Judd Winick

[Vin]

Hey guys,
I don't read comics but I found out something very interesting that I wanted to share with you. Last week, I was speaking to my school's Mac Lab aid Mrs. Winick and I noticed she had several comic covers on her desk. I joked around with her and mentioned that it was probably the college intern at my school's comics. She then went on to say that they were her son's. I thought she meant that they were his meaning that he owned the comics, but she say her son's a comic book writer.

Previously, I had known that her son, whose name is Judd Winick, was on the Real World (a show I've never seen), but I had no idea that he was a comic writer. She told me that one of his comics about a boy genius, something "Ween" will becoming a film at Disney. In addition to this, I found out he wrote something called "Pedro and Me" (IIRC). Anyway, I checked out our comics section at TZ and found out that Mr. Winick writes on "Green Lantern" too. Just thought it might interest you guys.

Having not known much about Judd, what are your thoughts on him?

[Calhoun07]

My favorite work by Judd Winick has been and probably always will be Frumpy the Clown (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1929998112/qid=1011471692/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_10_1/102-2820131-8032117/toonzone.03) , his newspaper comic strip that he retired way to early IMO. It had incredible potential, and I would place it up there with the best of the strips such as Calvin and Hobbes, Fox Trot, Liberty Meadows, Citizen Dog, and others. I can't recommend enough the two volumes NBM put out that collects the entire run of the strip.

[Vin]

Originally posted by calhoun07
My favorite work by Judd Winick has been and probably always will be Frumpy the Clown (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1929998112/qid=1011471692/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_10_1/102-2820131-8032117/toonzone.03) , his newspaper comic strip that he retired way to early IMO. It had incredible potential, and I would place it up there with the best of the strips such as Calvin and Hobbes, Fox Trot, Liberty Meadows, Citizen Dog, and others. I can't recommend enough the two volumes NBM put out that collects the entire run of the strip.

Oh yeah, she had a picture of that, something Barry Ween: Boy genius, some action characters and apparently, Jade from the DC Comics. His mom is extremely nice. We got into a big conversation about it and she is very proud of what he's accomplished. In fact, she's got posters all over the Mac Lab of some of his characters, which I didn't know were her son until last week!

[don Jaime]

Disney's going to do a Barry Ween?! Since Preacher ended, it's got the foulest language of any comic on the planet. It's also too funny to be a viable Disney vehicle. Go get some. There are three TPBs out and the "Monkey Tales" storyline ends in the next month or so.

Pedro and Me chronicles the life and death of Pedro Zamora, one of Winick's Real World roomies. I scanned it in the bookstore and damn near cried. I havne't worked up the nerve (or cash) to buy it yet, but if you have...go get it.

[Terminatah]

Originally posted by Calhoun07
My favorite work by Judd Winick has been and probably always will be Frumpy the Clown (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1929998112/qid=1011471692/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_10_1/102-2820131-8032117/toonzone.03) , his newspaper comic strip that he retired way to early IMO. It had incredible potential, and I would place it up there with the best of the strips such as Calvin and Hobbes, Fox Trot, Liberty Meadows, Citizen Dog, and others. I can't recommend enough the two volumes NBM put out that collects the entire run of the strip.

OH MY GOD NO. That strip was HORRIBLE. It doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence as Calvin and Hobbes, FoxTrot, or even Citizen Dog. It was, at best, an imitation of a decent comic strip. There was no redeeming value to either the writing or the artwork, because both sucked. I am sure his other works are superior to this atrocity because they'd have to be.

If you want to talk about an underappreaciated strip, let's talk about Dan Piraro's Bizarro.

-Terminatah

[Calhoun07]

I guess we are just going to have to do one of those At the Movies type of reviews here, where Ebert and Roper just agree to disagree. While the strip was a tad painful to read at first and I could not figure out why the St Paul Pioneer Press picked it up, the strip really did hit it's stride early on and I just loved it. And more than Bizzaro, which had more duds than hits, IMO.

[kid_flash]

I love Frumpy the Clown...I visited Oni, got a free copy of it (didn't even know what the heck it is), and I loved it. It's some of the best stuff out there.

[Vin]

Just bumping this to see if anyone else has any opinions on him. I never knew really much about him and now there seems more conversation about him, I guess mainly due to "Green Lantern" and its direction.

[Reed Richards]

i LOATHE Judd Winnick

I probably wouldn't hate him PERSONALLY but I hate his work on Green Lantern

[Emerald Archer]

I guess the general consenus is that Judd is a very talented individual. But fandom is pretty much split 50/50 on his work on Green Lantern. Lately the Anti-Judd group seems to be growing.

[Sugar Daddy]

He's an ok writer, although I haven't liked where Green Lantern has gone the past few issues.

BTW, what does IIRC mean?

Originally posted by Vincent Benenati
In addition to this, I found out he wrote something called "Pedro and Me" (IIRC

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

IIRC--If I recall correctly. Not too hard to surmise given the context people use it in.

[Sandoz]

I'm not too familiar with Mr. Winnick. I've taken a look at some of his artwork, like Barry Ween, and I really don't care for it.

[Jor-El]

I detest, despise, loathe, hate and abhore Judd's work on Green Lantern. I don't know that I'd hate him personally and probably wouldn't hate his mother. And I've never read his other work (which I hear is good,) but his work on Green Lantern is, (speaking as a LONG TIME fan of Green Lantern and the legacy that the name carries with it,) is total garbage and isn't really worth reading.

[Clayface]

Let me just throw in with the crowd here that hates/despises Judd. I loathe both his comic work, and him as an individual. Granted, I don't know him persoanlly, but if his appearance on MTV's The Real World and the various interviews I've read were even the slightest true representation of him and who he is, I hate him. He's whiney, he annoying, and he constantly feels the need to profess his ideals and values to the world, whether asked about them or not. The funny thing is, its not his values that offend me, but the way in which he constantly needs to shove those values down your throat in everything he writes and many of the interviews he gives. True, I've never spoken with him personally, but, from what I've seen of him, I have no interest in ever doing so.

[Emerald Archer]

Wow. I've been in the field of Comic Books for a lot of years, and I heve never, ever seen the kind of antipathy that is directed at Judd Winick. I won't comment on him as a person, because I don't know him, and I think the any inference that we draw about him as a person from MTV's "Real World" just strikes me as being a pretty shallow way of judging him as a person. With that said, I do feel that his professional efforts are fair game. To say that I am underwhelmed by his work is putting it very mildly. He efforts of Green Lantern are inconsistant at best. I'll be posting my review of GL 153 this weekend, and I have to say that I just can't express how completely "off" that issue is.

Hand in hand with that is the current media buzz about GL #154, including an apperance by Judd on Donahue last night. As I feared, this is being handled in a publicity grabbing, hamfisted way. I understand that Judd has been a tremendous champion for the rights of the gay minority, ever since the tragedy of Pedro Zamora, but this has nothing to do with awakening the conscieness of the masses. It is pandering in an attempt to boost the sales of a title that is in deep trouble because a majority of fans are beginning to turn against the course the book is taking.

[Vin]

Thanks for the information and thoughts, guys. Not sure if you guys know (or care), but his mom, who I mentioned is extremely proud of what he accomplished, mentioned to a girl last year that he was getting married to someone who was also on the "Real World."

Our school Mac Lab is literally covered in posters of his work, mostly cartoon pictures.

[Emerald Archer]

I seem to recall that he was engaged to be married to one of his housemates from the show. I don't remember her name but she is a very lovely asian-american. Anyone remember who it is?