It's funny, though, I first took notice of Severin at CRACKED when I was a wee sprat. Not just because of his art--I recalled he was always extremely adept at depicting celebrities--but because he frequently got shout-outs throughout the issue, as if the CRACKED staff were all remarking on how he was one of the few artists of note on the mag. At least they, it seemed, were aware of how notable he was/is.
And yet, as I've grown up, what you've said holds true for comics in general. And it's a damn shame.
You know what it is? Guys like Serverin and Garcia-Lopez are the Jeff Bridges of comics. They're that kind of excellent where you don't realize how excellent they are because it seems so natural, not flashy or attention-grabbing at all.