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The John Buscema Sketchbook

Marvel Visionaries: John Buscema HC

John Buscema: Artist & Inker

I doubt it’ll be a Modern Masters book unless they find an old Buscema interview.

Now, I’d love a Sal Buscema book! I actually like Sal over John; Sal seems to really have a knack for superhero work, while John admittedly never enjoyed it (although he was excellent at it). I’d also love to know more about Sal’s background in theatre, as he’s brought it up before when asked about comics. He’s claimed it was a big help to him. That could be a neat interview!

I’ll agree that I have no idea if Doran would be interested in a MM book. My whole thought was that her last bio project was recent, nothing more.

If TM said that, well, that’s just ig’nant. I’m in TM’s audience- I’ve got a bookshelf full of their books and a magazine box or two full of their mags. And I’d buy a book about women in superhero comics. I suspect it’d be pretty interesting.

It’s true that the MM books are aiming at a particular audience, heavy on names familiar through superhero work. I hesitate to conclude that someone probably wasn’t interested, though, without knowing that they were asked or considered in the first place. The last conversation I had with someone at TM about it suggested that they didn’t feel that there were any females that were big enough names to sell enough book copies to that particular audience.

As for the “no women” bit, well, I always got the impression that the Modern Masters books get modern superhero artists willing to do the interviews more than anything else. Colleen Doran, an obvious candidate, did an interview DVD for another publisher, so that’s probably why she wouldn’t be interested. If they landed Ramona Fredon (whose work graces a recent issue of sister publication Alter Ego this month), they’d probably do the book unbranded, since she’s Silver Age (like they did with Joe Sinnott and Gene Colan, for example). There’s always Marie Severin, Rachel Dotson (though they’d probably do that book as Rachel and Terry), and Trina Robbins, but after that, who else? (Marie would be a great interview; Trina probably would just do her own book, honestly.)

I mean, Frank Cho? There are hundreds of artists more capable and having more of an impact than him. Leaving aside the cheesecake, there’s something about the way he draws figures and backgrounds that looks unfinished and amateurish.