There are a few reasons I like David Lapham. First, he's a writer, artist and cartoonist but he's not too, too young. It's such a nice feeling when I find someone really talented and they're not half my age.
Second, David Lapham is the favorite artist of someone I think is ridiculously cool and sick talented. Really ridiculous and sick. Jason Rodriguez. Jason's cool and fun photos of the world I miss while I'm on my sofa are here.
Third, the reviews of David's work harken back to the literacy criticism I studied for so many years. I had. to look up some of the words. Coagulate. Eschew. Macabre. Metaphorical.
Well, I guess I'm being a bit theatrical. I knew what metaphorical meant.
Kinda.
So Jason - self-identifed as a swinger on MySpace - just recently turned me on to David Lapham. Lapham's history is really impressive and envy-inspiring. He is the winner of an Eisner Award, the prize given for creative achievement in American comic books.
Jason's status as a swinger is equally impressive. I admit that I suspect it's not what it means in the non-MySpace world.
But David's done a ton of stuff I wish I had done and had a ton of stuff published to great reviews. And because of David, who is not 20-something years old, I've learned what pencilling is.
According to Wiki:
To achieve a fast turn-around time in the production of comic strips and comic books, the production of the art was split between artists in an assembly line approach. The penciller draws the comic book in pencil, after which the work is sent to an inker who finishes the page in ink to make it ready for publication.
Pretty cool, huh?
So check out both of these guys. Great way to spend some sofa time.
And especially check out David's recent work - Young Liars.
David's offering a signed copy along with a headshot sketch of any character you want if you send him a copy for signing with SASE to:
David Lapham P.O. Box 3911 Glendale, CA 91221-0911