mistakes on Corben (1)

There are some myths, fallacies or misunderstandings, put the name you prefer, concerning certain particulars from Richard Corben’s work. In future posts we’ll go deep inside few of them. Now let’s start with the airbrush question, overrated tool supposed to have imaginary significance in this artist procedures.

That blessed airbrush! – (1st part)

Revising documentation related to Corben, be it interviews, reviews, printed or web articles… it’s amazing certain obstinacy in this airbrush question, mainly concerning two specific aspects: color on the one hand, volume on the other.
It makes an evaluation error giving outstanding significance to a tool with no more to do than grease pencils or Sharpie pens that Corben uses too. Not a big mistake, but it could be interesting going deeper inside this matter to clear it up and pointing other techniques and procedures on his work.

Airbrush seems to be generic explanation for a series of characteristics and special features making this author works one of a kind. It comes up as an ideal all-purpose concept to report on such unusual skills and display of new artistic resorts.

Where’s the origin for this idea?

1.- In Corben’s not-so-underground-as-used-to-be-said beginnins, early works caused a great stir for its higher elaboration stage, technical level and plastic quality. Those factors seem more evident and notorious in a non demanding context on such aspects. Later sixties and early seventies fanzines and prozines where featuring ­–rare and respectable exceptions apart– rather poor stuff, amateur level, specially weak on the graphic side. In such scene, Corben comics, using zipatone doth screens and airbrush effects, had to be a commotion and had to stand out over the rest. By the time, it was taken for sure that Corben has introduced the tool in comic media; but that's something Corben himself clarifies in Jan Strnad interview.

2.- Looking through Corben’s production amongst 1970 and 1972 we can find some stories where extensive use of the airbrush is pretty evident: “Inna Pit” (1970), “Razar the Unhero” (1970), “Encounter at War” (1971), “Heirs of Earth” (1971) y “The Awoken” (1972). Zipatones and ink crosshatching are given up for modelling and lighting. Airbrush gradients and effects are used instead of them with new and impressive results. In following works airbrush evidence fades out to become just another tool with the rest (let’s say specific effects, help on some elements modelling, ambience and atmosphere effects, backgrounds…). Except for “Instinct” (1977), you can hardly see its trace, and not so evident, in such tittles as “Going Home” (1972) and “Oval Portrait” (1975).

Page 2 excerpt from one of "Encounter at War" versions

3.- By that time you could find a bunch of covers showing a restless Corben trying for new solutions with this tool. Illustrations like those in SlowDeath #3 and #4, Anomaly #3 and #4, Fever Dreams, Up from the Deep featuring an illustration from “Cidopey”, Fantagor #1 back cover featuring an illustration from “Twilight of the Dogs”. The use of airbrush for illustration evolves quite similar as described in comic topic.

Slow Death #4 cover; character perfectly fit as Cid & Opey...


As suggested before, that airbrush resort just “gives name” for a whole lot of characteristics and special features never seen before the first publication of Corben early works.

Why this fixation on airbrush? Maybe with this word you can explain such a varied and full of novelties repertory –especially in the field of comic–, concerning modelling, subtle lighting, corporeal nature of volumes, variety and credibility on textures and special effects.

However and despite all those traces we’ve seen, just a certain knowledge about plastic techniques and art procedures is enough to reject the idea. Tonal exuberance, delicacy at modelling, feeling of volume, all those atributes that define Corben art work, are not the result of airbrush employment. He can achieve same values and qualities whatever technique or material he plays with. Actually, they are the result of his particular way of seeing and representing, they are a part of his graphic conception of illustration processes. Same so called airbrush effects get way more beliebable and controled when he works pencil gradients, ink, gouache or acrilics washing, as we’ll see in further posts. As said before, except for this early stage testing this tool potentials, once his curiosity is satisfied, airbrush presence fades out to become just another tool with the rest.

Concluding current post, we realize this airbrush mistake isn’t relevant for nothig but enhancing Corben’s work special attributes and putting us on Corben factor trail.

(to be continued...)

first steps...

With Richard Corben and his work in focus, here it goes a long time planned project. Not the first devoted to this author, nor willing to compete with the ones existing, what makes it different is the origin and character of contents. Every idea we are running over is an extract from the works by the author of this blog for a research thesis for Faculty of Fine Arts (U.C.M.). They’ll be shown here as analysis or essay articles on concrete subjects.

More than thirty years later, still there are a lot of astonishing aspects in Richard Corben’s career that keep us looking up. Eyes back, every single piece of his work has resisted passage of time. Even earlier comics are startling today as they were back in the moment of first publication. There’s a kind of out-of-time-permanence breathing over such an original and outstanding works.

This blog-site set focus on most outstanding features in this comic phenomenon works. Posts are going to be reflections on specific ideas; sometimes questions thrown into the eter waiting for other eter-naut’s knowledge to fill the gap; other times, concrete panel or illustration analysis; or brief dissections of certain work o procedure… At the same time, we’ll describe a whole record for the evolution in the work of Kansas genius.

As it was said before, Every idea developed here has its origin in this blog author works on a research thesis for Faculty of Fine Arts (U.C.M.). Therefore, every single argument is going to be personal opinion of this blog author. Every theory, concept and explanation are based on own deductions and in all the information managed and given by other fans. Of course, this blog contents are open for your corrections, suggestions and contributions. And, finally, everything keeps pending for any clarification, observation or denial from Mr. Corben himself (I hope this happens).