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Herb Trimpe

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Deacon
Herb Trimpe
Trimpe at the 2015East Coast Comiccon,
his last convention appearance
BornHerbert William Trimpe
(1939-05-26)May 26, 1939
Peekskill,New York,U.S.
DiedApril 13, 2015(2015-04-13)(aged 75)
Hurley, New York,U.S.
Area(s)Writer,Penciller,Inker
Notable works
The Incredible Hulk
Wolverine
The Defenders
Son of Satan
AwardsBob Clampett Humanitarian Award,2002
Inkpot Award,2002

Herbert William Trimpe[1](/trɪmp/;May 26, 1939 – April 13, 2015) was anAmericancomics artistand occasional writer, best known as the seminal 1970s artist onThe Incredible Hulkand as the first artist to draw for publication the characterWolverine,who later became a breakout star of theX-Men.

Early life

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Herb Trimpe was born May 26, 1939,[2]inPeekskill, New York,[3][4]the son of Anna (Jamison) and Herbert Trimpe.[5]He graduated fromLakeland High School.[3]His brother, Mike Trimpe, inked anAnt-Manstory that Trimpe pencilled inMarvel Feature#6 (Nov. 1972).[6]Of his childhood art and comics influences, he said in 2002, "I really loved theDisneystuff,Donald Duckand characters like that.Funny-animalstuff, that was kind of my favorite, and I liked to draw that kind of thing. And I also liked...Plastic Man.... I loved comics since I was a little kid, but I was actually more interested in syndicating acomic stripthan working in comics. "[7]As well, "I was a really big fan ofEC Comicsand [artist]Jack Davis."[7]

Career

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Trimpe commuted toNew York Cityfor three years to attend theSchool of Visual Arts.[8]There, Trimpe recalled in 2002, instructor and longtime comics artistTom Gillneeded a student "to ink his backgrounds and stuff. So that's how I started, atDell [Comics],doing mostlyWesternsand alsolicensedbooks, like the adaptation of the movieJourney to the Center of the Earth."[9]

Trimpe then enlisted in theUnited States Air Force"for four years," he recalled in 1997, "the standard enlistment time, from 1962 to 1966. I was a weatherman, and our unit was on loan, you might say, to theArmy.We supplied aviation weather support to theFirst Air Cavalry Divisionbased in the central highlands inViet Nam.They used helicopters extensively to move troops around. "[10]He achieved the rank of Senior Airman.[citation needed]

Upon his discharge in October 1966, he learned that fellow SVA classmateJohn Verpoortenwas working atMarvel Comics' production department, and

...said they were hiringfreelancepeople, and I should come up to the office and show my work toSol Brodsky,who wasStan [Lee]'sright-hand man at the time.... I was just preparing to put some material together and go toDCandCharltonwhen I got a call from Sol Brodsky, who was production chief. He said they needed somebody on staff in the production department to run the newphotostatmachine they had just bought, and to do some production work. I would primarily run the 'stat' machine and wouldn't be seated at a desk, but I would be able to pick up some freelancepencillingandinking.This kind of opened the door. The staff job didn't pay much by today's standards; I think it started at $135 dollars a week which wasn't as low as it sounds. Remember, it was 1966 and that was a fairly good entry-level salary.[4]

His joining the Marvel production staff was announced in the "Bullpen Bulletins"of Marvel comicscover-datedJune 1967, such asFantastic Four#63. He remained associated with the company through 1996. While operating thePhotostatcamera in the Marvel offices, Trimpe did freelance inking for Marvel, and made his professional penciling debut with twoKid Coltstories in theWesternseriesKid Colt, Outlaw#134–135 (May and July 1967).[11]Shortly thereafter, Trimpe and writerGary Friedrichcreated Marvel'sWorld War Iaviatorhero thePhantom EagleinMarvel Super-Heroes#16 (Sept. 1968).[12]

Hulk and the Silver Age of Comics

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In the 1960s, during the period known as theSilver Age of Comics,Trimpe was assigned to pencil what became his signature character, theHulk.Beginning with pencil-finishes overMarie Severinlayouts inThe Incredible Hulkvol. 2, #106 (Aug. 1968), he went on to draw the character for a virtually unbroken run of over seven years, through issue #142 (Aug. 1971), then again from #145–193 (Nov. 1971 – Nov. 1975). Additionally, Trimpe penciled the covers of five Hulkannuals(1969, 1971–72, 1976–77, titledKing-Size Special! The Incredible Hulkexcept for #4,The Incredible Hulk Special), and both penciled and inked the 39-page feature story ofThe Incredible Hulk Annual#12 (Aug. 1983).[11]Under theMarvel Methodof writer-artist collaboration, Trimpe, like other Marvel artists of the time, was uncredited co-plotter of most of his stories, a working arrangement Trimpe said he enjoyed.[13]

Among the characters co-created by Trimpe during his run on the title wereJim Wilsonin issue #131 (Sept. 1970)[14]andDoc Samsonin #141 (July 1971).[15]During his time on the comic, he became the first artist to draw for publication the characterWolverine,who would go on to become one of Marvel's most popular. The character was conceived byRoy Thomas,written byLen Weinand designed by Marvel de facto art directorJohn Romita Sr.as an antagonist for the Hulk, introduced in the last panel ofThe Incredible Hulkvol. 2, #180 (Oct. 1974) and making his first full appearance the following issue.[16]Trimpe in 2009 said he "distinctly remembers" Romita's sketch, and that, "The way I see it, [Romita and writer Len Wein] sewed the monster together and I shocked it to life!... It was just one of those secondary or tertiary characters, actually, that we were using in that particular book with no particular notion of it going anywhere. We did characters inThe [Incredible] Hulkall the time that were in [particular] issues and that was the end of them. "[17]Trimpe co-created nearly all of the characters introduced during his run onThe Incredible Hulk,with Wolverine being a rare exception.[13]

He said that he devised the military unit the Hulkbusters, which became a regular element ofThe Incredible Hulk:

[The series' writers] came up with the major concepts. I was not involved much with the creation of the new characters or new ideas. I didn't want to be. The concept of the Hulkbusters, however, was my idea. I did [the schematic diagram of the base]. I also designed the unit emblem, which was an "H" being shattered by a lightning bolt. You remember, "Thunderbolt" was [antagonist]General Ross' nickname. [The aerial-view design of the base as apeace symbolwas used] purposefully as a design for the Hulkbuster base, but it really wasn't a joke. It was just meant as the ironic juxtaposition of a military base run by an aggressive, blustery general, and the military base design being a symbol of peace. It was like in the '60s and '70s when protesters stuck flowers down the barrels of National Guard rifles. It was a provocative gesture.[10]

Trimpe also had a year's run onThe Defenders(#68–81, February 1979 – March 1980), asuperhero-team comic featuring the Hulk.[18]He also drew the cover, featuring the Hulk, of the 1971 issue ofRolling Stonecontaining a major profile of Marvel Comics.[19]

The artist in 2002 recalled a less-than-smooth start to hisHulktenure: "I did, like, three or four pages, and Stan [Lee] saw them and madeFrank Giacoiado the layouts [for Trimpe's fourth issue, #109, Nov. 1968]. It wasn't my storytelling, there was a good flow there, but it was too [much like]EC [Comics]for Stan. I loved EC, the dark atmosphere and clean lines of it.... But it wasn't right for Marvel. "[9]

Other Marvel work

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Trimpe sketching at the Big Apple Comic Con, October 2, 2010

As a Marvel mainstay, Trimpe would draw nearly every starring character, includingCaptain America(Captain America#184 and 291), theFantastic Four(Fantastic Four Annual#25–26 in 1992–1993;Fantastic Four Unlimited#1–12 in 1993–1995),Iron Man(Iron Man#39, 82–85, and 93–94 in the 1970s, plus occasional others),Ka-Zar(Astonishing Tales#7–8, 1971),Nick Fury(Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.#13–15, 1969),Thor(Thor Annual#15–16, 1990–1991),Ant-Man(Marvel Feature#4–6),Killraven(Amazing Adventures#20–24, #33),Rawhide Kid,Spider-Man,and many more as the regular artist ofMarvel Team-Up#106–118 (1981–1982) andMarvel Team-Up Annual#3–4 (1980–1981).[11]As the artist ofSuper-Villain Team-Up,Trimpe co-created theShroudwith writerSteve Englehart.[20]Captain Britainwas introduced byChris Claremontand Trimpe in an ongoing series published byMarvel UK.[21]In 1976, Trimpe was one of the inkers ofCaptain America's Bicentennial Battles,an oversized treasury-format one-shot written and penciled byJack Kirby.[22]Trimpe drewMarvel Treasury Edition#25 (1980) "Spider-Man vs. the Hulk at the Winter Olympics" which featured a story set at the1980 Winter Olympicsby writersMark Gruenwald,Steven Grant,andBill Mantlo.[23]Jack Kirby'sMachine Mancharacter was revived in a 1984 limited series drawn by Trimpe.[24]

In the late 1970s and 1980s, Trimpe's Marvel work included licensed movie and TV franchises. He drew all but issues #4–5 of the 24-issueGodzilla(Aug. 1977 – July 1979);[25]drew all but one of the 20-issueShogun Warriors;[26]six issues ofThe Further Adventures of Indiana Jones(also writing the last two);G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero#1 (July 1982) and eight other issues, three of which he also wrote or co-wrote;[27]nearly the entire run of the 28-issue spin-offG.I. Joe Special Missions(1986–1989); three of the four-issueminiseriesG.I. Joe: The Order of Battle(1986–1987); and three issues ofThe Transformers.[11]

Trimpe, in a 1997 interview, described his Marvel arrangement: "I was a quota artist, which was non-contractual but [I] received a salary. I got a regular two-week check, and anything I did over quota I could voucher for as freelance income. I also had the extras, the company benefits. It was like a regular job, but I worked at home. It was a good deal."[10]

1990s–2015

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When Marvel wentbankruptin the mid-1990s, Trimpe attendedEmpire State College,Hudson Valley Center, graduating with abachelor's degreein Arts in 1997.[28]He went on to amaster's degreeprogram atSUNY New Paltz.[10]Beginning September 8, 1999, he taught art for two years atEldred Central SchoolinSullivan County, New York.[29]

He lost his staff position in the mid-1990s when Marvel downsized, but he continued to freelance for the publisher. In 2000, he wrote an article forThe New York Timesabout ageism in comics.[29]

Trimpe penciledBPRD:The War on Frogs(Aug. 2008) forDark Horse Comics,and returned to his signature character by drawing the eight-page story "The Death and Life of the Abomination" in Marvel'sKing-Size Hulk#1 (July 2008). In December 2009, Trimpe, aBugattiairplane enthusiast and member of the Bugatti Aircraft Association, published the eight-page comic bookFirehawks,in which theBugatti 100Pplays a major role.[30][31]This was followed by a second Firehawks comic, the 24-pageFirehawks 2: Breath of the Dragon.[32]

Trimpe's last convention appearance was at the April 2015East Coast ComicconinSecaucus, New Jersey.[33][34][35]

Personal life

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Sometime between 1969 and 1971, Trimpe was divorced from his first wife.[36]In late 1972, Trimpe married Marvel Comics editorial assistant and writerLinda Fite,[37]with whom he had three children.[3]He later was married to Patricia, who survived him after his death.[38]Trimpe's son, Alexander Spurlock "Alex" Trimpe,[39]who co-pencilledRoboCop#11 (Jan. 1991),The Mighty Thor Annual#16 (1991), andFantastic Four Unlimited#3 (Sept. 1993) with his father, is a member of the band The Chief Smiles. Trimpe's daughters Amelia Fite Trimpe[40]and Sarah Trimpe were also in that band.[41]At some point, Trimpe lived inKerhonkson, New York,[42]and afterwardHurley, New York.[43]

Trimpe was ordained adeaconin theEpiscopal Diocese of New Yorkon May 30, 1992.[1][44]

Trimpe died on April 13, 2015, aged 75.[45]

Awards

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Bibliography

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Big Apple Productions

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Dark Horse Comics

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Dell Comics

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IDW Publishing

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Image Comics

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Marvel Comics

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Western Publishing

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Trading cards

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  • Dinosaurs Attack(Penciller) (Topps, 1988)

References

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  1. ^ab"Herbert William Trimpe".Church Publishing Incorporated / ClergyQuickFind. Archived fromthe originalon April 16, 2015.RetrievedApril 16,2015.
  2. ^Miller, John Jackson(June 10, 2005)."Comics Industry Birthdays".Comics Buyer's Guide.Iola, Wisconsin. Archived fromthe originalon February 18, 2011.RetrievedDecember 12,2010.
  3. ^abc"Porch Dogs: The Unmuzzled Truth About Men and Our Relationships with Them:The Illustrators — Herb Trimpe ".(book official website). 2004. Archived fromthe originalon February 13, 2005.
  4. ^ab"An Interview with Herb Trimpe".Green Skin's Grab-Bag (fan site). November 9, 1997. Archived from the original on November 3, 2011.RetrievedNovember 3,2011.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)Additional, October 7, 2010.
  5. ^"28 Babies Born Here Last Month"(PDF).The Highland Democrat.Peekskill, New York. June 15, 1939. p. 4.
  6. ^Cassell, Dewey (April 2014). "Marvel Feature".Back Issue!(71). Raleigh, North Carolina:TwoMorrows Publishing:14.
  7. ^abTrimpe interviewed July 2002, inAndreasen, Henrik (December 21, 2009)."Hulk-inued! An Interview with Herb Trimpe".SequentialTart.Archivedfrom the original on September 24, 2015.
  8. ^"Herb Trimpe".Lambiek Comiclopedia.September 5, 2012.Archivedfrom the original on December 20, 2013.RetrievedJanuary 16,2014.
  9. ^abHatcher, Greg (August 3, 2002)."San Diego, Day 1: Reminiscing with Herb Trimpe".CBR.Archived fromthe originalon January 9, 2011.RetrievedApril 1,2008.Note: While Trimpe has no confirmed credit on an adaptation ofJules Verne'sJourney to the Center of the Earth,he inkedTom Gillon the 32-page adaptation of Verne's"Mysterious Island" in Dell ComicsFour Color#1213 (Jan. 1962).
  10. ^abcdTrimpe interview, Green Skin's Grab Bag, p.2ArchivedNovember 9, 2011, at theWayback Machine
  11. ^abcdHerb Trimpeat theGrand Comics Database
  12. ^DeFalco, Tom;Gilbert, Laura, ed. (2008). "1960s".Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History.London, United Kingdom:Dorling Kindersley.p. 131.ISBN978-0756641238.Aviation buff Herb Trimpe, who flew his own biplane for many years, teamed up with writer Gary Friedrich to create flying ace the Phantom Eagle.{{cite book}}:|first2=has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  13. ^abButtery, Jarrod (February 2014). "Hulk Smash!: The Incredible Hulk in the 1970s".Back Issue!(70). Raleigh, North Carolina:TwoMorrows Publishing:3–18.
  14. ^Sanderson, Peter"1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 146: "This issue [#131] saw the introduction of Jim Wilson, a character created by writer Roy Thomas and artist Herb Trimpe"
  15. ^Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 150: "Created by Roy Thomas and artist Herb Trimpe, Dr. Leonard Samson was a psychiatrist...[who] irradiated himself with gamma rays and transformed into a super-strong being."
  16. ^Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 167: "Len Wein wrote and Herb Trimpe drew Wolverine's cameo appearance inThe Incredible Hulk#180 and his premiere in issue #181. "
  17. ^Lovece, Frank(April 24, 2009)."Wolverine Origins: Marvel artists recall the creation of an icon".Film Journal International.New York, New York. Archived fromthe originalon May 5, 2009.
  18. ^DeAngelo, Daniel (July 2013). "The Not-Ready-For-Super-Team Players: A History of the Defenders".Back Issue!(65).TwoMorrows Publishing:11.
  19. ^Green, Robin."Face Front! Clap Your Hands, You're on the Winning Team!",Rolling Stone#91, September 16, 1971, via "Green Skin's Grab-Bag" (fan site) (ArchivedOctober 7, 2010, at theWayback Machine)
  20. ^Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 175: "Writer Steve Englehart and artist Herb Trimpe created the Shroud, a blind vigilante with mystical abilities, inSuper-Villain Team-Up#5. "
  21. ^Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 176: "Writer Chris Claremont and artist Herb Trimpe created a new super-hero specifically for Marvel's readers in the United Kingdom."
  22. ^Powers, Tom (December 2012). "Kirby Celebrating America's 200th Birthday:Captain America's Bicentennial Battles".Back Issue!(61). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 46–49.
  23. ^Manning, Matthew K.; Gilbert, Laura, ed. (2012). "1980s".Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging.London, United Kingdom:Dorling Kindersley.p. 113.ISBN978-0756692360.Spider-Man's fights with the Incredible Hulk were always popular with the fans, so Marvel decided to pitch the wall-crawler against the Hulk when the Mole Man and his gang of villains crashed the festivities of the prestigious Winter Olympics.{{cite book}}:|first2=has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  24. ^DeFalco "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 219: "Machine Man was a living robot who was relaunched in 1984 by Tom DeFalco, Herb Trimpe, and Barry Windsor-Smith."
  25. ^Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 180: "In August 1977, Marvel produced comics featuring the most famous monster in Japanese cinema, Godzilla, in a series by writer Doug Moench and penciller Herb Trimpe."
  26. ^Sanderson "1970s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 188: "Writer Doug Moench and artist Herb Trimpe createdShogun Warriors,a Marvel comics series based on a line of Japanese toys imported by Mattel. "
  27. ^DeFalco "1980s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 207
  28. ^"Notable Alumni".SUNY Empire State College. Archived fromthe originalon January 12, 2009.RetrievedDecember 3,2013.
  29. ^abTrimpe, Herb (January 7, 2000)."Old Superheroes Never Die, They Join the Real World".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on November 3, 2011.RetrievedNovember 3,2011.AdditionalWebCitation archive,January 8, 2011.
  30. ^"Comic Strip on Bugatti Airplane Finally Published".Bugatti Aircraft Association. December 9, 2009.Archivedfrom the original on July 14, 2010.(Requires scrolldown)
  31. ^"FirehawksFeaturing the Bugatti 100 by Herb Trimpe ".BugattiPage. n.d.Archivedfrom the original on July 6, 2011.
  32. ^"Firehawks comic Book 2: Breath of the Dragon".BugattiPage. n.d.Archivedfrom the original on December 30, 2013.
  33. ^Greenfield, Dan (April 14, 2015)."Comics Creators Remember Herb Trimpe".13th Dimension.Archivedfrom the original on March 11, 2016.
  34. ^Ching, Albert (April 14, 2015)."Incredible Hulk,G.I. JoeArtist Herb Trimpe Passes Away at Age 75 ".Comic Book Resources.Archivedfrom the original on September 6, 2016.
  35. ^Johnston, Rich(April 14, 2015)."Herb Trimpe Passes Away, Aged 75".Bleeding Cool.Archivedfrom the original on April 12, 2016.
  36. ^Green,Rolling Stone:"He's been through a lot of changes in the last two years, including a divorce. His old lady now is Linda Fite, who used to work at Marvel."
  37. ^Their wedding was announced in the "Bullpen Bulletins"in Marvel Comicscover-datedMarch 1973 and on sale two to three months earlier, with production two to three months before that: "Four or Five Phenomenal Flashes, Fitfully Fashioned to Fight Lethargy (Or: Those Wedding Bells Are Waking Up That Old Gang of Mine)".
  38. ^McMillan, Graeme (April 14, 2015)."Herb Trimpe, Co-Creator [sic] of 'Wolverine,' Dies at 75".The Hollywood Reporter.Archivedfrom the original on April 14, 2015.RetrievedApril 14,2015.
  39. ^Name per birth announcement in the "Bullpen Bulletins": "Just Thomas and Lee—and the Soapbox Makes Three" in Marvel Comicscover-datedJanuary 1974, includingKa-Zar#1.
  40. ^"Bullpen Bulletins" in Marvel comics cover-dated January 1976.
  41. ^Archive of"The Chief Smiles".Archived fromthe originalon June 4, 2008.RetrievedApril 1,2017.,HerbTrimpe
  42. ^Archiveof WhitePages listing November 3, 2011.
  43. ^La Gorce, Tammy (March 24, 2013)."Comic Book Fundamentals".The New York Times.Archivedfrom the original on May 27, 2024.
  44. ^"Herb Trimpe: If It Ain't Fun, It Ain't Comics".(interview) BryanReesman. August 28, 2009.Archivedfrom the original on July 8, 2011.
  45. ^Johnston, Rich(April 14, 2015)."Herb Trimpe Passes Away, Aged 75".Bleeding Cool.Archivedfrom the original on April 14, 2015.RetrievedApril 14,2015.
  46. ^"1973 Academy of Comic Book Arts Awards".Comic Book Awards Almanac.Archivedfrom the original on December 12, 2013.
  47. ^"The Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award".San Diego Comic-Con International.2014. Archived fromthe originalon October 30, 2013.RetrievedJanuary 16,2014.
  48. ^Ringgenberg, Steven (April 17, 2015)."Herb Trimpe: 1939-2015".Archivedfrom the original on August 28, 2017.RetrievedOctober 27,2019.He won the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award in 2002, for his month-long stint as a volunteer chaplain at the World Trade Center site after the 9/11 attacks.{{cite magazine}}:Cite magazine requires|magazine=(help)
  49. ^"Inkpot Award Winners".Comic Book Awards Almanac. Archived fromthe originalon July 9, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 17,2014.
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Preceded by The Incredible Hulkvol. 2 artist
1968–1975 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Iron Manartist
1976–1977 		Succeeded by
Preceded by The Defendersartist
1979–1980 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Marvel Team-Upartist
1981–1982 		Succeeded by
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