Ken Landgraf

Ken Landgraf (born 1950) is an American comic book artist and commercial illustrator. Having worked for both Marvel Comics and DC Comics,^[1] the major publishers of the superhero genre of comic books, Ken pioneered independent comic book publishing in the 1970s and 80s. Collectors of rare “underground” comic book art know Landgraf best for iconoclastic masterworks like the series Rock Comics,^[2] Starfighters,^[3][4] and New York City Outlaws.^[5][6] His powerfully rendered heroes, often distortedly muscular and set in heavily shadowed lighting, represent primal themes of struggle, dominance, brutality, and survival. The stark themes and images of Landgraf’s oeuvre parallel characteristics of punk rock and heavy metal music. Like these musical forms, Landgraf’s serious comic book art contains an implicit critique of effete society while offering explicitly primal fantasies. Landgraf’s extensive credits^[7][8][9] as a freelance commercial illustrator demonstrate the artist as mercenary creating images for dizzyingly various interests.

Early life and education

Born Kenneth Landgraf in Sheboygan, Wisconsin,^[1] he is the brother of the painter Mark Landgraf. Growing up Ken admired the work of such luminary comic book artists as Reed Crandall, Russ Heath, Sam Glanzman, Jim Steranko, and Wally Wood, among others. Landgraf described his early interest in the comics this way:

"When I was a kid, I purchased a ditto machine, a Spirit Duplicator, and started printing my own comics like Crimestopper Monthly and Vampire Kiss— sold them through Rocket’s Blast, a fanzine. Steve Ditko, the Spider-Man artist, even drew a cover for me. I had two fan letters published in Spider-Man #11 and Adventure Comics. I’d write letters to artists. Ditko and [Joe] Kubert wrote back to encourage me."^[10]

Landgraf attended Holy Name Catholic School and later graduated from North Sheboygan High School. As a young man he served in the Navy in Vietnam,^[11] and upon returning from the war, joined the Navy Reserve. His travels brought him to San Francisco, a center of the 1960s counterculture. Landgraf settled finally in New York as a student attending the School of Visual Arts on the G.I. Bill.^[12] At this time he produced his first commercial artwork for various pulp magazines. Determined to become a professional comic book artist, he also studied independently with Will Eisner and Harvey Kurtzman. Landgraf began working as an assistant to Howard Nostrand, Gil Kane, and Rich Buckler— all legendary comic book artists. Under their tutelage, Ken created his early sample pages to sell his talents to the big comic book publishers, DC and Marvel Comics. Landgraf said:

"I went up to Marvel around lunchtime and spotted Stan Lee coming out of Marvel’s building. I introduced myself and told him I just got out of the service and asked if I could show him my portfolio. He said he was going to lunch but that I could go up to Marvel and say that Stan said I could show my work to John Romita, the art director. I was able to go in right away to see him."^[10]

Enduring initial rejections by both the major comic book publishers, Landgraf eventually worked for both Marvel and DC during the 1970s and 80s.

DC Comics

Landgraf’s artwork appeared in numerous DC Comics publications from 1977 to 1981. He worked in both the super hero and horror/suspense genres. His horror/suspense work included penciling, and occasionally inking, in various stories appearing in Witching Hour #85; Ghosts #68, #71 – 76, #82, #91, and #101; Weird Tales #89, and Unexpected #202 and #216.

Among Landgraf’s most notable work in the super hero genre is his penciling of the characters Nightwing and Flamebird^[13] that appeared during a ten issue run starting in 1977 in Super Man Family; issues #184 -193. Much of this work has reappeared in anthology. Also, Landgraf drew Hawkman in four issues of World’s Finest #262, #264 - #266.^[14]

Landgraf’s extensive work with DC, though certainly within the restrictive aesthetic norms demanded by mainstream comic book editors, exhibit much of the dynamically powerful and iconoclastic qualities found in his later independent work.

Marvel Comics

Landgraf’s opportunity to work with an especially iconic comic book super hero came from Marvel Comics— the hero was Wolverine.^[15] Ironically, this happened when Wolverine was still regarded as a relatively minor character in 1980. The story “At the Sign of the Lion,” appeared in a special jumbo-sized publication, Marvel Treasury #26, and featured a team-up with Hercules. Wolverine became one of Marvel's most popular characters by the mid-1980s, and the story was republished in The Incredible Hulk and Wolverine #1 in 1986, and subsequently anthologized in other Marvel publications.

By that time, fed-up with the grind and exploitation of the major comic book companies, Landgraf had moved on to independent publishing, teaching and story-boarding.^[16]

Landgraphics Publications

One of the most notable independent comic books sought after by collectors is Rock Comics #1, the second publication of Ken’s first independent venture, Landgraphics Publications. Printed in the enormous and unprecedented 11 by 15 tabloid newspaper format, the comic is a unique artifact of late psychedelia— the issue appeared in 1979. It featured twenty-eight pages (many in color) giant, over-the-top art by Neal Adams, Armando Gil, Dave Simons, and Ken Landgraf himself. It featured three stories, including the leading story following the adventures of long-haired hero Axe McCord. Rock Comics #1 was both the inaugural and final issue of the title.

The inaugural Landgraphics publication was Starfighters #1, published in oversized tabloid format like its sister publication, Rock Comics, but with subsequent issues in magazine format. A seemingly conventional tale of outer space mercenaries became, over its five issue run (1979-1983) a parabolic story of the apocalypse. As the series progressed, the artwork become less classical, more stylized and heavily-inked, as Landgraf took over all of the art duties of the series and created an almost Byzantine comic art that was to be characteristic of his independent/underground work.

The greatest challenge for Landgraf’s independent venture was distribution. Jim Steranko’s Super Graphics bought up a large run of Rock Comics for sale in Preview Magazine. Phil Seuling of Sea Gate Distribution bought up large runs of all the Landgraphics comics— he suggested the switch from tabloid newspaper to magazine format, as it better fit retail displays. Ultimately though, the demise of smaller, independent distributors and the closing of many comic book shops nationwide caused Landgraphics to cease publication. Today, with the retrospect of decades and the adaptation of mainstream comic book art as a vehicle for the interests of corporate conglomerates, the yellowing artifacts of the Langraphics experiment in independent comic books remain a record of comic book art as fine art— a generative and experimental form. Contemporary interest and demand for these out-of-print publications in the dying days of print media demonstrate the aesthetic power of that fine art.

New York City Outlaws

Ken collaborated with Steve Kapelonis, owner of New York’s Eva’s Restaurant, to publish the urban-jungle melodrama New York City Outlaws. Teaming up with writer Bob Huszar, Ken did all the art work for the series which ran five issues from 1984 – 1989. Ken refined his Byzantine style on New York City Outlaws, using a sharper line and doubling-down on the muscularity of his figures. The result is a retrospective style that looks to Wallace Wood and 1940s and 50s pulp publications for inspiration. At a time when the stylistic qualities of Japanese Anime were beginning to enter American comics, Landgraf’s work in the 80s constitutes an act of pop-cultural patriotism. The series remains a cult classic and has attracted the interest of filmmakers.

Teaching

During the 1980s, Donald Higgins hired Landgraf to teach comic book drawing and anatomy at Parsons School of Design, and so began an important facet of Landgraf’s legacy to comic book art— teaching it. For instance, he taught various Saturday morning workshops for many years, classes that produced students who went on to have careers in comics: Chris Ivey, Isabel Kreitz, Prentis Rollins, Anthony Cacioppo,^[17] John Stanisci, Sandra Chang, and Phyllis Novin. Landgraf’s workshops focused on anatomy, perspective, and light and shadow (inking). Landgraf frequently used the work of Burne Hogarth, Gil Kane, and Wallace Wood as models for students. Duke Sims, singer for the band Shinobi Ninja, has stated in interviews that he studied comic illustration with Ken Landgraf in the early 90's.

Other work

In a career spanning five decades, Ken Landgraf has produced an enormous, variable body of comic and commercial art. A pragmatist, Landgraf has drawn numerous story-boards and on-screen artwork for television including those for “Law & Order,” MTV, “Cosby Mysteries,” HBO, Showtime, and Lifetime Network, as well as the “Galaxy Rangers” and “Avenue Amy” animated TV shows.^[11] Landgraf painted a large mural at the New York Film Academy. From comic books about obscure 80s metal bands like Vikon and Thor Rock Warrior, to Revolutionary Comics’ Pink Floyd comic book series; from a remarkable collaboration with outsider artist John Jacobs on the “Dr. Peculiar” comics, ^[18] to color illustrations for Harris Publications like “Tactical Knives,” “Combat Handguns” and “White Tail Deer Hunter;” from restaurant menus to illustrations for magazine ads— Ken Landgraf’s prolific commercial artwork is notable considering that it essentially financed his independent efforts in comic books. Few comic book artists of Landgraf’s generation paid the price in sweat for freedom of expression that he has paid. Landgraf is noted in several books on comic book art and popular culture, including: Can Rock & Roll Save the World?: An Illustrated History of Music and Comics by Ian Shirley, The Weird World of Eerie Publications by Mike Howlett, and Bad Mags by Tom Brinkmann. Critical interest in Landgraf’s artwork highlights the importance of his contribution to comic art and the visual arts in general.

References