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| A sampling of the large banners behind the tables in ComicCon's exhibition hall |
Because artists at ComicCon come from all over the world, attendees can view a cross section of approaches and philosophies: sometimes the warrior holds the sword in her left hand, sometimes she holds it in her right hand. One groundbreaking artist was rumored to have depicted a woman holding the sword with both hands.
The long rows of banners created an army to rival the army of emperor Qin Shi Huang.
The similarity of these images occasionally made it difficult to navigate the hall. If you were instructed to "turn left at the eight foot banner of the half naked warrior girl," you might quickly find yourself in an endless loop.
Many of the artists responsible for these images showed considerable technical skill, although it is difficult to predict how they might fare with more diverse subject matter-- for example, a guy.
I'm sure this subject was a sensible choice for marketing purposes, and I give wide latitude to any artist trying to earn an honest living. However, after fifty years there are only so many refinements that can be made to the prototypes established by Frank Frazetta and a handful of other true creators. Time for some new prototypes.
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