HERB TRIMPE, former penciller of THE INCREDIBLE HULK and MARVEL comicbook artist extraordinaire, has passed away at the age of 75. Herb was also the original artist on CAPTAIN BRITAIN and illustrated a number of other iconic characters during his career, being the first artist to draw WOLVERINE (though it was LEN WEIN and JOHN ROMITA who came up with the idea and design for the X-MEN's most popular member).
Who can forget Herb's wonderful artistic collaborations on the Hulk with JOHN SEVERIN, one of the chief delights of comicbook publishing back in the 1970s? Herb was a giant of a man and a giant of an artist. Considering his stature and where he surely is now, he's probably thinking at this very moment that "Heaven is a very small place!" Rest in peace, Herb.
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HERB TRIMPE -
Born: May 26th 1939 - Died: April 13th, 2015.
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I finished work early today and spent a very nice hour or so reading and thoroughly enjoying the UK Hulk Annual 1981, which I bought at a primary school jumble sale in the mid-80s, and which features three Herb Trimpe drawn stories.
ReplyDeleteI just had a quick look at Newsarama and read the sad news that Mr Trimpe has passed away. A really underrated artist, and by all accounts a warm and approachable person too.
Thanks for all the happy times, Herb, rest in peace.
Oh no, that is sad, unexpected news. I LOVED his work on Captain Britain.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts are with his loved ones.
I just met him for the first time a few months ago at a con! That's so sad.
ReplyDelete75 isn't even considered particularly old these days, DD & JP, so it's a real shame. At least we still have his artwork to enjoy.
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I had hoped to meet him when he was due to appear at Glasgow's Forbidden Planet comicbook store back in 2011, Phil. Unfortunately, he had to call off due to a family illness - now my chance to talk with him is gone forever.
I've just been reading about a side of Herb Trimpe I didn't know about: his work as a chaplain at Ground Zero during the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. It's interesting and powerful stuff, and for all the fondness I have for Trimpe's art (he done some great work on GI Joe Special Missions in the late 80s that's well worth a look), it's given me huge admiration for him as a human being too.
ReplyDeleteDon't know if I'm allowed to post links, here, but if you google 'Herb Trimpe chaplain', it's the first result, if anyone wants to read it.
Links are fine, DD, as long as they're nothing 'dodgy'. I'd read previously about his chaplaincy, but thanks for reminding people. Mark Evanier mentions it on his blog post about Herb - the link to his site can be found in my blog list.
ReplyDeleteThat's very sad news, Kid. Herb Trimpe was such an underrated artist. His work was always energetic and full of character.
ReplyDeleteLovely tribute, by the way.
Thanks, Cer. Another person from our childhood and teenage years gone, sadly. Someone we never knew, but in some strange way, somehow thought we did. I'll have to dig out my Hulk back issues and re-read them.
ReplyDeleteWhilst I am popping over to revisit the Cryptic Critic's old Herb Trimpe's Hulk blog.
ReplyDelete75 is about the average male lifespan I think, Kid - my father died aged 71. It's the Hulk and Captain Britain I'll remember him for - in CB No.1 he drew Brian Braddock smoking a pipe which seemed rather fuddy-duddy for somebody who was supposed to be about 22.
ReplyDeleteI always thought that panel looked odd, CJ, even back then. I eventually put it down to Brian trying to look older and wiser than he actually was, in order to impress the scientists he was working with at the research thingy-do-da.
ReplyDeleteI've wondered if maybe the pipe was supposed to show he was aristocratic ? The fact that Brian Braddock was posh and lived in a stately home went over my head at the time (I was 10) but these days I find it a bit irksome that Marvel's tiny band of British superheroes were all aristocrats.
ReplyDeleteI think if they were going for the aristocratic look, they's have had him smoking a cigarette in a gold-plated cigarette holder and wearing a monocle. Perhaps it was felt that a pipe simply made him more studious and intelligent-looking.
ReplyDeleteIn comics back then, a pipe seemed to be a standard prop when the character was supposed to be scientist, professor, or some kind of intellectual.
ReplyDeleteAfter Herb Trimpe got sacked from Marvel (maybe a result of general downsizing, maybe a sign of the increasing favoritism and insular direction at both DC and Marvel), he worked as a seventh-grade art teacher. A relatively few (and very lucky) twelve year-old kids got to take lessons from an artist who had drawn Wolverine and the Hulk.
I think it was a combination of downsizing and new, young editors wanting to use fresh talent, TC. I wonder if any of Herb's former pupils are comic artists themselves now?
ReplyDeleteIt's sad news indeed. Whenever I want to practice drawing (which is, admittedly, not often) I tend to pull out my Essential Hulks and get copying Herb's figures and machinery. There's something irresistible about them when it comes to such a thing.
ReplyDeleteHe didn't really look like what you would call an 'old guy', so his death seems all the more shocking for that. At least he'll be remembered by old farts like ourselves.
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