Ben Lichius reporting again from the secret lab at Dark Unicorn Games headquarters and, boy, are you in for a treat today! Here we go with another Super Powered Smash Masters artist spotlight!
Artist Spotlight #4: Ron Frenz
If you’re an old school comic geek like me, then you know the work of master penciller Ron Frenz. He brought to life many of the incredible stories that shaped much of my youth. I was mostly a fan of his work on Amazing Spider-Man, but he was a pivotal artist on tons of Marvel titles in the 80s and 90s – books like: Captain America, Daredevil, Fantastic Four, Star Wars, Thor, Indiana Jones, X-Factor, and more.
I actually met Ron at my very first comic book convention waaaaay back in 1986. I was 11 years old, but somehow, back then, you could stand around a table with a bunch of other kids and watch industry pros like Ron draw sketches all afternoon – and so that’s what I did. I couldn’t believe how fast, versitile, and all around talented he was – and of course he’s still all of those things and more. He drew a Spider-Man vs. Punisher sketch for me that day that hung on my wall until I went to college. In no small way, Ron helped foster my love of comics and my desire to learn to draw them.
Ron has been a Marvel mainstay for many years. He was responsible for introducing Amazing Spider-Man readers to the iconic black costume he wore post-Secret Wars and some fantastic story lines including a favorite of mine where Spidey takes on Firelord (a herald of Galactus) in an epic battle for the ages! Ron also worked on Thor at a time when he took on a new secret identity and a new look. Over at DC Comics, Ron worked on a number of pivotal Superman stories, including the ‘Wedding Album’ issue where Clark Kent finally married Lois Lane. More recently, Ron was the regular artist on Amazing Spider-Girl with long time writer and collaborator, Tom DeFalco.
When we started talking about hiring pros to work on cards for Super Powered Smash Masters, my mind went immediately to Ron. So I packed up a folder full of SPSM stuff and went off to a local comic convention that he was appearing at to make a pitch. The whole team was excited to hear that he agreed to do a card for us, and I’m happy to debut it here: The Incredible ZEBRO. Ron created an awesome design and captured his attitude perfectly. Check it out.
And as a special treat, here’s the full final image (Pencils by Ron, Inks and Colors by me). Thanks again Ron!!
There’s more greatness on the way soon so be sure to follow us on Facebook or sign up for the Newsletter if you haven’t already! That’s it for now.
UPDATE: Be sure to check out Ron’s latest work, The Blue Baron, available on comiXology.
Smash ya’ later!
-Ben
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