REVIEW: J. Scott Campbell: Time Capsule 1994-2004
Story By: Richard Starkings and John Roshell
Art By: J. Scott Campbell
Publisher: Image Comics
J. Scott Campbell’s work can be polarizing to many. The curvy frame  coupled with a cute face leads to charges of over sexualizing women, as if doing so, Scott Campbell is in fact a “bad guy”.
If that’s your stance on his work, this book may be an eye opener; for fans of his art (me included), its a welcome look at an artist as he moves through his own works, his life and of course his inspirations with the help of interviewer Richard Starkings
The book is broken into six main chapters, each with their own focus on certain periods of time or topics. As you would expect Gen-13 is in there as is Danger Girl. What may be surprising is chapters like G.I Joe and Transformers. Each topic features some artwork and interview questions and answers that are relevant. The attraction of the book is no doubt Scott Campbell’s work, but it has to be said that Starkings prose comes across as very natural.
Looking through the book, you can see how Campbell’s work has perfected over the years. Yes there will always be comparisons to Art Adams, but whilst the structure of the frame may be similar, that’s where the comparison should end. Adams work is detail orientated, with Scott Campbell less so instead relying on clean lines and emphasised facial expressions.
In the current climate, artists like J. Scott Campbell may not be as popular as they had once been. That’s a shame. People and critics need to realize that a female character can be drawn curvy and still be a strong character. Campbell’s work can border on cheesecake, and you know what, it’s ok to order a dessert.
[yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Author Profile
- I am a long time comic book fan, being first introduced to Batman in the mid to late 70's. This led to a appreciation of classic artists like Neal Adams and Jim Aparo. Moving through the decades that followed, I have a working knowledge of a huge raft of characters with a fondness for old school characters like JSA and The Shadow
Currently reading a slew of Bat Books, enjoying a mini Marvel revival, and the host of The Definative Crusade and Outside the Panels whilst also appearing on No-Prize Podcast on the Undercover Capes Podcast Network
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