I meant to mention the untimely death of Kevin O'Neill before now, but my energy levels have been a bit low these last few days. I can't be 100% sure, but I think I met him - or at least saw him - around the 2000 A.D. offices at least once, and have the impression I saw him again when he brought in his resized pages of Metalzoic to Irwin House for reprinting in 2000 A.D. Talented artist, and a sad loss for comics, even though I read he'd retired from the medium.
Other blogs will have more detailed accounts of the man's life and career, and there are bound to be lots of heartfelt tributes from those who knew and worked with him, and deservedly so. For my own part, although I never knew him and only maybe met him, it's a sad loss all the same, so R.I.P. Kevin. The above cropped photo is from Ally Sloper #2, taken at Comics 101 in 1976 (I think). That's Kevin on the left, and the bespectacled man on the right is Frank Hampson.
So I'm a bit late with this, but I didn't want Kevin's passing to go unacknowledged on Crivens!
I think my first exposure to Kevin O'Neill's work were the covers he drew for Fantasy Unlimited fanzines #15 and #16 in 1972. I still have those zines. Going at age sixty-nine is way too young.
ReplyDeleteI think I first saw his name on Captain Klep on the back page of Tornado, B. Whether I saw any of his work before, I can't recall.
ReplyDeleteI'm just about to begin a comprehensive reading of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by O'Neill and Alan Moore. Been gathering up the books for weeks now. I'm always sad to hear about another of my favorite artists falling prey to time. I first ran across his work on his Marshall Law work, and I found it wild and raucous but extremely compelling.
ReplyDeleteIt's selfish I know, RJ, but each death of a comics artist or writer reminds of my own mortality. Only seems like yesterday they were alive and working in comics, but now, alas, no longer. Someone once showed me the 'rape' scene in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, thinking it was highly amusing, but I was less than impressed. Moore just goes too far sometimes, in my estimation.
ReplyDeleteI always liked Kevin's humour art on strips like Dash Decent and Captain Klep as well as his serious style. Marshall Law was to say the least raucouse, I loved it. I still find it amazing the Comics code "objected" to his art style on a Tales of the Green Lantern story and refused to pass it although by then no one paid any attention and the story was published anyway
ReplyDeleteI'd love to know what specific panels they objected to, McS, but I read it was more a case of them just objecting to his style - period.
ReplyDeleteYes, it was just his actual art style they objected to not any particular panels. I have that issue and the art is certainly different from traditional US comic art but I can't see the problem.
ReplyDeleteI have to be honest and say that I wasn't exactly keen on his style on Marshall Law, etc., but there's no denying that he could draw. Different horses for different courses, I suppose.
ReplyDeleteI just finished my "obit" on Kevin O'Neill today, which lacks any biographical data and is mostly about my estimation of how his art evolved doing LEAGUE OF EX-GENTLEMEN. Here's the link for those interested:
ReplyDeletehttps://arche-arc.blogspot.com/2022/11/quick-obit-on-kevin-oneill.html
And I'm sure everyone who reads Crivens will be interested, GP. I'll read it tomorrow, 'cos I'm just off to my bed.
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