And we wonder why so many comics are completely derivative?

Today, I read an interview with Arcana Studio members where the artists were asked what "historical" creators they admire most. Their responses:

Sean - Stan Lee has signed Kade #1 and it's on my wall along with a picture of him. I mean he is 'The Man'. I also love all projects created by Humberto Ramos …I think I really admire his energy and professionalism that he brings to any project. It's always incredible art and a GREAT story that is so unique. Jerry Siegel and Mark Millar are definitely very high up there as well.

I'd make the obvious Jerry Siegel-and-Mark Millar-in-the-same-sentence joke, but I'm tired. Still, Millar and Ramos "historical?" Lee, I get. Like him, hate him, have no opinion on him, whatever, but he has made a mark on comics in a way Ramos and Millar haven't yet. Siegel, obviously. However, Siegel seems like a name thrown in there to add some kind of historical perspective. But it's something, I suppose.

Mario - Todd Mcfarlane, Mike Mignola, Stan Lee, Erik Larsen. Why? Because these guys made awesome characters.

Again, if one strikes Stan Lee (and I think if you went to some random boy in a cornfield in the middle of Iowa, or somewhere, he'd tell you the best creator of all time is Stan Lee, because that's the name the non-comics types associate the medium with), that leaves... Todd McFarlane? Mike Mignola? Erik Larsen? Now, I'm not going to knock Mignola's talents, and Larsen can be fun... but historical? Well, at least we've bumped up "historical" to approximately twenty years, as opposed to ten.

Todd - I've been a fan of John Romita Jr.'s work for a lot of year. Way back in the 80's when his stuff still resembled his dads. I don't know if you'd consider that creative or not. I also really admire Ditka's work. I didn't really as a kid because I was a fan of the huge, muscular style that most artists were drawing in back then. However, I've grown to love the fact that he drew Spidey as a regular guy, which is what he was. So cool.

Hey, I love JR JR's work, so I won't knock that. But we're still in that time range (the 80's... not, you know, the '80s. Sorry - big, stupid pet peeve of mine). I've never really been a fan of Ditka, because I don't follow football. Yes, it's just a typo, but it's a telling one.

Please, comic creator peoples... read something other than "the new hotness." Fuck, read something other than comics, just so we can freshen up the same shitty rehashed concepts during the next round of "hey! he's like Batman, but he kills people! In, um... the year 2014!" or whatever.