Herb Trimpe (American, 1939-2015)

Who is Comic Artist Herb Trimpe?

Herb Trimpe, a comic artist and writer, was a Marvel creative who worked throughout the 1970s and 1980s, during which his comics helped define Silver Age. Despite an acrimonious departure from Marvel in the late 1990s, he continued to do good work. His penciling for Dark Horse comics in the early 2000s proved he still had his famed eye and he eventually returned to Marvel for King-Size Hulk #1 in 2008, a fitting end to a great career. 

What is Comic Artist Herb Trimpe Famous For?

Trimpe is best known for his contribution to the Hulk canon, starting with The Incredible Hulk Vol 2, #106. He would draw the entire run of The Incredible Hulk for seven years. Under Trimpe’s stewardship, Hulk’s scope and popularity skyrocketed. He is credited with including a number of additions to Hulk’s comic stable including the Hulkbusters. Additionally, he is the co-creator of the character Wolverine. 

How Did Herb Trimpe Get Started?

For Trimpe the comics business was a family affair, his first job was penciling an Ant-Man story that his brother Mike Trimpe had inked. His inspiration came from a fairly commonplace kid growing up in the 1940s -- Disney Comics. He loved the stories of Donald Duck, this later blossomed into a love of Plastic Man, which in turn led him to the art of famed EC comics artist, Jack Davis. Eventually, after years of freelance work, he joined the Marvel production staff in 1967. He would remain there until 1996. 

What Comics Did Herb Trimpe Illustrate and Write?

Trimpe was almost entirely uncredited as a writer in his career. This was due to Marvel’s contractual arrangement to not credit artists as co-writers. That said, Trimpe’s additions to the Marvel universe are some of the best and most iconic of any artist/writer to grace its pages. His work on The Incredible Hulk is now considered seminal to the development of the character and his co-creation of the iconic superhero Wolverine is one of the biggest the company has ever had. 

What Comic Characters Did Herb Trimpe Create/Make?

Herb Trimpe was the first person to ever draw the superhero Wolverine. He appeared in The Incredible Hulk vol 2. #180 in 1974. At first just a background character, Wolverine would eventually become one of the most beloved X-Men and the subject of three feature films. Additionally, Trimpe created the military unit, the Hulkbusters, now a regularly featured villain in The Incredible Hulk. 

What Comic Book Publishers Did Herb Trimpe Work For?

For the majority of his career, Herb Trimpe worked for Marvel Comics. After his split with Marvel in 1996, he freelanced for a number of smaller publishers, most notably Dark Horse comics (where he penciled B.P.R.D. for a number of issues).

How Much is Herb Trimpe’s Original Comic Book Art Worth?

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