The Incredible Herb Trimpe

The Incredible Herb Trimpe by Dewey Cassell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Incredible Herb Trimpe is a collection of interviews with Herb Trimpe and artists and writers who worked with him during his long and storied career.

This was pretty pricey when I originally looked at it but I'm a sucker for a good deal and snapped it up when it went on clearance at the TwoMorrows website.

Like I said, this is a collection of interviews. Trimpe talks about getting into comics, his career in comics, and what happened in the 1990s when the comics industry shat him out. There's a lot of material to digest.

I found it interesting how often he mentioned EC's Jack Davis and how Marvel discouraged him from drawing in that style. I also found it interesting that he wasn't that into super heroes, which is why he stayed on the Hulk for so long. It's also a reason he gravitated toward licensed properties like Shogun Warriors, Godzilla, GI Joe, and the Transformers. That and no one else wanted to do the licensed properties.

Once his comic career is over, Herb struggled to put food on the table and eventually became an art teacher. Excerpts from his journal chronicle the sad state of affairs at the Trimpe house from 1995 to 2000.

The book is peppered with Herb Trimpe art, both finished products and original art. I did not know that Marvel stuck a Hulk face by John Romita over his Hulk on the cover of Incredible Hulk #181, the first appearance of Wolverine.

The Incredible Herb Trime gives me new respect for an under appreciated master of Bronze Age comics art. Four out of five stars.

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