Alfredo Alcala

Not to be confused with Larry Alcala.
Alfredo Alcala

Alcala in 1977.
Born Alfredo P. Alcala
August 23, 1925
Talisay, Negros Occidental, Philippines
Died April 8, 2000 (aged 74)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
Nationality Filipino
Area(s) Penciller, Inker
Notable works
 Voltar
Savage Sword of Conan
Swamp Thing
Awards Inkpot Award, 1977

Alfredo P. Alcala (August 23, 1925 – April 8, 2000) was a Filipino comic book 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 introduced him to an international audience, particularly in the United States. Alcala garnered awards in science-fiction during the early part of the 1970s.[1]

Biography

Alfredo Alcala's lifelong interest in comic books began in childhood. He dropped out of school in his early teens to pursue a career in art, initially as a sign painter and commercial artist. Subsequently he took employment in an ironworker's shop, designing lamps and household furniture, as well as a church pulpit. During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in World War II he drew revealing pictures of their gear and position for the American forces.

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.

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. Its like riding a bicycle built for two."[2]

He eventually became a star of the Filipino comics scene, so famed that a periodical bore his name, the Alcala Komix Magazine. 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 eventually abroad. Alcala's mature artistic style reflected his interest in the woodcuts and etchings of Renaissance master Albrecht Durer and the drawings of 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. In 1971 Alcala began a decade of work for both DC and Marvel Comics on horror and fantasy titles, eventually moving to New York City in 1976. He also helped recruit up-and-coming Filipino artists such as Alex Niño to U.S. publishers. Alcala joined Warren Publishing in 1977 and came to draw 39 stories for Warren from 1977-1981. His series Voltar was reprinted in issues 2-9 of The Rook magazine. In the early 1980s he penciled popular comic books such as Star Wars and inked Conan the Barbarian over John Buscema's pencils and inked Don Newton's pencil artwork in Batman.

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.

On April 8, 2000, Alcala died from cancer in Southern California. He is survived by his wife Lita and two sons, Christian Voltar and Alfred Jr.

Selected bibliography

Comics work (interior pencil art, except where noted) includes:

DC

Marvel

Warren

Notes

  1. ↑ Alfredo P. Alcala (23/8/1925 - 8/4/2000, The Philippines), lambiek.net
  2. ↑ Spurgeon, Tom. "Alfredo Alcala, 1925-2000," The Comics Reporter (May 30, 2000). Accessed Feb. 13, 2009.

References

External links