Before You Ever Saw It, There Were Roughs

Hi, friends! A happy Thursday to you. I'm pretty much going to get out of the way today and let the art do the talking. If you're like me, you not only like to hear alternate takes and rehearsals from your favorite bands - it really gives the listener an inside look at the creative process. Comic art, particularly covers, can also be like that. So what I've gathered today is some before-and-after work from some of the best in the business. Enjoy!

Leading off: Neal Adams and the cover to the Ballantine Paperback edition of Tarzan and the Lion Man.

 Here's something you don't see every day - Jazzy Johnny Romita drawing our favorite Cimmerian!

 Frank Frazetta - The Huntress. Nuff said.

Frazetta again, this time toying with the positioning of Tarzan and the very large bear. I think I like the rough better than the finished product. You?

I actually used to own the rough below and sold it when I liquidated my collection around five years ago. It's from the one-shot Marvel Heroes and Legends; this section of the book was of course penciled by Big John Buscema. That energy comes through even in the loose version, doesn't it?

Everyone has a copy of the Les Daniel coffee table books, right? Mine is a personal treasure, as for years I took it to conventions and had creators sign inside. Among the luminaries who've scratched in it are Stan Lee, John Romita, Sal Buscema, Jim Shooter, George Perez, Chris Claremont, Jim Lee, Rich Buckler, and more! Here's Romita's sketch when he was laying out the cover.

Another Romita layout, this time for a mag in the second go-round for What If?

Ploooooooooggg! Mike Ploog. Master. I love the image at left, as you can see him tinkering with the cover. I think I actually like the rough at top right the best.

And just to show how much I like you and appreciate you taking a couple of minutes out of your day, I'm going to leave you with a couple of gems from Earl Norem. That man was a master on the Marvel magazine covers!

Appreciating Arsenio "Sonny" Trinidad

Celso "Sonny" Trinidad was one of the B&W masters. Whether as penciler, inker, or both, I think the samples below will show that. Here's a bit about his career, from his Wikipedia page (hyperlinks have been left in, if you're so inclined to make those jumps):

Along with a number of other Filipino comics creators in the 1970s, Trinidad found work in the American comics industry, initially for DC Comics on such titles as The Witching Hour, House of Mystery, The Unexpected, and Weird Western Tales.^[5]

It was in the U.S. that he began using the pen name "Sonny" Trinidad. When he moved to Marvel Comics in 1974, he was given the moniker "Slammin' Sonny Trinidad" in the "Bullpen Bulletins".^[6] Trinidad supplied full art or inks over other artists (frequently John Romita Sr. and John Buscema) on horror titles such as Vampire Tales (Morbius the Living Vampire stories written by Doug Moench), Dracula Lives!, Marvel Chillers, and The Son of Satan, as well as fantasy and adventure titles like Skull the Slayer, The Savage Sword of Conan, and Deadly Hands of Kung Fu. Other highlights of Trinidad's tenure at Marvel included "Hellfire Helix Hex!," written by John Warner, for Marvel Presents #2 (Dec. 1975); in addition, Trinidad inked the feature story (written by Bill Mantlo and penciled by Tom Sutton) in Man From Atlantis #1 (Feb. 1978).^[7]

Trinidad was often hired to do adaptations. One of his biggest commissions was the black-and-white magazine one-shot Marvel Movie Premiere, which featured his and writer Marv Wolfman's adaptation of the 1975 movie The Land That Time Forgot. With writer Roy Thomas and penciler John Buscema, Trinidad adapted Robert E. Howard's "The Pool of the Black One" in Savage Sword of Conan #22–23 (Sept.–Oct. 1977). And with writer Doug Moench, Trinidad adapted H. G. Wells' The Food of the Gods and How It Came to Earth for Marvel Classics Comics #22 (1977).^[7]

I think you'll agree that man left us a feast for our eyes.

 

Mike Ploog's Werewolf by Night Splash Pages

Last month I featured some Monster of Frankenstein work by Mike Ploog. Today we'll take a gander at some of his Werewolf by Night splash pages. Enjoy - especially when you get to the final exhibit! Ploog Power, indeed!