Critical Analysis of Art Work #1

Stan Lee Conquers the Martians (2013)

By Joe Jusko

(Oil-painting)

Description

This oil-painting by traditional fantasy artist Joe Jusko looks like a still from the pages of a silver age comic book, but with the amount of detail and care, resembling a mid-century film poster. What makes this piece interesting though, is that despite its authentic retro-sci-fi look and choice of media, it was actually done in 2013.  The relatively dated style for was used to trigger nostalgia in viewers for the dawn of comic book pop culture.

The image presents 2 opposing characters in a diagonal formation in the foreground, with a radial ‘explosion’ of comic books overlapping behind them filling up the red negative space. There is no background to inform of the space where the action is taking place but that is a throwback to the rather simplistic composition of early comic books, and how the action was central to the comic reading experience.

The colours used are intense and bright resulting in a vibrant piece.  The highlight in the centre of the piece underlines the impression of sudden action. An elderly man has obviously slapped a Martian across the jaw. Scattered pieces of the Martian’s helmet and typewriter keys form the line of movement of the strong hit.

Analysis

The choice of dynamic red sort of says ‘KAPOW’ in comic book terms, translating as heated action. The cream on the central figure plays off perfectly with it. Red and cream being classic mid-century colour combination, supports the retro feel of the piece.

Although equal in the amount of detail, the use of bright versus dark colours gives no doubt to who the antagonist and who the protagonist of the image is.

The gaze is immediately drawn to the face of the hero, which is achieved by making it brighter and basing the whole composition around it. If that was not so, if the alien was not as dark, perhaps the composition would be harder to follow, and the eyes would get lost in all the details of the piece.

The hero’s facial expression is quite comical showing strain, while the creature is quite expressionless. Cartooning it and not allowing it to have too human characteristics backs up the notion of it being the villain. The dark palette on the Martian somehow balances the black typewriter diagonally across the canvas.

The image is well structured in its relatively chaotic composition. For a viewer, more detail than what the artist has already provided is not necessary. Due to the light tone of the piece it is obvious that the ‘hero’ will triumph over the monstrous Martian. The premise of the piece is just so absurd that one can’t help but smile.

Interpretation

The hero figure is actually comic book icon Stan Lee, credited for the creation of many of Marvel’s main characters. The scattered comic books in the background hint to the large body of work Stan Lee has created. The use an old typewriter as his weapon of choice reflects his writing credentials and symbolically says that he has defeats a lot of these creatures in his writing.

The reason for the making of this piece was a limited series of The Topps Company trading cards for Stan Lee’s 2013 Comikaze comic book convention.

"In 1962 when Mars Attacks was making its mark on the world of trading cards, Stan and his stable of sensational superhero stories were transforming the landscape of comic books," said Topps' representative. "I can't think of any better match-up than these two pop culture icons to face off in the most outrageous, out-of-this world trading card crossover we've ever seen!" 

As an image it is a reflection of the dawn of the 60’s culture of entertainment. The fact that Stan Lee is there inside the worlds he is famous for creating, makes for a humorous effect, reflecting his fun persona. It is funny because of the unusual contrast of a frail old man giving a scary alien a beating. But for the people familiar with Marvel lore, it can be even funnier the more one dwells into the piece.

Judgment

This artwork is an interesting ‘pun’ of the history of the entertainment industry. As an artist that admires realistic representations of unrealistic subjects, one can appreciate the level of skill and effort put into that piece.

It could be said that it would be interesting to see what an artist of this calibre would do with the digital media, but in this particular case Joe Jusko’s style and technique is perfect for the task. The media used is a key feature in the mood the oil-painting sets, the warmth of which perhaps could not be achieved in any other media. The piece is meant to trigger nostalgia in classic comic book and pop-culture fans, and say it definitely succeeds in what it is supposed to.