The History of Comic Book Coloring (and How Modern Technology can Ruin Reprints)

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  • Опубліковано 22 січ 2025

КОМЕНТАРІ • 1 тис.

  • @ComicTropes
    @ComicTropes  4 роки тому +566

    Mr. Villarubia did not reply to me so I edited the video to explain what I’ve done. So: who’s YOUR favorite colorist and why?

    • @thecolinwalton
      @thecolinwalton 4 роки тому +25

      Dave Stewart, because he doesn't overdo it with effects or too many different colors, never distracts from the art, and uses his colors to enhance the storytelling. He uses a very classy color palette.

    • @AubreyLovelace
      @AubreyLovelace 4 роки тому +10

      Dave Stewart. He’s an amazing colorist and he’s colored 90% of the comics in the Mignolaverse, where he is able to match his colors to the artist that worked on the comic.

    • @tylercohen2019
      @tylercohen2019 4 роки тому +13

      I really like Matt Hollingsworth. The Wake was just beautiful

    • @VHShit
      @VHShit 4 роки тому +27

      I really like Laura Allred. I think the palette she uses works great with Mike's art.
      I tend to enjoy the more old-school, "flat" looking stuff.

    • @andersonmbarboza1108
      @andersonmbarboza1108 4 роки тому +8

      Yeah, Dave Stewart is pretty much the best. But I'm also a fan of many other colorists, like Laura Martin (always great, probably the best for the more mainstream superhero look), Matt Hollingsworth and Dave McCaig. As a Brazilian, I'm also partial to Cris Peter's work.

  • @ProuvaireJean
    @ProuvaireJean 4 роки тому +712

    Episodes where you make fun of bad comics are fun, but episodes like this - in-depth explorations of different facets of the medium and industry - is why I subscribe.

    • @jesstolley7193
      @jesstolley7193 4 роки тому +6

      Same! I've learned so much about this medium since I started watching!

    • @SamuelSEdme
      @SamuelSEdme 4 роки тому +5

      Videos like this should be categorized as educational and informative as well.

  • @seangentry2943
    @seangentry2943 4 роки тому +337

    At the risk of sounding like a grumpy old man I think a lot of modern colorists try too hard to add shape and volume to the panels where the line-art has already done that job. By that I mean, the inker has already taken the time to painstakingly render the light and shadow of the scene through line weight, hatching, stippling, solid blacks and other techniques...then the colorist adds a gradient and specular highlights onto every single surface anyway.
    The effect is too extreme. It makes skin, hair, and cloth look shiny like plastic or metal. The line-art is speaking one language, where the world is flattened to have black lines around everything and shadows look like brush strokes. The coloring needs to respect the “flat” interpretation of the world with bold, solid colors. Adding attempted photorealistic shading with gradients and lens flares just makes a huge mess that is much too exaggerated.

    • @MicahMicahel
      @MicahMicahel 4 роки тому +34

      This is what bothers me the most. Look at the EC reprints. They ruin the art. It’s an insult to the art, what they did. I’d rather see photographic reprint of an old comic or just see the art with no colour if they’re going to do that

    • @pixelperfect9867
      @pixelperfect9867 4 роки тому +18

      I like solid colors no matter the rendering or simplicity.

    • @BDarOZ
      @BDarOZ 4 роки тому +23

      I agree, I think, even with digital you should try to minimize the volume information as much as you can, cos everything is already there...but id say its usually the art director's fault, not the artist. My wife works as a colourist, and sometimes she has to do shitty colouring per request, no matter how much she tries to explain how wrong those colors are, or how bad it will look.

    • @awwn5934
      @awwn5934 4 роки тому +11

      Yes I think the lens flares and glowing effects are going to be what make contemporary work look dated in the near future.

    • @justbny9278
      @justbny9278 3 роки тому +7

      things often end up too smooth looking and losing their shape and texture ironically

  • @alejoparedes2388
    @alejoparedes2388 4 роки тому +612

    You're one of the real ones, Chris.

    • @thewyldness
      @thewyldness 4 роки тому +13

      I have to agree

    • @jerkfudgewater147
      @jerkfudgewater147 4 роки тому +22

      I was wondering how i watched this this morning and was wondering how it had been posted at 6pm tonight... dude cares enough to lose view to correct his mistakes, ie. A Man

    • @misanthropicmusings4596
      @misanthropicmusings4596 4 роки тому +5

      @@thewyldness Ditto !!!!

    • @fabiankoenig6499
      @fabiankoenig6499 4 роки тому +13

      Exactly that. Down to earth, humble guy. Very much appreciated!
      How anyone can watch his videos and think he is the type of guy who deliberatly steals content without giving credit, is beyond me.

    • @MrFaceNumeroUno
      @MrFaceNumeroUno 4 роки тому

      @@fabiankoenig6499 because, they're dumb lol. Alex Sebastian for example is the #1 dumbo as evidenced by his comments on this thread

  • @PDComicBookNetwork
    @PDComicBookNetwork 4 роки тому +214

    I've got to admit, despite decades of comic reading, I've never given that much thought to the coloring. This video is much appreciated.

    • @Vimes86
      @Vimes86 4 роки тому +4

      I was also like that, even if I admit I have been noticing that more and more. I come from Italy and for us comic books are originally black and white and they look better and when they are colored , they are not colored as well as American comics

    • @PJSPP
      @PJSPP 4 роки тому +6

      Im the opposite. Always prefer reading comics with virbant quality coloring. Been reading comics for over 30 years. Today I struggle when reading b/w comics.

    • @PDComicBookNetwork
      @PDComicBookNetwork 4 роки тому +3

      I didn't mean to imply that I didn't appreciate coloring, just that I'd never really realized the care and choices that go into it. The video definitely brought that to my attention.

    • @futurestoryteller
      @futurestoryteller 4 роки тому +1

      That's funny, because I don't really read comics at all, but whenever I do think about them I often think of color. I actually tended to think that those old comics were gaudy and offputting, _before_ reprints. However I've also been put off by the new plain, flat realism of digital comics coloring. And seeing some images of old comics online I'm often struck by just _how_ bright and ridiculous looking they are, and I would struggle with whether I was looking at a retouched image, because it seemed like it sometimes, but honestly I didn't think publishers did that.
      Despite how I felt about those early comics images, with their muddy, often misprinted colors of limited palettes, this video gives me a far greater appreciation for not only the work that went into them, but the artistic choices that were being carefully made. I get that what we got was Chris' curated perspective, but the examples he gave really hammered home the violation that can come about from presenting a work literally. Either the literal colors of local objects and settings, or the literal inerpretation of color selections that predate RGB monitors and modern printing techniques. I may not have been fond of the look, but at least it didn't confuse the eye.

    • @vollsticks
      @vollsticks 4 роки тому +1

      ​@@PJSPP I find that really, really weird, tbh. I mostly prefer B & W over colour, anyday. Especially when you have a master of "spotting blacks" and page design like Xaime Hernandez, Toth, Mort Meskin, Jim Woodring etc etc....I get the feeling that Paolo Rivera could do some fantastic B & W work too. All this shiny digital stuff is getting played out, that's why so many up-and comers (and established) cartoonists are using risograph printers.

  • @thewyldness
    @thewyldness 4 роки тому +262

    Chris, I'm doing everything I can to blow this channel up. As far as I'm concerned, you put in the work, the research, the effort that deserves payback. It looks like your fanbase might realize this as well. We're all behind you. Don't ever think you're alone. If you need inspiration to continue, look back at this and realize you got this New Orleanian Cajun hooked and inspired. Realize your worth.

    • @noneofyourbusiness4616
      @noneofyourbusiness4616 4 роки тому +6

      he didn't put in the research, though. José Villarrubia did

    • @citizensguard3433
      @citizensguard3433 4 роки тому +19

      None of Your Business
      True. Every single fact uttered in this, or any video on this channel... Villarrubia is behind them all. He also directed and edited the video and wrote the script....
      .....the shirt Chris is wearing was actually hand sewn by Mr. V. The glasses you see Chris wearing in every episode? Jose crafted those himself using nothing but common household items.

    • @JamesBurrTV
      @JamesBurrTV 4 роки тому +15

      Got to agree. When I saw the controversy blow up I thought it was because Chris had used Villarubia's work without permission. On visiting the page you see it's just a comparison of old and new images. Does Villarubia contact Steranko, Buscema et al to get their permission to use their images on his Facebook page? Nope, because it's fair use. While it can be argued Chris has swiped some of the examples that Villarubia compiled, a simple acknowledgement - which Chris did verbally and onscreen AS WELL AS IN the Description (and even in the apology video and in messgaes on Villarubia's Facebook page!) is sufficient. More than sufficient, in fact. I didn't see the original video so I don't know how much Chris cited Villarubia's posts in that, but he has done MORE than enough now.

    • @kullenberg
      @kullenberg 4 роки тому

      @@JamesBurrTV he didn't at all in the original video, as far as I can tell.

    • @tedwhitford9118
      @tedwhitford9118 4 роки тому +1

      @@JamesBurrTV STRONGLY disagree that Comic Tropes has done "more than enough". I think what he has done is the bare-minimum baseline (for all future videos) for crediting his secondary sources. That being said, I have faith he will not repeat this situation in the future. Just keep in mind Villarrubia is the injured party in this event, not CT.

  • @AceAttorny
    @AceAttorny 4 роки тому +204

    Not only one of the best creators on here, but also an amazing human being. Thank you, Chris!

  • @seanaverill236
    @seanaverill236 4 роки тому +107

    This video made a lot of sense to me. I've done a lot of reading of the older marvel stories in their digital masterworks and there was always something that made them more difficult to read and gave me a little bit of a headache. Seeing the color comparisons it clicked. The reprints are so bright that it can be straining to the eyes as well as losing the depth which makes it more difficult it larger panels to identify the relevant action, it becomes muddled. I think it's probably off-putting to readers, as it was for me, when first seeing the art style as you said in the video. I always figured they just scanned the old pages and it would be interesting to see the originals.

    • @rjr.6263
      @rjr.6263 4 роки тому +7

      I agree. I think the ink was used for what it set out to be in it's time which complimented the penciling process too. But I do see a decomposition in many of the redigitalized works that can fairly decompose the art.

  • @TheDreadPirateBluetail
    @TheDreadPirateBluetail 4 роки тому +184

    Profound amounts of integrity. You're great, Chris.

  • @jdc4483
    @jdc4483 4 роки тому +44

    For years I felt the same thing, that when older books are reprinted the colors are way too bright. For example, when the Bernie Wrightson and Len Wein Swamp Thing stories are reprinted I've always felt they should reprint them on paper that has a muted tone, not bright white, replicating old newsprint. Without that, the new colors destroy the moodiness of the swamp, etc.

    • @clarenceboddicker4023
      @clarenceboddicker4023 4 роки тому +4

      I've noticed that silver/bronze age reprints always look best when they're made on pulpy paper instead of the glossier paper. Now I know why.

    • @Obscure_man31
      @Obscure_man31 4 роки тому +5

      A good way to fix it is to desaturate the colors

  • @georger6619
    @georger6619 4 роки тому +91

    Chris, your integrity’s admirable. You’re a real-life research hero!

  • @Pencilman246
    @Pencilman246 Рік тому +3

    It’s so interesting how different am experience you get with comics based on if you read the digital version versus the original issues. I used to find old comics in thrift stores and book stores and I was amazed at how browned and brittle the paper could get. Makes sense that they would need to recolor it. You could also argue that reading a book monthly issue by issue is a totally different (and perhaps unintended) experience from getting an omnibus and binge reading it like a book. Many older comics were meant to be self-contained monthly installments packed with ads and now they’re just chapter #X of a series running #XX issues.

  • @theamericanwordsmith2670
    @theamericanwordsmith2670 4 роки тому +48

    One of the best UA-camrs (and people) out there, regardless of content. This is what integrity looks like. We love your passion and your dedication, Chris!

    • @CSGraves
      @CSGraves 4 роки тому +1

      If ever he's feeling down, I hope he just reads his comment section. Not a lot of channels can boast so much positivity there!

  • @jacobkeary6740
    @jacobkeary6740 4 роки тому +56

    *_The absolute integrity of this lad, you're awesome Chris_*

    • @TeatroGrotesco
      @TeatroGrotesco 2 роки тому

      Who are you, Reed Richards, the smartest man in earth?
      You are not wrong yet....so, maybe.

  • @chrismyers2047
    @chrismyers2047 4 роки тому +5

    Neal Adams' Batman Illustrated books are another example of drastic changes made to the colors of reprints. They're colored the way Neal wanted, but the original decisions are gone. The covers of a lot of books printed in the 60's and early 70's were very nicely done with subtle color shifts and were very saturated. I always wondered how they did them compared to cutting acetate separations. You can see this in the Fantastic Four cover with The Thing that you showed a couple of times in this video. My favorite cover of this type is Amazing Spider-Man #44. That whole run of early Romita SR covers is like that.

  • @Ghstrbt
    @Ghstrbt 4 роки тому +37

    I'm glad you got to repost this. It was one of my favorite episodes.

    • @goochisan
      @goochisan 4 роки тому

      Then I expect you'd really love José Villarrubia's posts on Facebook. You should check them out!

  • @iandorian611
    @iandorian611 3 роки тому +13

    Why colorists have long been left out of the credits has baffled me since I was a boy. Sometimes, they weren’t even credited inside the book.
    When my books are published each creative position is under an umbrella heading of “Artists” with their respective contribution appearing thusly:
    Pencil artist, ink artist, color artist, letter artist. It’s nice to see that you are taking time to highlight the colorists and big props to you for talking about Pat olliffe! When I first saw Otomo’s Akira in color I was pleasantly immediately enamored with the color work. It clearly and immediately showed the attention to the story was given that it required.

  • @scottandrewhutchins
    @scottandrewhutchins 3 роки тому +10

    Interesting to see the Angel story. I've long complained that the Golden Age Marvel Masterworks are so heavily colored that I'm often reminded of preschool toys.

  • @Neon_Ghost1
    @Neon_Ghost1 4 роки тому +11

    Ironically, reloading this video is akin to a reprint 🤣 I admire that you took the time to say what you did and call attention to it and correct it. You probably didn't even need to apologise but you did so sincerely. Most UA-camrs don't respect copyright enough to he honest like that. Very professional sir! About the subject- you should make it known that digital versions use additive color which uses light to make color combinations. Where as inks and paints use subtractive color which gets darker when you mix it all...I believe anyway, I don't remember, I learned this in design school 🤣

  • @rexharrison6827
    @rexharrison6827 Рік тому +2

    I'm rewatching this instalment three years (or was it two?) after first watching it. It's an excellent overview of the the most technical aspect of comic book production, without delving into the nuts and bolts. Great presentation.
    As someone who spent a career in graphic design, I can say that I found handling colour the most satisfying and at the same time almost the most frustrating aspect of the job (the most frustrating by a country mile were the sales reps!).
    If the general reader finds the mechanics of colour for print confusing, I'd have to say so do some within the graphics industry as well. Designers are more often concerned with the finished result and not with the means of achieving it, leaving the details to production staff, and then throwing a fit when things don't turn out the way they expected.
    As a young reader in the Sixties, I had access to two completely different forms of comic book presentation; the American version with Marvel and the English version with Eagle and Century 21 published by Fleetway for the most part.
    The American product was cheap newsprint and printed by what was probably letterpress or early offset, utilising coarse 65-line screens (maybe even coarser) in flat mechanical colour, with often terrible registration (It's interesting to compare comic books with the colour comic strip supplements of weekend US newspapers, where the newsprint was usually of a higher quality and the halftones were less coarse, up to 85-lines depending on the presses; they still had registration issues, though).
    English premier comics, like Eagle, were printed on higher quality newsprint, in full, painted colour or greyscale throughout, with fine halftones and, from what I've read, used gravure presses. This did not apply to all English comics. Lion, Tiger and Beano were printed on lower quality paper in black and white with either spot colour or an odd 3-colour halftone mix, with similar registration issues to their American counterparts.
    But Eagle, and later Century 21 were different and featured very skilled illustrators, notably Frank Bellamy in both magazines. Bellamy is an entire subject in himself but regarding his use of colour, he used a very monochromatic pallete across his work, sometimes the same scheme over an entire spread, with maybe just a vivid highlight here and there. His dynamic style could easily have inspired bright, garish colour schemes, but he eschewed those for a more subtle palette, even on strips like Thunderbirds. Early on he painted with watercolour but later used Dr Martins dyes. In an interview, he once stated that he only used red, blue and yellow, preferring to mix all secondary or tertiary colours from those three. His reasoning was that printing presses only used three inks plus black to achieve the finished result, so he saw no reason to overcomplicate the process.
    Whatever one thinks of this approach, the results certainly speak for themselves. Today's computer colourists could learn a lot by studying artists like Bellamy and Hampson.

  • @ledge-magee
    @ledge-magee 4 роки тому +3

    No words can describe how happy I am that you're continuing to make episodes. It just... it's brain food but enjoyable brain food. All the best.

  • @DanielMercerArt
    @DanielMercerArt Рік тому +1

    Props and respect to you, @ComicTropes, for featuring fan art on your videos. Back in the day (very early 90's) a local comic book store that I frequented had a fan art wall in the back of the store where the owner would hang random comic book sketches created & submitted by all the local kids. It was a mix of submissions by all ages, and it inspired us younger kids to work harder to develop our skills as artists, in order to be able to compete in that same wall space with some of the older teens who were knocking their shit out of the park. It also gave us an early taste of how it felt to "succeed" and have our art validated...that our art was worthy of being seen by everyone else in town. It was a relatively small space on that wall, but it had a huge impact on me, and I'm sure so many other kids as well. Very cool to see you continuing this kind of thing with your channel.

  • @Frustratedartist2
    @Frustratedartist2 3 роки тому +3

    Many of my older color paperbacks have aged and faded and now looks closer to an old comic. But it's important to note that we can't tell most of the time what was the original color of old comics, as most of them were printed on paper which lost its colors pretty quickly.

  • @jbbarnes1067
    @jbbarnes1067 4 роки тому +12

    THANK YOU CHRIS! I have been on this case for a long time! I HATE the way digital and hard copy reprints destroy the original colourist’s work. They should put a huge apology to the artist at the start of the book. Why can’t we just get high quality scans of the original work?!

  • @rippspeck
    @rippspeck 4 роки тому +4

    I haven't read a single comic book in my entire life yet I keep coming back to this channel. Chris is probably the most genuine dude on this entire website and listening to him talk about his hobby is incredibly wholesome.

  • @Churrros
    @Churrros 4 роки тому +95

    I'm glad you decided to add in that fix, although I believe you shouldn't be so hard on yourself, it's an honest mistake I believe

    • @Neon_Ghost1
      @Neon_Ghost1 4 роки тому +20

      I agree. But it shows that Chris has something most don't. Class

    • @altecapollyon
      @altecapollyon 4 роки тому +4

      Agreed.

  • @Kitsaplorax
    @Kitsaplorax 4 роки тому +7

    You can't duplicate a reflected image on paper as an emitted image on a computer or tv screen. LED screens are notorious for not being able to display magenta and purples. Ken Rockwell has a few articles on this at his website. You can't translate palettes and moods from one medium to another very well. Thanks for this thoughtful dive into an ignored but central feature of comic book storytelling!

  •  4 роки тому +10

    This is a brilliant, brilliant piece, Chris. Consider me subscribed! (Signed, colorist of Morning Glories, Darkwing Duck, Sons of Anarchy, and more)

  • @sizwehonablue3610
    @sizwehonablue3610 4 роки тому +20

    So glad this was reuploaded.

  • @slasher0630
    @slasher0630 4 роки тому +13

    Im glad you put Adrianne Roy in there as example. She was my favorite colorist. This was one of the most informative comic videos I have ever seen. U did awesome with this

    • @vollsticks
      @vollsticks 4 роки тому

      It was amazing, but I wish I could have sent him these two interviews for pertinent anecdotes to include: comicscomicsmag.com/?p=508 (Dave Sim interviewing Neal Adams about colouring and the old CMYK process--GREAT READ!) and Frank Santoro interviewing Oliff about Akira and his techniques: comicscomicsmag.com/?p=491

  • @stardust_memories2260
    @stardust_memories2260 4 роки тому +7

    My favorite today is Laura Allred. Her style is very reminiscent of the 60s comic & pop art. And her work always gave me that feeling of Dorothy opening the door to Oz with each flip of the page.

  • @hfbdbsijenbd
    @hfbdbsijenbd 4 роки тому +15

    You're blowing up dude. Congrats! You deserve it!

  • @wheatie0770
    @wheatie0770 4 роки тому +12

    Great episode, glad you updated it so it could be seen. Don’t worry Chris, mistakes happen and you owned up to it like a real person of integrity would. You’re a better person for it, and now that we’ve seen all the great work, we are too!

  • @andybaxter4442
    @andybaxter4442 4 роки тому +8

    Glad this was re-uploaded, a particularly great episode. I'm probably going to show some parts to my son who was asking about coloration, but i didn't know enough about it to give a good answer before watching this.

  • @Clay3613
    @Clay3613 4 роки тому +12

    I can't thank you enough for covering this topic, I've had a longstanding issue with modern coloring in reprints!

    • @dylhole1501
      @dylhole1501 4 роки тому

      Oh boo-hoo my comic book looks better than it did when I was a kid and now my nostalgia won’t let me enjoy some thing that’s much better quality

    • @manuelitopinon8396
      @manuelitopinon8396 4 роки тому +2

      @@dylhole1501 you ever try to play an NES on a 4k tv?

    • @TheIkaika777
      @TheIkaika777 3 роки тому +4

      @@dylhole1501, wow, thank you for irrefutably proving that you know absolutely nothing about comic book art. How humiliating for you. 🤦🏼‍♂️

  • @Caxerw13
    @Caxerw13 4 роки тому +6

    This really opened my eyes to the difference in recolored editions! I’m with ya all the way!

  • @annievoss2010
    @annievoss2010 4 роки тому +5

    I recently discovered your channel and I am really impressed. I don't consider myself a comic book fan or very knowledgable about them and I find I learn so much from your videos. They are entertaining, engaging, and educational. Much respect to you for your good work.

  • @minaverry
    @minaverry 4 роки тому +2

    I'm happy you could reupload this video because in my opinion it's one of your better ones.

  • @teensouljah
    @teensouljah 4 роки тому +4

    I've always been curious about coloring the early ages of comics. Thank you so much for this episode!

  • @tempexrer5627
    @tempexrer5627 4 роки тому +2

    This is one of my FAVORITE episodes of yours, and I believe that you handled the situation in the best possible way

  • @adamlobbins2657
    @adamlobbins2657 4 роки тому +37

    I knew it, he's so honest that if you passed out free pie and he got two slices. He'd turn one back in. Golly, what do you do with a honest and intelligent dude? Tell him he is the best at showing the work of the comic colorist and you really have given me an education concerning comics. Keep up the fantastic work.

  • @GiuseppeRedscarf
    @GiuseppeRedscarf 4 роки тому

    I respect the heck out of your effort to give credit where credit is due & to correct your mistake. Your integrity doesn't go unnoticed.

  • @aleksandarpejcic2077
    @aleksandarpejcic2077 4 роки тому +6

    Chris, I have so much respect for you and your work. Your channel is one of the best overall. Take care, and keep up the amazing work that you're doing.

  • @zachweaver3006
    @zachweaver3006 4 роки тому +1

    I know everyone else is telling you how great you are too but man these videos are fantastic and you seem like one of the most genuine human beings on the internet. Keep making great videos. You’re an important part of the comic book community.

  • @koufax3739
    @koufax3739 4 роки тому +42

    Love the show man, do you think you would ever do an episode on Paul Chadwick's concrete? Or dark horse presents? 😁

    • @officialgoogleyoutube
      @officialgoogleyoutube 4 роки тому +1

      I was just thinking about Concrete, myself! What an incredible comic that is.

    • @paultapping9510
      @paultapping9510 4 роки тому

      Was Flaming Carrot one of his? The covers of that always fascinated me as a kid.

    • @koufax3739
      @koufax3739 4 роки тому

      @@paultapping9510 same era different Creator, it would definitely make an interesting video

    • @officialgoogleyoutube
      @officialgoogleyoutube 4 роки тому +1

      ​@@paultapping9510 I believe Greg Burden wrote and drew Flaming Carrot, covers included.

    • @vollsticks
      @vollsticks 4 роки тому

      Oh, SECONDED! I'd love to see an episode on Steve Rude and/or Nexus, and a big jump into Jim Woodring's stuff. Also an overview of the all-female comics of the underground/alternative era (Tits 'N Clits, Wimmin's Comix, Twisted Sisters ESPECIALLY for introducing so much new post-underground/alternative talent and putting it all into one package)...who's with me?!

  • @ottomattix86
    @ottomattix86 3 місяці тому

    Chris, I hope you see this. I've watched videos over and over and I always find something I enjoy.

  • @officialgoogleyoutube
    @officialgoogleyoutube 4 роки тому +4

    Chris, you're my favourite comic book historian. I love your videos. That's all I have to say.

  • @colonelweird
    @colonelweird 2 роки тому

    I'm so glad to find this video; I hope this channel has more of this kind of thing. I've only recently started reading modern reprints of old comics. I love the clarity and the sharp details, but the colors are obviously just painfully bright - why go to the trouble of recoloring everything if it's going to be ugly? I don't get it. And I wonder why readers haven't raised hell about it, to get Marvel and DC to stop doing this.
    In any case, I'm fascinated by the radical changes in comics over the past thirty years. After ignoring comic books for many years I picked up a book by Alex Maleev a few years ago and I was instantly shocked and astounded, not only that technology could reproduce such imagery, but that publishers would be willing to sell it. I hope to learn more about the history that has made such things possible. Seems like this channel will be a good source of info!

  • @RobertMehling
    @RobertMehling 4 роки тому +5

    Good to see you got to put it up

  • @phillipjohnson8903
    @phillipjohnson8903 4 роки тому +3

    I'm so happy this got reuploaded. I missed it when it was out and i was super interesting in this topic.

    • @vollsticks
      @vollsticks 4 роки тому

      Check these out: comicscomicsmag.com/?p=491 That's Frank Santoro interviewing Oliff about Akira and his techniques, this: comicscomicsmag.com/?p=508 is an interview with Neal Adams by Dave Sim. Great anecdotes all around and some GREAT technical information.

  • @TariOwei
    @TariOwei 4 роки тому +3

    You’re a great person Chris. Thank you for your work. Always appreciated. Keep up the good work. Two 👍🏾👍🏾 up. That being said, that intro was of epic proportions. Best intro ever.

  • @relev6567
    @relev6567 4 роки тому +1

    nice to see this video being reuploaded this quickly, I was a bit afraid to wait the approval toi long

  • @aikisteven0616
    @aikisteven0616 4 роки тому +3

    Yet another great episode - thank you for all the hard work you put into researching all these topics on the creation, and the creators of the comics we love. too many other comics channels here tend to just highlight (and essentially just read through) some random issue of some random mag with little to say about it beyond 'well, that sucked'. You really get into the who, the what, the how and the why of SO many aspects of comics, and your love and dedication really show. I truly respect what you're doing, and the integrity you've shown in going above and beyond to make sure that your sources are properly credited. Keep up the good work, my good sir!

  • @travisy7861
    @travisy7861 Рік тому +1

    I'm glad I found this video. I started reading some of alpha flight from the early 80s, and I was missing some issues, so I figured I'd read them on marvel unlimited instead of paying a lot for key issues.. big mistake. It really takes you out of the story sometimes. They can and should treat these classics with respect. I hope the right people see this video and take into consideration what they've done. Thank you for shining some light on it.

  • @dollars9597
    @dollars9597 4 роки тому +6

    Its back! Gonna have to rewatch!

  • @MatthewClise
    @MatthewClise 4 роки тому +2

    What an excellent topic for a video. It dovetails with a question that I asked you on a live stream as to why inking got finer and more detailed toward the end of the 80s and into the 90s. Another passionately informed production. Your hard work does not go unappreciated.

  • @steakcrust558
    @steakcrust558 4 роки тому +5

    keeping your integrity is always the way to go man. Good Job. Love this show.

  • @apio7055
    @apio7055 Рік тому

    I just wanna say thank you for making these videos, they are extremely informative and well researched and i don't know any other creator that takes the time to make videos like this on topics so niche and specific to artists, for someone really interested in this things this channel is a godsend

  • @Schnagelkott
    @Schnagelkott 4 роки тому +5

    Man, this was an interesting history lesson. Plus I feel like I got some interesting recommendations for comics to check out. Thanks for your hard work, man!

  • @NorthTexasEagle1989
    @NorthTexasEagle1989 4 роки тому

    Fascinating! No pressure but I'm a 30 year old novelist just getting into graphic storytelling and you are my favorite arcane professor!

  • @duvan.deschain
    @duvan.deschain 4 роки тому +3

    Image Comics being influential in every aspect, you have to love those guys. Amazing work Chris 🔥

  • @crazedzealots
    @crazedzealots 4 роки тому +4

    Wow that's a lot of information to unpack, great job Chris masterful video. You really are the best Comic's channel out there. I've been watching you since you had only hundreds of views at best for each video. I hope you blossom to millions of subscribers in the near future.

  • @justingoers
    @justingoers 4 роки тому +28

    Yes. Chris. You rule!

  • @martinhess7334
    @martinhess7334 4 роки тому +2

    This is a theme I had been interested in for years but never found a satisfactory answer until now. Thank you!

  • @francozambrano4980
    @francozambrano4980 4 роки тому +5

    yeeeee. thhis is one of my favorites episodes. im happy its back.

  • @Stabity
    @Stabity 3 роки тому

    I found this channel because of this video. I've seen all of his other videos, one of the best comic book channels on UA-cam.

  • @sinjinbaker6031
    @sinjinbaker6031 4 роки тому +6

    Good for you, man! Great video!

  • @TheMightyPika
    @TheMightyPika 4 роки тому

    I like your show because you're chilled-out, never raise your voice, teach us about a niche topic in relatable language, and are super knowledgeable about what you love. Can't ask for better.

  • @poncut5074
    @poncut5074 4 роки тому +4

    I loved the intro to this one. It was really clever.

  • @Danazawa
    @Danazawa 4 роки тому

    This video is BRILLIANT!
    Part of the magic of vintage comics was the crappy paper, but the limitations really brought out the artistry not just of comic creators but printers and publishers - which this video brilliantly demonstrates. Nice job, I really enjoyed this!

  • @Kenshiro3rd
    @Kenshiro3rd 4 роки тому +4

    Great video. I’ve actually discussed this issue along with a related one of Blu-Ray remasters of animated series quite a bit in my facebook groups. There are some reprints and remasters I absolutely hate because of how they butcher the colors & darkness levels...

    • @wesley5729
      @wesley5729 4 роки тому

      you wouldn't be talking about the Dragon Ball Blue Rays would you?

    • @Obscure_man31
      @Obscure_man31 4 роки тому

      @@wesley5729 the problem is that they used a terrible digtle noise removal

  • @thedarkenedruby4027
    @thedarkenedruby4027 4 роки тому +4

    Yay you got the video up!!!!

  • @nicolaspetitdemeurville8943
    @nicolaspetitdemeurville8943 4 роки тому +22

    Chris is the nicest person in this platform

    • @vollsticks
      @vollsticks 4 роки тому

      One of, certainly. Emerican Johnson and a lot of the "Breadtubers" are very nice people too.

  • @Saginaw72
    @Saginaw72 3 роки тому

    I never understood what all went into coloring comics, but this video opened my eyes and I want to learn more.
    My gut would tell me when colors were fiddled with in reprints and I knew I wasn't getting a faithful reproduction, so like you suggested I wish they would scan the original comic and tweak where needed.
    Always look forward to your videos Chris and feel like I've learned a lot after viewing them. Great job.

  • @HovektheArtist
    @HovektheArtist 4 роки тому +9

    Oh hi, you caught me watching a reuploaded video to give more support

  • @unnatjadav199
    @unnatjadav199 3 роки тому

    This video taught much more by just talking about history of coloring. Amazing work man!

  • @89Dustdevil
    @89Dustdevil 4 роки тому +5

    I think you’d do an amazing job on a From Hell episode. People seem to forget about it these days.

  • @chadgeorge4836
    @chadgeorge4836 4 роки тому +2

    I sure do enjoy your videos and learning new things from you about this hobby that I’ve loved for the greater part of my life. Thank you!

  • @javialan2503
    @javialan2503 4 роки тому +11

    FINALLY! There are not enough people talking about this!
    It would be nice to get reprints of the textured, thoughtful coloring of the past.
    I can't stand some of the Photoshop paint bucket happening in these restorations. I'd be nice to get corrected reprints closer to the original.
    Great video again Chris!

    • @CuriousCritter17
      @CuriousCritter17 4 роки тому

      A lot of the old colouring was terrible and anything but thoughtful.

  • @n.gericke4550
    @n.gericke4550 Рік тому +1

    Your final Statement resonates truely with my own opinion on a proper executed reproduction: Staying true to the original art in coloring is the best option. Btw... Your videos are always a pleasure. 😊

  • @davidampleford6011
    @davidampleford6011 2 роки тому +5

    Did I understand correctly that American comic book artists were not able to color the original drawings until the 1980s due to printing limitations? British publisher Hutton press introduced a photogravure process to print comics like Eagle, Girl and Swift as far back as 1950. That process meant that artists could color the actual drawings. You can see the results in the stunning artwork of people like Frank Hampson and Frank Bellamy among others which reproduced beautifully with the photogravure process.

  • @mmpsp693
    @mmpsp693 4 роки тому +1

    As I mention in the original video, this was great content, glad to see it coming back.

  • @ThDirtyCurfDrummer
    @ThDirtyCurfDrummer 4 роки тому +4

    Glad you got everything situated. Dug the first time it aired, and second time too.

  • @YAMISOOLD2009
    @YAMISOOLD2009 Рік тому

    This was a fascinating episode. I had no idea of how complicated coloring was as far as printing was concerned for all those decades. I also now understand why comics look so much different now than they used to and why things got a little strange in the late 80s/early 90s as a transition was occurring! I appreciate what you do Chris! Thank you!

  • @Hchris101
    @Hchris101 4 роки тому +5

    YAYY!! It’s back👌😎👍

  • @flexorlamonticus
    @flexorlamonticus 3 роки тому

    Wow, those image of painted pages without the inks by Lynn Varley were a real eye opener! Thanks!!!!!

  • @caos68k
    @caos68k 4 роки тому +160

    Villarubia is being a bit of a drama queen. He raises as stink on his FB page and spurs his followers to shame you in your comment section, but then completely ignores you when you apologize and reach out to him. You came out as the better man here.

    • @asturwarrior
      @asturwarrior 4 роки тому +13

      Taking some time to answer doesn't mean to ignore, maye we're a bit hurrying-asses here. But this not waiting the answer and just upload it again, despite the word said of not doing, just shows everything clear.

    • @Robert.Deeeee
      @Robert.Deeeee 4 роки тому +7

      I think he could have least given him 48hrs to reply.

    • @mythicpeyote
      @mythicpeyote 4 роки тому +16

      Who’s indulging in drama deriving from people who run educational pages anyways LOL. I love comic tropes I’ve never seen him starting shit,just posting great and informative content

    • @mythicpeyote
      @mythicpeyote 4 роки тому +31

      Alex Sebastian nah fam if he can talk shit online he got time to reply LOL

    • @caos68k
      @caos68k 4 роки тому +15

      Well, he obviously did have time to post new stuff on his FB, but no time to reply Comic Tropes. He's being childish and acting all butt hurt. Poor baby.

  • @davidtexmex1616
    @davidtexmex1616 4 роки тому +1

    Spot on. Possibly your best upload, and there's plenty of fantastic uploads!

  • @LowellLucasJr.
    @LowellLucasJr. 4 роки тому +9

    Ooops! You caught me coloring the New Mutants Issue with a Black Sharpy! Speaking of improved coloring, lets talk about the history of Coloring!

  • @DevaNeeramanii
    @DevaNeeramanii 4 роки тому

    Great video Chris. You edited out the Villarubia parts and...I did not miss a thing. Excellent commentary, as always.

  • @Ult-roman
    @Ult-roman 4 роки тому +5

    I personally enjoy the bright colors of some marvel reprints, those were my introduction to a lot of old stories. I found the recolored art pretty exciting, however I dislike a lot of modern digitally colored comics. Not all obviously, but I think modern coloring techniques can look really bland. But stuff still looks great on newsprint as always.

  • @Dougeb7
    @Dougeb7 4 роки тому

    Sorry you had to take the old vid down. I'm watching and liking it again because you obviously put a lot of work into this. Not a hardship, it's really interesting!

  • @The1776er
    @The1776er 4 роки тому +41

    flatters do need credited, they spend hours and hours just on that color step

    • @AladdinLeeGrantRutledgeCollar
      @AladdinLeeGrantRutledgeCollar 4 роки тому +7

      YES we absolutely do. I worked on hundreds of books, for Marvel, DC, Image, Dark Horse, etc, that I never got credit for. It's what I signed up for, to be fair, but it leaves you with a terrible, empty feeling (and it's not like the pay is great for flats).

    • @The1776er
      @The1776er 4 роки тому +1

      @@AladdinLeeGrantRutledgeCollar yup, flatters make 10 to 20 a page. Hourly they are lucky if it breaks down to a buck or 2 an hour.

    • @Salmonator2000
      @Salmonator2000 4 роки тому

      @@AladdinLeeGrantRutledgeCollar What exactly is a flatter?

    • @AladdinLeeGrantRutledgeCollar
      @AladdinLeeGrantRutledgeCollar 4 роки тому +2

      @@Salmonator2000 It's the initial step of the coloring process, taking the B &W page and putting down the first layer of color.
      The amount of artistry that goes into it varies, it's more of a technical process that shaves around an hour off of the coloring time for the actual colorist.
      You can see some of my old flats at madflatter.tumblr.com if you're interested

    • @McShmoodle
      @McShmoodle 4 роки тому +1

      @@AladdinLeeGrantRutledgeCollar Looking at how intricate your flats are, it opened my eyes to just how intensive and underrated the work that goes into the process. I usually just put down messy blobs of color since I figure no one will see the stuff behind the lines anyway, but they can be works of art in their own right 😅

  • @cleor.8554
    @cleor.8554 6 днів тому

    Amazing job covering this material! Thank you for making this, it was extremely interesting

  • @daniel26395
    @daniel26395 4 роки тому +5

    Chris' first drama :') he's come so far

    • @Neon_Ghost1
      @Neon_Ghost1 4 роки тому

      He's a real UA-camr now! Oh I mean influencer, that's what they like to be called now right? 🤣

  • @davidmozes8732
    @davidmozes8732 3 роки тому

    This is one the best episodes you’ve done. This is college level comic book history and technique. Wow. Thank you.

  • @Olympics2048
    @Olympics2048 4 роки тому +13

    Looks like Villarrubia wasn’t happy with the outcome. I won’t pass judgement because I’m sure the whole thing is more complicated than it seems. I understand your rush to reupload, especially being on furlough. I’m a huge fan, Chris. This channel is one of my bigger sources of comic book education. That being said, I’d love it if you listed your sources for videos with a works cited page. A favorite info-tainment podcast of mine always brings up major books read before a deep dive. It doesn’t devalue their work, because their presentation is part of the reason I keep coming back. If I do want more, I’ll read the sources for something more in depth. Chris, I’d love to read any sources you can provide. I’m voracious for comics info. I know I’ll keep coming back here, as well as enjoy any way to learn about this amazing medium. And with a works cited page perhaps something like this could be avoided in the future.

  • @dytakeda
    @dytakeda 3 роки тому

    I've recently found your channel and enjoy your videos. Today, I found this one, and it explains so much about why this old man doesn't like modern comics. I also loved the explanation of how colors were done back in the day. Thanks.

  • @huesos_azules
    @huesos_azules 4 роки тому +3

    What if those old colors looked bright when they were brand new? After all, all these are scans of old pages, so the color may have dimmed over time, right? Just curious about it.

    • @keithcurtis
      @keithcurtis 4 роки тому

      They didn't. I have been collecting comics since the 60's. The transition period to digital and better paper was difficult, and there was a period where a lot of color looked terrible. DC even apologized for it at the time, citing the difficulty in adapting to new processes.

  • @MariaVosa
    @MariaVosa 4 роки тому +1

    Great video, incredibly interesting! When I saw this would be your topic I was hoping you'd mention Marie Severin and I was not disappointed. She was so talented, and she deserved more work as an artist too. Thank you for introducing me to the great work of Villarubia too.