Posted in: Comics, Swipe File | Tagged: brian cunningham, dc comics, Joelle Jones, marvel, pepe larraz, trial of the amazons, wonder woman, x-men

Brian Cunningham Defends Joelle Jones Over X-Men Swipes

Published Fri, 11 Feb 2022 08:27:16 -0600

by Rich Johnston

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Last week, Bleeding Cool ran a Separated At Birth feature over similarities between the work of Joelle Jones on the upcoming Trial Of The Amazons #1 and Pepe Larraz on X-Men #1. And we included this handy animated gif to make the point.

We also pointed out that swiping has a long and proud tradition in comic books, and quoted Wally Wood's classic "Never draw what you can swipe. Never swipe what you can trace. Never trace what you can photocopy. Never photocopy what you can clip out and paste down". Comic book creators always swipe for a variety of reasons, from inspiration to perspiration to meeting deadlines. It's just sometimes fun to point them out. But some people who responded to Samuli from Finland's original tweet have been rather virulent in their response.

On this occasion, former DC Senior Editor and former Wizard Magazine editor Brian Cunningham has come to Joelle Jones' defense tweeting;

Please consider for a moment that there are entire books of ready-made poses out there, designed as a resource for artists. (http://mastersofanatomy.com) They're made with the full intent of "swiping." You can even use a torso of one pose and legs of another.

Look familiar? Credit for the art I showed: Raul Moreno as seen in Female Action Poses (Masters of Anatomy Book 4). Raul's work within it is really excellent. Wonderful resource for any artist.

Indeed it is. And these are wonderful resources. But in this case, the likeness is far closer, and through sources, Bleeding Cool can confirm this as a swipe. But you know what? That's okay. Anyone with a knowledge of comic book history knows how common this is, some do it more than others, and it should be a source to follow inspiration, for trends, for the importance of an artist to the medium. If anything, it underlines the importance of Pepe Larraz right now, it's why he's on the latest iteration of the Bleeding Cool Power List (currently still with editorial). Sometimes imitiation is indeed the sincerest form of flattery…

Separated At Birth used to be called Swipe File, in which we presented two or more images that resemble each other to some degree. They may be homages, parodies, ironic appropriations, coincidences, or works of the lightbox. We trusted you, the reader, to make that judgment yourself. If you were are unable to do so, we asked that you please return your eyes to their maker before any further damage is done. The Swipe File itself didn't judge; it was interested more in the process of creation, how work influences other work, how new work comes from old, and sometimes how the same ideas emerge simultaneously as if their time has just come. Let those who are without swipe, cast the first stone. The Swipe File was named after the advertising industry habit where writers and artist collect images and lines they admire to inspire them in their work. It was swiped from the Comic Journal, who originally ran this column, and the now-defunct Swipe Of The Week website.

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