The truth about Trimpe.

Herb Trimpe sadly passed just only a week ago on the 13th April 2015 in his 75th year. He was born in Peekskill in NewYork on 26th of May 1939. An artist legend best remembered for an incredible run on Marvel's Hulk. Perhaps not celebrated in the same way as his artist peers. 

Telling the truth about Trimpe, I haven't always favoured his style of artwork. Which I think comes from my British point of view among other things. So I'll look mainly at his British published work to get to know why that is. You say to any MarvelUK fan the name of Herb Trimpe the reply is The Mighty World of Marvel. Trimpe's Hulk run, which is incredibly long, comes right at heart of MWOM strongest period, where the Hulk was the titles headline week in week out. The second thought would be he was the artist involved in the creation of Britains own Super hero, Captain Britain. Trimpe also became known for another green giant who appeared in Marvel Comic, Dez Skinn' action/adventure comic that came from his Marvel Revolution transformation of MWOM, as Godzilla came to the Marvel universe.

    Although Trimpe did have his British fans not all Brits sang his praises. MWOM letter pages where filled with reader comments about how he'd lost his pencil sharpener, with his line work getting thicker and thicker the more artwork he drew. Although it mainly was meant as a joke, I couldn't help but agree with it. A blunt pencil may have been the cause, or possibly the choice of inker may be to blame, who can say. Many readers preferred "hipper" artists like Jim Steranko, Neal Adams, Jim Starlin, Paul Gulacy Frank Brunner & a young John Byrne. Artists like Kirby, Dikto and Trimpe were seen to much as the past generation. I have to add as a kid I always loved Spider-man over the Hulk. Cause I was skinny as a child I felt I more incommon with the teenage Peter Parker than the power house Hulk or his scientist alter ego Banner. So when I read those stories back in the 70's all I saw was a precession of meaningless monster battles and meaningless dialogue, "Hulk Smash!" But was that Herb's fault? The writers of that time, Roy Thomas and Len Wein are some of my favourite writers. But Marvel give comic readers what they wanted, big battles. These days I see a lot more than that. Trimpe's work had detail and emotion. 

  

Could you ever imagine the Hulk fishing, or sitting around a camp fire with a friend like CrackaJack Johnson like this in a modern Hulk Comic?

Trimpe was a strange choice for Britains first flagship hero. Chris Claremont handled the writting mainly 'cause he had lived in the UK and also he was free to write it. Trimpe was also free to produce the artwork needed to fill Captain Britains weekly demands. So he was handed the job after a publicity trip to the UK with Stan Lee in 1976. 

Trimpe was also criticised over his portrayal of English life with strange looking police bobbies and unusual architecture. But to be fair London isn't New York, I can imagine many American artist would be able to capture the English look, with the exception of Byrne. Although I must admit I love his version of British Airways Concorde. Trimpe English characters in many ways could have been French, German or Italian. I still have a soft spot for these stories and Trimpe's CB work. 

It should be noted that not only did Herb create the look for Captain Britain, but also he also brought us Elizabeth Braddock (the Captains sister who would become Psylock), Courtney Ross and Chief Inspector Dai Thomas among others characters. One of the criticism of Chris and Herbs run was that Brian Braddocks life mirrored Peter Parker, with Courtney the love interest, Dai Thomas as a hero hater similar to Jonah Jameson and even a early Flash Thomson style bully in the form of Jacko Tanner. Agents of SHIELD fans should note that Claremont/Trimpe also created a British STRIKE (the British version of SHIELD) agent called Lance Hunter. Although their version had a Bobby Charlton comb over, looking nothing like Nick Blood's version. 

Another another character said to have been created by Trimpe was Wolverine. This is a bit of an urban myth. John Romita Sr created the concept artwork for Wolverine, while Len Wein, the Hulk scripter formed the character. Trimpe recalls in a 2009 interview how 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!" But that's what Trimpe did best, he give life to the stories we wanted. His work was always filled action, adventure and a big helping of humanity even with the biggest of monsters. 

These days my opinion of the Hulk has changed, mainly because my opinion  of Herb Trimpe has changed. I read these stories with nostalgia and without my childish habit of trying to be cooler than I was by acting older. Smashing tales from happy days, "Hulk Smash!"

Herb Trimpe, rest in peace.

Make Mine Marvel.

 

British Spider-can!

These days Spider-Man changes his costume design all the time, but back in 1984 Peter Parker only wore one set of long johns. At least to British eyes. In America Spidey had took a trip to the stars with the Marvel Heroes, to the Beyonder planet in Marvel Superheroes, Secret Wars and came back with a black and white outfit. At first American fans hated it, but soon grew to love it. It was thought that British fans would also share their cousins dislike of it. We're not supposed to like change! I loved Spider-Man British weeky that had been running since 1972, but as a reader of the U.S. additions I knew what was coming and had no fear that the changes wouldn't spoil this love. MarvelUK wasn't to sure that the rest of the UK could handle it, so it was decided to carry on with the red and blue version of the web slingers adventures but written and drawn by Brits for a British readership. 

So on the 27th of October 1984 in issue 607 MarvelUK published Britished made Spider-Man adventures. This wasn't the first time MarvelUK had used American charactors as leads for strips, back in 1979 Dez Skinn created The Hulk Comic with Nick Fury, the Black Knight and the emerald giant starring in British created strips. Captain Britain, who had started in a MarvelUK comic, originally written and drawn by American creators, was also in a lengthy critically acclaimed British produced run, at that time Mighty World of Marvel monthly. To publicise Spidey's first British foray the plot used the creative idea that Spider-Man was asked to appear on ITV's Saturday morning kids TV show, Saturday Starship. A costumed Spider-Man look-a-like also appeared for real on the show that same day as the published comic. 

Mike Collins who's early work had appeared in a Marvel Showcase in MWOM monthly not to long ago was handed script duties. Barry Kitson handled the artwork, his first professional work. Mark Farmer finished it off with inks. Collins would go on to work successfully for publishers on both sides of the Atlantic as well as a story boarder for BBCs Doctor Who and sometimes artist on Doctor Who Magazine. Kitson went on to draw Transformers for MarvelUK which lead on to success for US and UK companies. Farmer became an inker well known for inking Alan Davis artwork. 

Collins took over the artwork from Kitson in issue 608 for part two. Possibly to keep up to the weekly deadline. This didn't damage the story in anyway, in fact his artwork looked very similar, possibly their style was intended to be the in house Spider--Man style. This style worked really well and was a very enjoyable read.

Kitson returned to pencil the third issue 609. In keeping with the UK Spider-Man style, which was helped by Mark Farmers classic inking.

For the final British instalment Collin scripted and penciled again. On the whole it was a successful experiment, but one that sadly wouldn't be continued. The product was great but it was seen impossible to maintain new continuity with the original US version and produce a strip weekly. Ironically MarvelUK would choose not to use American or British continuity to solve the question of black and white or red and blue. Instead when the time came they turned the comic into an infant rag comic much like Ultimate Spider-Man produced by Panini, a three weekly comic aimed at very young children. which ignores all and any continuity. This move did nothing but leaving many loyal readers to abandon the weekly for the original American imports. 

The 1984 tale finishes off with some modern pop culture references and then dovetails into the next issue, an American produced story written by the legend that is Stan Lee. The web slinger still wearing his original red and blue togs, but the black costume was on the way whether MarvelUK liked it or not. Sadly not soon enough. But that's a tale for another day. 

Make Mine Marvel.