Alfredo Alcala
Alfredo Alcala | |
---|---|
Born | Alfredo P. Alcala August 23, 1925 Talisay, Negros Occidental, Philippine Islands |
Died | April 8, 2000 Los Angeles, California, United States | (aged 74)
Nationality | Filipino |
Area(s) | Penciller, Inker |
Notable works | Ukala Voltar Savage Sword of Conan Swamp Thing |
Awards | Inkpot Award, 1977 Inkwell Awards Stacey Aragon Special Recognition Award (SASRA) (2021)[1][2] |
Alfredo P. Alcala (August 23, 1925 – April 8, 2000) was a
Biography
Alfredo Alcala's lifelong interest in
Inspired by the work of Lou Fine and other cartoonists, Alcala commenced his comic book career in October 1948, beginning with an illustration in Bituin Komiks (Star Comics). By the end of the year he was drawing for Ace Publications, the Philippines' largest publishing company. Ace was the publisher of four titles (Filipino Komiks, Tagalog Klassiks, Espesial Komiks, and Hiwaga Komiks), each featuring his work. Ukala (1950) was one of his first major comics.
Though his career rapidly expanded, Alcala never used assistants to complete his work. He said, "I somehow felt that the minute you let someone else have a hand in your work no matter what, it's not you anymore. It's like riding a bicycle built for two."[5]
He eventually became a star of the Filipino comics scene, so famed that a periodical bore his name, the Alcala Komiks Magasin. In 1963 he created the comic book Voltar whose titular character predated Frazetta's interpretation of Conan the Barbarian which bore a more than passing resemblance. Voltar became an award-winning success at home and abroad. Alcala's mature artistic style reflected his interest in the woodcuts and etchings of Renaissance master Albrecht Dürer and the drawings of Australian illustrator Walter Jardine and U.S. illustrator Franklin Booth which bore the look of engravings. He has also cited the work of British artist Frank Brangwyn as a major influence.
Fellow cartoonist
With the failure of DC's and Warren's horror titles in the 1980s, many of the Filipino contributors turned to the field of animation in California, and in the 1990s Alcala followed suit. He also illustrated the novel Daddy Cool written by Donald Goines. His last work in comics was for Paradox Press' The Big Book of Thugs in 1996.[7]
On April 8, 2000, Alcala died from cancer[4] in Southern California. He is survived by his wife Lita and two sons, Christian Voltar and Alfred Jr.
Awards
Alcala received an Inkpot Award in 1977.[12] In 2021, he was awarded the Inkwell Awards Stacey Aragon Special Recognition Award (SASRA) (2021).[1][2]
Selected bibliography
Comics work (interior pencil art, except where noted) includes:
DC Comics
- All-Star Squadron (inks over other artists pencils) #52, 54, 57 (1985–86)
- America vs. the Justice Society (inks) #1–4 (1985)
- Arak, Son of Thunder(full art): #13–15; (inks): #10–12, 16–25, Annual #1 (1981–84)
- Batman (inks) #349, 354–355, 357, 362–381, 383, 385, Annual #10 (1982–1986)
- DC Comics Presents (inks) #48 (1982)
- Detective Comics (inks) #520, 526, 531, 534, 543–544, 576–577 (1982–87)
- Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion#10–11, 13 (1973)
- Ghosts #9, 15, 17–19, 21, 24–25, 28, 33–34, 52 (1972–77)
- Hellblazer (inks) #8–9, 18–22 (1988–89)
- House of Mystery #209, 217, 219–220, 222, 224–228, 251–252, 254, 256 (1972–78)
- House of Secrets #100, 104–107, 109, 115, 117, 119–120, 122, 125 (1972–74)
- Infinity, Inc. (inks) #10, 43, Annual #1 (1985–87)
- Kamandi (inks) #47, 49–50 (1976–77)
- Kong the Untamed #1–3 (1975)
- Masters of the Universe (inks) #1–2 (1982–83)
- Our Army at War #251 (1972)
- Plop! #1–3 (1973–74)
- Secrets of Sinister House #6, 10, 12–14 (1972–73)
- The Shadow Annual (inks) #1 (inks) (1987)
- Shadow War of Hawkman (inks) #1–4 (miniseries, 1985)
- Swamp Thing vol. 2 (inks) #30, 41, 45, 49, 51–52, 54–59, 61–85, 90–93, 95–101 (1984–90)
- The Unexpected #138, 140, 144, 150, 151–153, 156–157, 168–169, 177, 191 (1972–79)
- Vigilante(inks) #24–25 (1985–86)
- Weird Mystery Tales #5, 10, 13–14 (1973–74)
- Weird War Tales #9, 11, 15–16, 20, 23, 25–29, 35, 42–44, 72, 74 (1972–79)
- El Diablo) #16–17 (1973)
- Witching Hour #24, 27, 33, 41, 43 (1972–74)
- World of Smallville (inks) #1–4 (miniseries, 1988)
- World's Finest Comics (inks) #309, 312–314, 318–321, 323 (1984–86)
- Young All-Stars (inks) #5 (1987)
Eclipse Comics
- Destroyer Duck (inks) #1–7 (1982–1984)
Marvel Comics
- Conan the Barbarian (full art): #137, 225; (inks over other artists pencils): #209–219, 223 (1982–89)
- Captain Marvel #35 (1974)
- Doctor Strange vol. 2 #19 (1976)
- Dracula Lives(inks) #9 (1974)
- Freddy Krueger's A Nightmare on Elm Street (inks) #1–2 (1989)
- Giant-Size Chillers #1 (1975)
- Howard the Duck vol. 2 (inks) #7 (1980)
- The Incredible Hulk Annual (inks) #8 (1979); vol.1 #221, 222 (1978 )
- Iron Man (inks) #112 (1978)
- Ka-Zar (inks) #6, 8 (1974–75)
- Kull the Destroyer #17 (1976)
- Man-Thing #14, Giant-Size #3 (1975)
- Marvel Comics Presents (inks) #16, 53 (1989–90)
- Marvel Comics Super Special (inks) #2 (1977)
- Marvel Preview #14 (1978)
- Marvel Two-in-One (inks) #42 (1978)
- Planet of the Apes #7–11, 17–21, 24 (1975–76)
- The Rampaging Hulk (then The Hulk!) (inks) #1–3, 5, 8, 15, 17–20, 22–26 (1977–81)
- Dazzler (inks) #1 (1981)
- Savage Sword of Conan (full art): #55, 75, 80, 83, 89, 216, 223; (inks over John Buscema pencils): #2, 4, 7, 12, 15–20, 23–24, 28, 67, 76; (inks over other artists pencils): #34, 59, 69, 180, 184, 189 (1974–94)
- Tales of the Zombie #7–9 (1974–75)
- Tarzan (inks) #9–10 (1977–78)
- Vampire Tales (full art): #6, 8; (inks): #9–10 (1974–75)
Warren Publishing
- Creepy #94, 99, 101–102, 104, 108, 125, 130 (1978–81)
- Eerie #96, 99–101, 104–105, 113 (1978–80)
- Rook Magazine (full art): #2–9; (inks): #1 (1979–81)
- Vampirella #90 (1980)
References
- ^ a b First Comic News - 2021 INKWELL AWARDS VOTING RESULTS
- ^ a b 2021 Winners - Inkwell Awards Official Site
- ^ "Alfredo Alcala". Lambiek Comiclopedia. July 29, 2012. Archived from the original on April 29, 2016.
- ^ a b c Evanier, Mark (May 5, 2000). "Alfredo Alcala". News From ME. Archived from the original on April 14, 2016.
- ^ Spurgeon, Tom (May 30, 2000). "Obituary: Alfredo Alcala, 1925-2000". The Comics Reporter. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 13, 2009.
- ^ "Filipino Artists". The Power of Comics. Retrieved November 5, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Alfredo Alcala at the Grand Comics Database
- ISBN 978-0756641238.)
Marvel launched a new black-and-white magazine based on Twentieth Century Fox's Planet of the Apes movies in August [1974]. Doug Moench was the principal writer, and artists included Mike Ploog, Tom Sutton, Alfredo Alcala, and George Tuska.
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Writer Jack Oleck and artist Alfredo Alcala focused on a primitive, powerful theme with which to depict the prehistoric warrior Kong in his debut issue: a growing son's bond with his mother.
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has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ Abramowitz, Jack (December 2012). "The Secrets of Oz Revealed". Back Issue! (61). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 29–32.
- ^ Horton, Cole (July 17, 2015). "From World War to Star Wars: Comic Books". StarWars.com. Archived from the original on September 29, 2015.
While comic fans know him for his legendary speed at drawing a page, Star Wars fans might be more familiar with his work on Han Solo at Stars' End, a syndicated strip adaptation of Brian Daley's novel. The strip with Alcala's art ran in newspapers in 1980 and 1981.
- ^ "Inkpot Award Winners". Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac. Archived from the original on July 9, 2012.
Further reading
- McDonald, Heidi and Philip Yeh. Secret Teachings of a Comic Book Master: The Art of Alfredo Alcala (IHAC, 1994; reissued by Dover Publications, 2015)
External links
- Alfredo Alcala at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
- Alfredo Alcala at Mike's Amazing World of Comics
- Alfredo Alcala at Wizards Keep Ltd.
- Tulad, Victoria Camille (March 23, 2012). "Pinoy comics pioneers celebrated in new docu". GMA News. Archived from the original on May 8, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2012.