Evaluating Paul Murry

[JTorci3511@aol.com]

Everyone:

I asked Sigvald why he appears to believe that the knowledge that other 
writers were responsible for Paul Murry's comic book stories SOMEHOW 
DIMINISHED Mr. Murry's art.  He responded: 

"No, but it tell me that Murry was not as inventive as I have been lead to
believe. Earlier Murry has been given the credits for inventing characters
like Dangerous Dan McBoo and Idgit the Midgit. It now seems that he just
presented other persons ideas???"

And exactly what is so wrong with that, Sigvald?  Outside of Disney comics, 
it is almost always the norm.  Is the great artist/painter Alex Ross any less 
so because his best known work for Marvel and DC was written by Kurt Busiek, 
Mark Waid, and Paul Dini?  

I have never had a higher regard for artist Jim Lee than I do on his current 
run on BATMAN.  Is he lessened by the fact that BATMAN's scripts are prepared 
for him by the equally brilliant writer, Jeph Loeb?  

Then again, Erik Larsen is always enjoyable as the sole writer/artist of 
SAVAGE DRAGON.  But, would that rank him higher than Alex Ross and Jim Lee.  
I doubt even Larsen, himself, would presume that.  

Writer/Artists like Barks, Rosa, Van Horn, and sometimes Gottfredson are the 
exception to the way most comic book material -- be it "funny animal" OR 
super hero -- is created.  Oh, and does Van Horn fluctuate, depending on 
whether John Lustig has written the story for him?  Not in MY book!  

Also, thanks to Klaus Spillmann's early efforts, I've known for about 20 
years that Murry did not write his stories, or create his characters.  Yes, I 
was disappointed to learn that -- but only because most of the Murry stories 
I knew and loved had SUCH A CONSISTENCY TO THEM (...unlike the Strobl DONALD 
DUCKS, that seemed to vary more, according to noticeably different writing 
styles) that I was certain that they were the product of one man (I thought 
Murry, himself).  BUT, my enthusiasm and love for his art remains 
undiminished to this day.   

So, if there's any "reevaluation" to be done, Sigvald, I'd say it should be 
of the sources of your information, rather than the very talented Mr. Murry.  


Joe Torcivia. 



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