Comics Great Walter Simonson Defends Recolored Reprint Editions

In a post on Facebook last night, legendary Thor artist Walter Simonson (whose RoboCop vs. The Terminator was just reprinted as an oversized hardcover edition from IDW Publishing) defended the policy of recoloring older works when they're reprinted for the modern comics market.

He noted that reprinted modern editions improve any number of other elements of older, cheaper comics and that singling out the color becuase it's the most obviously different seems easy but that it's ultimately not as satisfying to him to see things recolored the old way:

I've had some of my older work reprinted in the last couple of years. Mostly, it's been recolored. And naturally, commentary on the web range from those who like the new coloring to those who abhor it and wish companies would reprint the art with the original color. What I find interesting about such discussions is that in the case of the older work that was originally printed on newsprint, such as my run on Thor, I've almost never seen any comments regarding the much improved reproduction of the artwork itself in the newer printings. There are lines that haven't dropped out, blacks that are actually black instead of gray, and an overall crispness impossible to capture on newsprint. I'm cool if somebody likes the old coloring, but the original printings seem akin to looking at the art through tissue paper to me now.

Currently, Simonson is working on Ragnarok, his creator-owned stab at the Thor mythology.

Here's what veteran comics writer Todd Dezago had to say about that project on Facebook:

From the Luckiest-Guy-On-The-Planet Dept.--Got to spend a wonderful afternoon/evening with Weezie, Loki, and Walter Simonson tonight and, especially, got to see (and, yes, hold in my hands!!) the originals to Walter's RAGNAROK Issues 1 and 2!! You are all in for a HUGE treat and if you don't already have this book on your pull-list--DO IT! NOW!