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.