"I know; that's what bothers me." (from Tiny Dracula by Nathan Olsen)
"I know; that's what bothers me." (from Tiny Dracula by Nathan Olsen)
I don't know much about Olsen other than he has a Danish-Norwegian surname and his art vaguely fits under the umbrella of 'LC.' Specifically, I enjoy the playful style he uses in his comics. More samples from Tiny Dracula here:
first glance, I thought this was mike mignola's hellboy
Yet there's some clear differences.... especially when you look at the other work by Olsen. Still I have great admiration for this 'ink forward' style of illustration, and therefore am happy to learn about Olsen. Thanks a bunch
Also, I feel the comparison between Olsen and Mignola is quite telling for the difference between more bold American illustrations vs more, i don't know, delicate? European preferences.
Also, I feel the comparison between Olsen and Mignola is quite telling for the difference between more bold American illustrations vs more, i don’t know, delicate? European preferences.
Yes, I feel much the same way. Part of the reason I drifted from American to Euro comics over the years is because I like it when things are moreso alluded to rather than thrust in my face. I don't quite mean that as pejoratively as it maybe sound, but the style preference is there, and it seems to apply not just to the art but to the scripts, dialogue, storytelling, etc.
I think it just comes from a different culture. Same as with food, American culture is one of rapid growth and excess, whereas Europeans, especially in the south, tend to go a bit slower, with a bit more respect for tradition.
If you ever want a good read, Alessandro Barrico(IT) wrote a series of essays bundled in "the barbarians" where he explains about the clash between these two cultures way better then I ever could. In short, not doing him justice; he claims its a difference between going in depth (deep, specialized knowledge) or going wide (big networks, knowing a little bit about a lot of things).
I started out with the european stuff being eally lucky my dad is such a collector (and it's only in hindsight i realise how good his taste was; from Gaston to storm/trigie/ to moebius to Asterix) Then I grew up and started developping my own taste with the likes of Hellboy, Sandman, Watchman, scott pilgrim... only to eventually return to the european stuff because it's just so... sensible. TBF this blog is playing a big part in that return.
edit: before the american stuff, there was also a manga period btw. not really important to this comparison, but I guess its relevant to understand its not just a binary comparison... the world of mangaka's is so different again in its own right.
"LC"?