Alfredo Alcala: Difference between revisions

| image = [[File:Alfredo Alcala 1977.jpg|200px]]

| notable works = ''[[Ukala]], ''<br/>''[[Voltar (comics)|Voltar]]''<br />''[[Savage Sword of Conan]]''<br/>''[[Swamp Thing]]''

'''Alfredo P. Alcala''' (August 23, 1925 – April 8, 2000) was a [[Filipinos|Filipino]] [[comics artist]], born in [[Talisay, Negros Occidental]] in the Philippines. Alcala was an established illustrator whose works appeared in the ''Alcala Komix Magazine''. His 1963 creation ''[[Voltar (comics)|Voltar]]'' introduced him to an international audience, particularly in the United States. Alcala garnered awards in science- fiction during the early part of the 1970s.<ref name=Lambiek>{{cite web|url= https://www.lambiek.net/artists/a/alcala_a.htm|title= Alfredo Alcala|date= July 29, 2012|publisher= [[Lambiek|Lambiek Comiclopedia]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160429204309/https://www.lambiek.net/artists/a/alcala_a.htm|archive-date= April 29, 2016|url-status= live}}</ref>

Inspired by the work of [[Lou Fine]] and other cartoonists, Alcala commenced with 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. ItsIt's like riding a bicycle built for two."<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/resources/longbox/2073/|title= Obituary: Alfredo Alcala, 1925-2000|first= Tom|last= Spurgeon|author-link= Tom Spurgeon|date= May 30, 2000|publisher= The Comics Reporter|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160303193521/http://www.comicsreporter.com/index.php/resources/longbox/2073/|archive-date= March 3, 2016|url-status= live|access-date= February 13, 2009}}</ref>

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 [[Frank Frazetta|Frazetta]]'s interpretation of [[Conan the Barbarian]] which bore a more than passing resemblance. ''Voltar'' became an award -winning success at home and eventually 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 [[Tony DeZuniga]] was the first Filipino artist to relocate to the United States to work for [[DC Comics]] in 1970, followed by [[Nestor Redondo]] and [[Gerry Talaoc]].<ref>{{Cite web | url = http://www.powerofcomics.com/filipino-artists | title = Filipino Artists | website = The Power of Comics | access-date = November 5, 2019}}</ref> In 1971 Alcala began a decade of work for both DC and [[Marvel Comics]] on horror and fantasy titles,<ref name="GCD">{{gcdb|type=credit|search= Alfredo+Alcala|title= Alfredo Alcala}}</ref> eventually moving to New York City in 1976.<ref name="Evanier" /> He was one of the artists on the [[Brand licensing|licensed]] movie tie-in series ''[[Planet of the Apes (comics)|Planet of the Apes]]''<ref>{{cite book|last = Sanderson|first = Peter|author-link = Peter Sanderson|last2= Gilbert|first2= Laura, ed.|chapter= 1970s|title = Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History|publisher = [[Dorling Kindersley]]|year = 2008|location= London, United Kingdom|page = 166|isbn =978-0756641238|quote= 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.}}</ref> and also helped recruit up-and-coming Filipino artists such as [[Alex Niño]] to U.S. publishers. In 1975, Alcala and writer [[Jack Oleck]] created ''[[Kong the Untamed]]'' for DC Comics.<ref>{{cite book|last=McAvennie|first= Michael|last2=Dolan|first2=Hannah, ed.|chapter= 1970s|title = DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle|publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]]|year=2010 |location= London, United Kingdom|isbn= 978-0-7566-6742-9|page= 164|quote = 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.}}</ref> Later that year, Alcala drew ''[[Adaptations of The Wizard of Oz|Marvel Treasury of Oz]]'', a comics adaptation of ''[[The Marvelous Land of Oz]]''.<ref>{{cite journal|last = Abramowitz|first = Jack|title = The Secrets of Oz Revealed|journal= [[Back Issue!]]|issue = 61|pages = 29–32|publisher= [[TwoMorrows Publishing]]|date = December 2012|location= Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref> Alcala joined [[Warren Publishing]] in 1977 and drew 39 stories for that publisher from 1977–19811977 to 1981. His series ''Voltar'' was reprinted in issues #2–9 of ''[[The Rook (comics)|The Rook]]''.<ref name="GCD" /> Alcala executed 12 five panel comic strips for the men's magazine ''Adam''.{{cn|date=August 2019}} The strip, ''Terra O'Hara'', was written by [[Donald F. Glut|Donald (Don) F. Glut]] and it appeared in 12 successive issues of ''Adam'' from December 1979, through November 1980.{{cn|date=August 2019}} In the early 1980s he penciled the ''[[Star Wars comics|Star Wars]]'' newspaper strip.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.starwars.com/news/from-world-war-to-star-wars-comic-books|title= From World War to ''Star Wars'': Comic Books|first= Cole|last= Horton|date= July 17, 2015|publisher= StarWars.com|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150929122422/http://www.starwars.com/news/from-world-war-to-star-wars-comic-books|archive-date= September 29, 2015|url-status= live|quote= 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.}}</ref> In 1983 he teamed with the penciller [[Jack Kirby]] on ''[[Destroyer Duck]]'' from [[Eclipse Comics]]. and around that same time he also inked comic books such as ''[[Conan the Barbarian (comics)|Conan the Barbarian]]'' over [[John Buscema]]'s pencils and inked [[Don Newton]]'s pencil artwork in ''[[Batman (comic book)|Batman]]''.<ref name="GCD" />

Alcala received an [[Inkpot Award]] in 1977.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/inkpot.php|title= Inkpot Award Winners |publisher= Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120709055558/http://www.hahnlibrary.net/comics/awards/inkpot.php|archive-date= July 9, 2012|url-status= live}}</ref> In 2021, he was awarded the [[Inkwell Awards]] Stacey Aragon Special Recognition Award (SASRA) (2021).<ref name=firstcomicnewsinkwells2021 /><ref name=inkwellawardswinners2021 />

*''[[Batman (comic book)|Batman]]'' (inks) #349, 354–355, 357, 362–381, 383, 383385, ''Annual'' #10 (1982–1986)

*''[[Ka-Zar (comicsKevin Plunder)|Ka-Zar]]'' (inks) #6, 8 (1974–75)

*''[[Eerie (magazine)|Eerie]]'' #96, 99–101, 104–105, 113 (1978–80)