over time. But the pressure to produce was harmful to his health and got to his nerves. Guess I’ll find out how he fared in the next volume.
I loved this book because Wolverton’s old school space art is some of the best I’ve ever seen.
Comics were then as they are now, a tough business to be in when you’re trying to make a living. Wolverton couldn’t get by on the infrequent checks he received for his work and subsidized them by working in a cannery.
All throughout this book there are photos of his many comics, artwork, sketches, family photos, notebooks, and even rejection letters. Author Greg Sadowski presents a treasure trove of artifacts from Wolverton’s career, from childhood to 1940.
It was surprising to me the almost dictatorial instructions he received in communications from publishers. He was constantly told to change things, to tone down the grotesque, to be patriotic, that his space themes were passé. It would have been enough to make me quit! Is it still this way in the comics world?
It’s clear that Wolverton’s work became better and better over time. But the pressure to produce was harmful to his health and got to his nerves. Guess I’ll find out how he fared in the next volume.
I loved this book because Wolverton’s old school space art is some of the best I’ve ever seen.
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