Its easy to imagine baker becoming a star marvel artist like jack kirby. He later collaborated with inker jon dagostino as matt bakerino at. Clarence matthew baker worked during the goldenage, cocreator of the phantom lady at fox feature syndicate, he was noted for his good girl art and for being the artist on st. Ryan stegman was not aware that this is a very difficult book to track down. Matt bakers rightful place in the annals of comic book history has been debated by followers of the genre. Matt baker was a pioneering artist during comic books the golden age baker was a halloffame illustrator for much of the 1940s and 50s, the time period regularly referred to as comic books. He attended the cooper union school of engineering, art, and design in new york.
But it wasnt the color of his skin which made him such a significant figure in the history of the mediumit was his innate ability to draw gorgeous, exciting women and handsome, dynamic men in a fluid, graceful style. Its been a while since i wrote an artist spotlight article. Matt baker comic book art 24trading cards fantasy and cover art illustrations condition. Until you earn points all your submissions need to be vetted by other comic vine users. Influenced by such illustrative comic strip artists as hal foster and alex raymond, katz attended the school of industrial art. Back in the 1990s, sothebys held a breakthrough auction of comic book art. Baker was inducted into the will eisner comic book hall of fame in 2009. He specialized in the comic book genre known as good girl art. The best underwater comic book covers a collection of some of the top underwater comic book covers ever created. Baker contributed immensely to comic book artwork during the golden age of comic books 1930s1950s.
Amazon unboxing matt baker golden age comic book artist. Clarence matthew baker december 10, 1921 august 11, 1959 was an american comic book artist. Matt baker is often considered the first known successful africanamerican artist in the comicbook industry. He is mostly remembered for his work on the phantom lady series. Baker began his art career in 1944 when he joined the iger studio after graduating from cooper union school of engineering, art, and design. Matt baker s rightful place in the annals of comic book history has been debated by followers of the genre. But it wasnt the color of his skin which made him such a significant figure in the history of the. He is particularly well known for the good girl art of the early part of his career, although he would ultimately work in a variety of comic book. Some amazon unboxing of some of the works of golden age artist matt baker.
Matt baker comic book art cards fantasy and cover art illustrations seven seas comics cover art. Imagine dave stevens or adam hughes working in the 40s, drawing a new story every month, and youll have a good idea of matt. He was active during the golden age of comics books, roughly the 1930s to 1950s. His specialty was good girl art, a comics and cartooning subgenre. Matt baker comic book artist december 22, 20 ive finally purchased the biography as well as another book entitled the lost art of matt baker showcasing his work on the canteen kate comic stories from bud plant.
But since then i have come to really appreciate and admire a lot of baker s work. Matt baker is often considered the first known successful black comic book artist. Clarence matthew baker was given his first task as a background artist. Clarence matthew baker was a black comic book artist who died in 1959. Matt baker the art of glamour hc 2012 twomorrows comic.
He was the son of clarence and ethel baker, matt had two brothers, robert and john. Piedmontborn comic book pioneer matt baker news yesweekly. Matt baker was born clarence matthew baker on december 10, 1921, in forsyth county, north carolina. Matt baker, comic book artist fine art and antique appraiser. If you like my content consider donating to my kofi. I talked about this with veteran comics inker and historian jim amash. Clarence matthew baker december 10, 1921 august 11, 1959 was an american comic book artist and illustrator, best known for drawing early comics heroines such as the costumed crimefighter phantom lady, and romance comics. I was just googling bible animation to see what was out there and found your site. Im an animation student right now, hoping to break into the industry in the next couple of years. In the early 1940s, matt baker became of one the earliest africanamerican comic book artists. Baker specialized in what has become known as good girl comic book art for such publishers as fox, fiction house and later developed a more sophisticated drawing style for st john, charlton, atlas and other publishers. In the 1940s and 1950s, clarence matthew baker best known as matt baker was widely regarded as the master of the good girl style and is credited as the first successful black comic book artist in the comics industry.
The illustrations were for a book project titled the big bible challenge, which ended up winning childrens book of the year at christian resources together 2012, so id like to think that the illustrations played a part in that. Clarence matthew baker, commonly known as matt baker, was one of the first successful black comic book artists. Baker was an africanamerican comic book artist active from the mid1940s until his death in 1959. Matt baker 1921 1959 golden age comic artist, specializing in good girl art for adventure and romance comics, but also involved with adventure and western titles. Matt baker comic book art 24trading cards fantasy and etsy. African american comic book artist a shroud of thoughts. He matt had contracted rheumatic fever as a child, which had caused heart problems for him and classified him as draft exempt for world war ii. But by most accounts, he is considered the first successful black comic book artist, and perhaps the first altogether. Clarence matthew baker 19211959 clarence matthew baker, commonly known as matt baker, was one of the first successful black comic book artists. We made 20 of these comic book style illustrations for the book altogether, and even snuck ourselves into one scene, im not saying where. In 2008, he was inducted into the will eisner comic book hall of fame.
The son of clarence and ethel baker, matt and his brothers robert and john, moved with their parents to pittsburgh, pa. Clarence matthew baker was born on december 10, 1921 in forsyth county, north carolina. Creator of the phantom lady comic book character and the early graphic novel it rhymes with lust from 1950. Matt baker comics checklist by pencil ink, a blog on comics and comic book artists of the past. Matt baker cover and art, very nice baker canteen kate gga issue. Baker was active as early as the 1930s and 1940s golden age of comic books. He attended the cooper union school of engineering, art, and.
Matt baker is called the first known africanamerican artist to find success in the comic book industry, but that claim presents a lot of questions. Matt baker was a pioneering artist during comic books the. Among the most famous comic book artists to emerge during the latter half of the golden age of comic books was matt baker. Matt baker comic artist the most popular comic art by. Born clarence matthew baker on december 10, 1921 in north carolina, he came of age in pittsburgh, pennsylvania. John publications digestsized picture novel it rhymes with lust 1950. Insert copy here, which should vary depending on your region. Jack katz born 1927 is an american comic book artist and writer, painter and art teacher known for his graphic novel the first kingdom, a 24issue epic he began during the era of underground comix. Matt baker, the first black comic book artist, was born on december 10, 1921, in forsyth county, north carolina. Baker is often considered to be the first african american comic book artist. Matt baker was a prolific africanamerican comic book artist from the mid1940s to his death from heart disease in the late 1950s, when baker was only in his late.
His iconic female images have made matt baker comics hot property. Matt baker is recognized as the most known africanamerican comic book artist during the golden age of american comics. In the years hence, the genre has captured the imagination of collectors the world over. He is considered a master in drawing the female form. Baker started his career in 1944 working for fox, fiction house tiger girl and sky girl and atlas. Sequential art created for comic books and graphic novels back to top. Matt baker author of ghosts and girls of fiction house. Whereas most of the comic book artists belonging to bakers generation were clearly inspired by such syndicated strip masters as alex raymond, harold foster or. Clarence matthew baker december 10, 1921 august 11, 1959 was an american comic book artist and illustrator, best known for drawing early comics. Shop for matt baker art comics on, your friendly online comic book store.
This seemed to be the perfect time to shine the torch on a talent that is really starting to make some noise within the comic circles, shannon maer. Matt graduated from westinghouse high school in homewoodbrushton. In 1944, he got a job as a background artist with the s. In this series of works i attempt to reconcile the work and life of artist matt baker 19211959 with the sometimes deadly contemporary perception of black men as criminals and sexual aggressors. Baker was the master of a stylistic phase of comic books in the late 1940s, wedged in between the superhero and the horror comics, known to the fans and collectors as good girl art, which is to say comics that constituted a kind of narrative version of a pinup.
Sequential art created for comic books and graphic novels. Matt baker american 19211959 is considered to be the first african american comic book artist. Today the appraisal group celebrates the life and work of matt baker 19211959, the first africanamerican graphic artist to find success in the comic book industry. Mostly golden age, silver age and bronze age comics.
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