This first run of Dragon comics is just great. I loved the art, the idea if a super human being a uniformed police officer. Like a real cop. That's awesome. I love Dragon's design. These were the days. This was what got me even more into comics and helped me with my own art. Liefield made me say "I want to do this for a living" Larson made me say "I can do this for a living"
I love that first tradepaperback for the The Savage Dragon miniseries. It reshuffled pages and included the Image #0 story he made, and because Image #0 was delayed so much the TPB was the first time you could read these pages. Larsen was eager to publish the Image #0 story since it featured imported information about Debbie Harris. Later he published the miniseries + the image #0 story again in a five issue comic series, called I thought The Dragon Files but it was probably just The Dragon like indicated on the paper. That included the new pages and covers you don't recognize. In my opinion this is the best Larsen art. You can see he had his heart in this and took the time to produce amazing images. This art is so far removed from the rushed art he produces these days. I might pick this one up, thanks for the review!
Great post. Thanks for the peek at the book. It looks fantastic, and like you, I respect the hell out of the guy for sticking with what he always loved. I met him around 1990 at a con (I worked with Gary Carlson at the time and he asked me to give something to Erik, giving me an ice-breaker). I showed him my sketchbook, and to Erik's credit he was kind given how shitty my stuff was at the time. He was friendly, kind, and an all around cool guy to chat with. I need to rebuild my Savage Dragon collection, but will start with those awesome looking Ultimate Editions.
21:07 Those lines made it to print --- at least in the Savage Dragon Archives book. Sometimes 'they' will catch things like that one time they print it, but not another, so those lines might not be in the color version. I didn't check that.
24:48 Walter Simonson's run on Thor began with an issue that had 'DOOM' in big block letters just like that all through the issue (you'd have to read it for context). That's what Larsen's trying to do a call-back to whenever you see that (particularly in that font, which matches the Thor stuff).
I've been reading the same thing on Comixology the last few days. Archives 1 & 2 B/W edition. I love the crazy villains, probably my favorite part of Larsen's SD work.
25:07 I should also add that this page is probably done the way it is as a time-saving measure. There's NO reason you couldn't have done just a small panel showing the explosion and moved on with other action on that page and had more or less the same effect from a storytelling standpoint. No --- this is done to get out of the page quickly. The larger the sound effects, the less I have to actually draw. So, a small panel's worth of work turns into a *full page* that you've knocked out in an hour.
Solid review! Larson to me was the workhorse of IMAGE comics. Got the minis and spin-off series like Freak Force. I collected every issue of the regular Savage Dragon back then up to around 50 or so. STILL have them too. Then his storylines just when off the rails. Too much with the alien stuff, soft porn and politics. ugh.
Probably the best written of the first wave image books
This first run of Dragon comics is just great. I loved the art, the idea if a super human being a uniformed police officer. Like a real cop. That's awesome. I love Dragon's design. These were the days. This was what got me even more into comics and helped me with my own art. Liefield made me say "I want to do this for a living"
Larson made me say "I can do this for a living"
DAMN, i wasn't expecting to buy another Artist Edition, Thanks Rob!!!
For real! I had to have this one
Awesome.
Nice
I love that first tradepaperback for the The Savage Dragon miniseries. It reshuffled pages and included the Image #0 story he made, and because Image #0 was delayed so much the TPB was the first time you could read these pages. Larsen was eager to publish the Image #0 story since it featured imported information about Debbie Harris. Later he published the miniseries + the image #0 story again in a five issue comic series, called I thought The Dragon Files but it was probably just The Dragon like indicated on the paper. That included the new pages and covers you don't recognize.
In my opinion this is the best Larsen art. You can see he had his heart in this and took the time to produce amazing images. This art is so far removed from the rushed art he produces these days. I might pick this one up, thanks for the review!
20:18 - Those line mark going over the panel were left there (at least in the original; I happened to have my collection out, so I just checked).
Great post. Thanks for the peek at the book. It looks fantastic, and like you, I respect the hell out of the guy for sticking with what he always loved. I met him around 1990 at a con (I worked with Gary Carlson at the time and he asked me to give something to Erik, giving me an ice-breaker). I showed him my sketchbook, and to Erik's credit he was kind given how shitty my stuff was at the time. He was friendly, kind, and an all around cool guy to chat with.
I need to rebuild my Savage Dragon collection, but will start with those awesome looking Ultimate Editions.
21:07 Those lines made it to print --- at least in the Savage Dragon Archives book. Sometimes 'they' will catch things like that one time they print it, but not another, so those lines might not be in the color version. I didn't check that.
Like prego “it’s in there”
Sweet, its finally available. Definitely picking up this behemoth. Great vids man !!
Thank you so much
24:48 Walter Simonson's run on Thor began with an issue that had 'DOOM' in big block letters just like that all through the issue (you'd have to read it for context). That's what Larsen's trying to do a call-back to whenever you see that (particularly in that font, which matches the Thor stuff).
he did it over an hour legend!
Thats me
I've been reading the same thing on Comixology the last few days. Archives 1 & 2 B/W edition. I love the crazy villains, probably my favorite part of Larsen's SD work.
25:07 I should also add that this page is probably done the way it is as a time-saving measure. There's NO reason you couldn't have done just a small panel showing the explosion and moved on with other action on that page and had more or less the same effect from a storytelling standpoint. No --- this is done to get out of the page quickly. The larger the sound effects, the less I have to actually draw.
So, a small panel's worth of work turns into a *full page* that you've knocked out in an hour.
Makes sense
Solid review! Larson to me was the workhorse of IMAGE comics. Got the minis and spin-off series like Freak Force. I collected every issue of the regular Savage Dragon back then up to around 50 or so. STILL have them too. Then his storylines just when off the rails. Too much with the alien stuff, soft porn and politics. ugh.
Yeah, storage of these things is a hassle for sure.
Freakea veakae cool madiiyy LIIIIIIIIIIIIKKKKKKKEEEE 🩷❤️🤟🥰🤩🤘❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
I'm the same as you when it comes to writing out sound effects in comic books. Don't want them or need them.
THANK you. I knew i wasn’t alone
Onomatopoeias are fun, as long as it’s kept fresh…or even a “ Krakatoa!!! “ for education’s sake at least.
I miss this Erik Larsen. It's inevitable, but his art has declined so much these days.
🙄🙄🙄 it hasn't declined, it's practically the same!!! Same structure, same pacing. Pay attention. He's been drawing the same for over 30 years.
@@rockon8174 The inking has gotten looser and looser, his figurework has declined. Pay attention.
@@marczwaneveld2663 -- I agree with you.
Have you seen how he holds a pencil? I’m surprised he even has a functioning grip at this point.
@@someonesane -- What's harder to imagine is how you'd go about using a 102 crowquill dip pen with that grip.