July 29th, 2020

Per the question of digital or air-brush....here is a treatment that is both. It uses an early version of software from the old Macro-Mind folks....... hand drawn back then....using the mouse. Then later I added color accents using the air-brush. All back in the '80s. Copyright 2020 Turtel Onli.

"As for this image and a lot of my work I pose this question yet again.

 In the upper levels of the art world and to most folks, should an artist work in the world of comix and cartoons the artist is thought of as being less of an artist.  Devalued and sometimes as a non-artist.  Yet highly valued artist often state they were influenced by comix or cartoons and they are treasured, highly sough after and often their artwork sells endlessly for high prices to collectors and museums.  Why is that?  We even see "fine artists" who actually copy a panel ....poorly at that, from a obsure comic book....painted in oils or acrylics....then sole at very high prices.  Not sharing a cent of the revenues with the comix-artist who created the original art.  Why is that?  What is that logic and appraisal?

I contend that good to great comix artist are way more skilled and prolific than most celebrated "fine artists". Put them both to a universal measure of imagination, technical skills, design draftsmanship, time management, expressive narratives, and production consistency.  Then evaluate them yourself.  Not using the bias filter of 'comix are junk for kids" or personal tastes .  Be objective.  That is why these fine artist could only....at best....poorly..... copy a single panel for a page of a comic book.  Then using snob-appeal marketing methods present it as "Fi neArt" for a monied market that looks down on comix.

The rigor and skill set needed to do more is simply beyond most fine artists.....and they n=know this.  No wonder they find comix a source of inspiration.

Another one of my objectives with this Summer 2020 Residency is to shed that bias that others apply to leverage my vast output in comix to devalue my more opulent practice as a Rhythmistic Fine Artist.  Not to mention my diverse tenure as a major market illustrator."