Head over to the Comics Alliance today for my latest (slightly NSFW) contribution, a gallery of great comics artists who, in addition to their mainstream work, made their mark on the wonderful world of pornography!
There are a couple of my favorites in there–notably Colleen Coover and Phil Foglio–but you might notice that there were a few left out, too, owing to a couple of factors. Laura Hudson added in R. Crumb since my knowledge of underground comix is sketchy at best, and I made a conscious decision to stay away from manga since, while Gunsmith Cats
Besides those, though, some of you might be surprised to find that an article about dirty comics omits the ISB’s “favorite” adult comic despite the fact that its creator has pretty much been drawing ridiculously busty naked women since his 77-plus-issue run on Catwoman ended, and the reason for that is simple: I’m honestly not sure if that guy’s crazy or brilliant.
Enjoy! But, uh, probably best to not enjoy at work. Just sayin’.
Dylan Horrocks has done mainstream work for Batgirl and Books of Magic, as well as “indie” work like the award-winning Hicksville – and he’s fairly well known for also doing a whole set of dirty books.
Carla Speed McNeil’s closest work to mainstream was illustrating a Warren Ellis piece for Avatar, but since I’m stretching it anyway – she’s done a few explicit side-stories featuring the characters from her Finder series.
So I go looking for the observer story on Heroes Con and I see the following (unrelated) headline:
Man charged for nude pics of 12-year-old
And I can’t be the only person who said ‘I hope they got the person who sold them to him….’
Uh, is there a particular reason you’re retelling this story on this post in this blog? Sims, is there something you want to talk to us about?
Jack Kirby!
Okay no, not really. I just wanted to freak you out. He and Joe Simon did some tame romance comics though.
(Also Soul Love)
I had no idea Coover was doing mainstream work! I used to beat off to that ‘small favors’ comic so regularly and effectively that I think if I grabbed some of her marvel stuff I’d probably nut in my pants by sheer instinct!
Really? Kiyohiko Azuma? My goodness. Looking at some of the early chapter breaks in the Azumanga Daioh omnibus, I’m not terribly suprised, but still…
“Dirty” is a much more appropriate term than “adult” or “mature”.
Thanks for recounting that for us, Jimmy.
I was kind of surprised not to see Wally Wood turn up in the list. Though I guess considering his time drawing adult picture is more part of a depressing downward spiral in his life rather than an amusing sideline to his regular work it might have been a bit heavy for the feature…
I can never read Yotsuba to my daughter again. Damn you Sims!
Hang on, he only illustrated it and needed the money.
You’re reprieved. Just.
Huh. Consciously avoiding manga, but Empowered made the list. Adam Warren would probably be pleased, since that book seems to suffer from being confused with manga on a depressingly regular basis. Volume 5 hit stores yesterday. The continuity level continues to rise, and the bondage jokes have dropped off quite a bit.
Well, compared to volume 1, anyway. :)
“being confused with manga on a depressingly regular basis.”
Given Warren clearly reads manga and draws in a manga influenced art-style I somehow doubt the confusion is unintentional.
I guess I should’ve said that I consciously stayed away from Japanese manga creators, but I left out Fred Perry’s Gilligan’s Island-esque porn comic too. I guess I just think of Warren as more mainstream American comics, since he’s done so much work for Marvel and DC.
You should have mentioned Gilbert Hernandez’s Birdland, too. Severely dirty stuff.
Brian Bolland also started off with “Little Nympho in Slumberland”, which was printed in a couple of fanzines and such. I believe it was the same ones reprinted in heavy metal magazine a few years back…OR SO SOMEONE TOLD ME.
It happens a lot.
Ditko did a few weird fem-dom and bondage comics for his friend Stanton.
Laura and I talked about including those, but has it actually been confirmed?
Ditko denies it, but they shared a studio and some of the panels and poses (and hands) are pure Ditko, so the assumption is that Ditko at the very least helped ink some panels to help with deadlines.
But why would Steve Ditko lie? Any compromise only benefits evil and hurts good!
You should have included William Moulton Marston, in which case the dirty comics would actually be his mainstream work! (OK, Wonder Woman wasn’t really dirty but it most certainly was kinky.)
Also, I kind of wanted to read Small Favors, but jimmy chu’s response was just creepy.
“Given Warren clearly reads manga and draws in a manga influenced art-style I somehow doubt the confusion is unintentional.”
Nor accidental, even. Regardless, he has discussed the problems inherent in drawing superhero comics in manga style in the past. Confuses the marketing guys no end, and at least some potential fans pass on his work because of either the theme or the art not matching their expectations. Must be kind of frustrating.
I enjoyed your burn on the Charlotte Observer. Those bastards have had it too soft for too long.
How about Don “Megaton Man” Simpson and his turn as a porno comicographer inder the pseudonym Anton Drek?
I love your site. I look forward to reading more of your posts. Thank you!