Image @ 25: J. Scott Campbell Draws the Founding Fathers
J. Scott Campbell has always had the gift for caricature, from the first day he walked into Jim Lee’s studios.
In 1993, Image produced a comic called “Image Plus.” Back in the pre-internet times, this was a nice way to get to know your favorite Image creators. All of the Founding Fathers answered a questionnaire for the comic, along with a dozen or more other creators who were well-known at Image at the time. That ranges from Danny Miki to Tom Orzechowski to Keith Giffen.
The interviews run two pages each, and talk about the tools the artists use, career highlights, and advice for wannabe comic creators. Imagine transcribing a podcast that only lasts about three minutes and asks the same questions every time.
Again, this is pre-internet. This $2.25 comic from Image Central is the best bet for screaming Image fans to learn more about their heroes.
For each of the seven founding fathers, J. Scott Campbell drew a caricature. I had completely forgotten about this, and haven’t seen these drawings in 20 years, I’d bet. Since Image Plus is long out of print with zero chance of every coming back, let me just cut to the part you all want to see: Campbell’s caricatures.
Whilce Portacio
For those of you who don’t get the joke, Portacio’s “Wetworks” featured people with yellow skin and big rocking guns.
Erik Larsen
He’s wearing Dragon’s fin. Get it? The shirt is a good sample of what Larsen was wearing at the time, judging by the pics of him I had seen in magazines back in the day. The caricature is, however, the least accurate of the bunch.
Rob Liefeld
What’s not to love about this one? Here’s Liefeld holding a Liefeldian gun, which carries everything in it, including the kitchen sink.
Jim Valentino
Valentino did eventually cut his hair, but the cowboy boots with the ShadowHawk costume make for a great look.
Marc Silvestri
The creator of CyberForce uses one of his characters as a stand-in for his body.
Todd McFarlane
Campbell must have been angling for a slot in the next “Stupid” issue with this one. On the cape there, it says, “100% FICTIONAL FABRIC.”
Love the smiley faces on his shoulders and the image “i” shorts with the safety pins as chains.
Jim Lee
Campbell draws his boss here with two of his characters, (brokeback) Zealot and Deathblow. On the latter’s leg, it says, “Back In black!”
Campbell was not fired after this saw print, so all must have been good.
But, Wait! There’s More! The Entire Homage Studios Staff!
You know how swimsuit issues were a thing? The “Homage Studios Swimsuit Special” included this image on the inside back cover. Drawn by Campbell, it has 18 more caricatures, not including a kangaroo making loving eyes at Jim Lee….
A Quick Suggestion
Maybe it’s time for J. Scott Campbell to do a Robert Kirkman caricature to update this collection?
