Electric Team

I’ve really enjoyed every page of Electric Team art so far, but for me, Page 7 represents a new level of achievement for artist Samantha Albert. While the story has mostly been conversation and description so far, now we get to see Sam use the magic of comics.

Comics is not just about drawing handsome pictures. It’s about what you do with the pictures. Take, for instance, the greatest American comic book artist of all time, Jack Kirby. If you looked at a Kirby drawing in isolation, you may not understand what the big deal is. His figures are usually pretty simple and straightforward.

For example, here’s a Kirby drawing of a guy in a skull mask sitting in a chair:

You might look at that and think, “What’s the big deal? I’ve seen better drawings of guys sitting in chairs.” And it’s true, there are plenty of artists who could draw ornate, beautiful rendered pictures of people sitting. This particular image doesn’t knock your socks off. But it’s not supposed to; it serves a function as part of a larger whole. A comic is not about an image in isolation, it’s about the composition of images in panels, and the arrangement of panels next to each other.

Now, gaze on the complete page. Ignore the words, at first, and just follow the images from panel to panel.

Notice how, even though these are static two-dimensional drawings, Kirby creates the illusion of movement through space. You can SEE Captain America jumping, kicking and dodging; you can FEEL the impact as the Red Skull socks Captain America with his gun. How can you see movement on a flat, motionless page? Because of MAGIC. This is the magic of comics, right here.

It’s entirely possible to be a great illustrator but a lousy comic book artist, because you can’t tell a story with pictures.

Which is why I’m excited to see Sam break out her sequential art skills here on page 7. Have you ever tried to draw a child racing with a unicorn? It’s harder than it looks, but with this page, I can feel the movement.