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Separated At Birth: Josef Rubinstein And… Everyone?

Josef Rubinstein is a comic book artist and inker, best known for inking Marvel Comics' The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, the Wolverine miniseries by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller, working with Mike Netzer, with Michael Golden on Micronauts, Jim Starlin's Warlock and Aquaman with Don Newton.

He also takes commissions from folk, and it is these that have caused some upset of late. When asked for a Gwenom commission, he provided this drawing.

Separated At Birth: Josef Rubinstein And... Everyone?

Which was rather similar to a Gwenom cover by InHyuk Lee.

Separated At Josef Rubinstein

And yes, InHyuk knows. But it unleashed a number of similar comparisons of commissions to whatever it was they were based on. Say did you know that Josef Rubenstein gave Art Adams his very first job? Maybe that might explain this Doctor Doom commission…

Separated At Birth: Josef Rubinstein And... Everyone?
Doctor Doom painting by Josef Rubinstein

…compared to this Doctor Doom cover by Art Adams.

Separated At Birth: Josef Rubinstein And... Everyone?

And when there were complaints, Rubenstein provided a replacement Doom.

Separated At Birth: Josef Rubinstein And... Everyone?
Doctor Doom painting by Josef Rubinstein

Which had it's own sources.

Separated At Josef Rubinstein

RD Tondro putting some side-by-sides together there. Statues clearly come in handy. Such as with this Red Sonja sketch.
Separated At Josef Rubinstein
Red Sonja sketch by Josef Rubinstein

Separated At Josef Rubinstein

And with this Wolverine.

Separated At Birth: Josef Rubinstein And... Everyone?
Wolverine by Josef Rubinstein

Separated At Birth: Josef Rubinstein And... Everyone?

And sometimes Josef Rubenstein has acknowledged previous sources, as with the "After ?" note on the following Storm sketch – though he is not entirely sure who drew the original. Terry Dodson by the way.

Separated At Josef Rubinstein

There are even repeat infractions, such as this Frank Cho cover sketch…

Separated At Birth: Josef Rubinstein And... Everyone?

Transformed into not only one sketch…

Separated At Birth: Josef Rubinstein And... Everyone?
Wolverine sketch by Josef Rubinstein
Separated At Birth: Josef Rubinstein And... Everyone?
Wolverine sketch by Josef Rubinstein

But two…

These weren't as lightboxed as others though, but how similar were they? Well, a photo by Adam Tomlin having him caught in the act…

Separated At Birth: Josef Rubinstein And... Everyone?
Photo of Josef Rubinstein  by Adam Tomlin, used with permission

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 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. 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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Rich JohnstonAbout Rich Johnston

Founder of Bleeding Cool. The longest-serving digital news reporter in the world, since 1992. Author of The Flying Friar, Holed Up, The Avengefuls, Doctor Who: Room With A Deja Vu, The Many Murders Of Miss Cranbourne, Chase Variant. Lives in South-West London, works from Blacks on Dean Street, shops at Piranha Comics. Father of two. Political cartoonist.
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