| Ron Frenz | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ronald Wade Frenz February 1, 1960 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Area(s) | Writer, Penciller |
| Notable works | The Amazing Spider-Man Thor Spider-Girl |
| Official website | |
Ronald Wade Frenz (born February 1, 1960)[1] is an American comic book artist known for his work for Marvel Comics. He is well-known for his 1980s work on Amazing Spider-Man, and more recently, for his work on Spider-Girl (who he co-created with writer Tom DeFalco). Frenz also co-created the New Warriors in the pages of The Mighty Thor.
Frenz's other work includes such titles as The Mighty Thor, Ka-Zar the Savage, The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Marvel Saga, Thunderstrike and Superman.
When DC Comics decided to change Superman's costume and powers, it was Frenz's design that was chosen for Superman's new look. Frenz has a history of working on books where the characters were not in their original costumes/identities. Spider-Man wore his black costume, Thor took on a new secret identity and look, and Superman changed costumes and powers all while Frenz was the regular artist on their titles.
Frenz is known for his frequent collaborations with writer DeFalco, including the short-lived series A-Next. Several of Frenz's creations/co-creations have gone on to be featured in regular or limited series at both Marvel and DC, including Thunderstrike, New Warriors and Strange Visitor. His characters for Marvel's MC2 line have produced series featuring A-Next, J2, Dark Devil, The Buzz and the only female character to reach one hundred consecutive issues at Marvel, Spider-Girl.
DeFalco has called Frenz one of his favorite collaborators, and the creative team of DeFalco, Frenz and inker Josef Rubinstein produced one of the most acclaimed runs on The Amazing Spider-Man. Frenz replaced John Romita, Jr. as the regular artist on The Amazing Spider-Man in 1984 and the memorable stories he pencilled (written mainly by Roger Stern and then by DeFalco) included "The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man" in issue #248, the first appearance of Spider-Man's black costume in issue #252, most of the original stories featuring The Hobgoblin, and Spider-Man's battle with Firelord in issues #269-270. It was Frenz and Defalco that made the "black suit" a symbiote and were indirectly responsible for the character Venom.
Frenz's lean, quirky rendition of Spider-Man/Peter Parker was closer to the stylings of original Spider-Man artist Steve Ditko than most of the post-Ditko artists (who typically followed the model of John Romita, Sr.). Jim Owsley, editor of the Spider-Man titles at the time, has noted that "Frenz was passionate about Spider-Man, verging on fanatical."[2]
In 1986, Frenz and DeFalco were removed from The Amazing Spider-Man by Owsley, acting under the orders of Marvel editor-in-chief Jim Shooter.[2] Frenz has returned sporadically since to pencil Spider-Man stories, including the 1996 mini-series Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives, written by Roger Stern.
Ron has worked with Marvel's Spider-Girl as penciler,amd illustrated the "This Happened to Me" feature in the magazine Outdoor Life. He is also a contributing editor to Charlton Spotlight magazine.
On June 4, 2009 Ron Frenz was the recipient of the 2009 Nemo Award for Excellence in the Cartoon Arts.[3]
| Preceded by John Romita, Jr. |
The Amazing Spider-Man artist 1984–1987 |
Succeeded by Alan Kupperberg |
| Preceded by Sal Buscema |
Thor artist 1987–1993 |
Succeeded by Bruce Zick |
| Preceded by Tom DeFalco |
Thor writer 1989–1993 (with Tom DeFalco) |
Succeeded by Ron Marz & Jim Starlin |
| Preceded by José Luis García-López |
Superman artist 1995–1998 |
Succeeded by Paul Ryan |
| Preceded by Pat Olliffe |
Spider-Girl artist 2003–2006 |
Succeeded by N/A |
| Preceded by N/A |
Amazing Spider-Girl artist 2006–present |
Succeeded by N/A |