Monday, April 02, 2018

Ten of a Kind: What Do You Know About My Image Duplicator?












(More Ten of a Kind here.)

The title of this ten take-downs of Roy Lichtenstein (notice how every one of 'em has better lettering than the Larcenous Mr. L) is from this 1963 Lichtenstein artwork. You probably recognize the laid-back dude in it.


"What Do You Know About My Image Duplicator?" is...let's be frank and use the right word...plagiarized, as is most of Lichtenstein's comic-based art, from the good work of comic book writers and artists. So yeah, that's what I know about your fershluggin' image duplicator, Roy: it stinks.

Here's "Image Duplicator"'s original sources:


Panels from (L): The X-Men (1963 series) #1 (September 1963), sript by Stan Lee, pencils by Jack Kirby, inks by Paul Reinman, letters by Sam Rosen
(R): "The Return of General Immortus" in My Greatest Adventure (1955 series) #84 (December 1963), script by Arnold Drake, pencils and inks by Bruno Premiani

Ooooh boy, big man Roy, rippin' off Kirby and Arnold Drake. I extend my fuzzy bare butt in your general direction.

Curiously, Roy Lichtenstein actually exists within the Marvel Universe, as seen in this set of panels from Web of Spidey #73:


Panels from Web of Spider-Man (1985 series) #73 (February 1991), script by John Byrne, pencils by Alex Saviuk, inks by Keith Williams, colors by Bob Sharen, letters by Rick Parker

Didja spot Lichtenstein-616? He's the one living in the panel that's been Lichtensteinated.


We can but hope that Lichtenstein-616 died painfully under a pile of his trash paintings when the Incursion of May 2015 destroyed the Earth.

Sure, I'm as disappointed as you are that John Byrne didn't have Peter Parker punch the daylights out of Lichtenstein, but I guess he was too busy with changing to Spider-Man and saving Alicia Storm-Masters when villains attack her art exhibit.


Me, I'm just wondering why Alicia didn't ask "Peter, why are you wearing gloves now? And why does your voice sound muffled?"

Anyway, to wrap up, what do you think about high art, Calvin and Hobbes?


2 comments:

JDMeans said...

Two points of order regarding that issue of Web of Spider-Man:
1) That wasn't really Alicia, it was a Skrull imposter. Long, and ultimately fruitless story.
2) Not only did this issue feature the Human Torch and Sub-Mariner, it also had an appearance by Colossus. IIRC after the X-Men entered a mystic gateway called the Siege Perilous, Piotr emerged with no memory of his life as an X-Man and became a successful artist under the name of Peter Nicholas. Comic books, people!

Blam said...

Yeah, I'm not sure what I despise more about Lichtenstein's work — that horrible lettering or the fact that he's literally a complete ripoff artist. Okay, I am sure, and it's the latter, but I really do hate that lettering.