On History: Roy Crane

I've noted my not-entirely-great experiences with Roy Crane in the past. I came across his work first in Buz Sawyer and only later found his earlier Wash Tubbs. You can read more of my problems with him there, but the upshot was that Crane depicted some terribly gross characterizations that I found quite objectionable.

That said, however, I did recognize his talent as a draftsman, and I know his work has been praised highly in that regard in the past. It's in that context that I watched this short documentary on Crane posted by the Kimbrough Library at Ringling College of Art + Design. It covers his entire career and, while it glosses over some of his decidedly un-PC depictions, it does elaborate on Crane's innovations and contributions in storytelling. (h/t Ben Towle for pointing me to the video)

It's well worth the sixteen minutes to sit through all five parts. I'm no expert on Crane, nor do I ever intend to be one given how much I dislike his actual stories, but it never hurts to have a better understanding of different aspects of comics history even if they're from creators who you dislike.

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