My favorite etsy artists, RoganJosh

I have to start out by saying I know very little about comic books, graphic novels or animation of any kind. I did see the Iron Man movie, and liked it more than I thought it would, but that was mainly due to the infinite charms of Robert Downey, Jr. Also, I occasionally watch The Simpsons. I am completely ignorant about the entire genre. With that disclaimer in place, let me tell you how much I love the comics inspired art in RoganJosh's etsy shop. I ran across this first piece, Dazzler, when I was putting together a disco-inspired treasury. Dazzler is former club kid who became a mutant diva, according to the item description. Maybe that's why I identified with the print! The colors are amazing, and the piece has a kinetic power to it that's magical. There is clearly a recognizeable comic book influence here, but the print has added a new artistic dimension to the subject that makes it a different type of art that instantly appeals to a viewer like me, who knows absolutely nothing of the inspiration or the history of this established character.

Then I discovered Shade the Changing Man, with its incredible pattern and graphic quality. Isn't this amazing? Shade is a mad, mod poet. I didn't know that; I didn't have to know that to appreciate this print. I simply responded to it as an artistic image and was utterly knocked out by it. Both the action and geometry of the portrait clearly convey the character of the subject. The essence of the character has been minimalized to a point where it's immediately apparent, not to mention sophisticated and effective. Again, you don't need to know the roots of Shade to get his basic, striking appeal from this work.

Look at this amazing portrait print of character Emma Frost. This one reminds me of Erte, a highly stylized, almost Art Deco interpretation of a powerful female figure. Emma is a superhero-exotic dancer-financial baron-evil despot-teacher. I wonder what subject she teaches? Maybe civics.

There's a modernity and brightness to every piece in his shop that reminds me of industrialized European advertising and political posters from World War I and World War II. The figures are colorful, streamlined and pared down in an intellectual manner that makes them incredibly visually striking. I love the way these prints take established, well-known characters and reimagine them as formal portraits and character studies. Visit RoganJosh's shop for more fab Modernist mutants and minimalist marvels.