Before we jump into the interview, I wanted to say that this interview was not like any other I have conducted. I contacted Herb to see if I could ask some questions of him and he answered immediately saying sure. After he sent his responses he and I exchanged several e-mails and it has been a great pleasure getting to know Herb on a personal level.

He has shared with me about being at Ground Zero and also some of his experiences being in the Air Force, and thus now I have an inside glimpse of the man who brought us GI Joe #1

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Phil Kost (PK): Herb, first let me say that it is an honor and a privilege to have you take time to answer some questions today.

Herb Trimpe (HT): Don’t forget, comic book people are human, too, just like yourself, sooooo, the honor and privlege is also mine.

PK: The first question I want to ask you is how did you start off in the comic industry?

HT: I’ve heard this question so many times, I’m thinking of making up the answer. The shortest response would be “luck.” The long answer is, I pretty much began my career at Marvel. I went to SVA (NYC art school) with John Verpoorten who became the production chief at Marvel in the ‘60s. He introduced me to Sol Brodsky who was hiring freelancers for Stan, and the rest is history.

PK: Who were your biggest influences in regards to art?

HT: I’m assuming you mean comic art. Otherwise, it would be the post-impressionists led by Van Gogh. As far as comics go, I would qualify the answer by defining two periods in my own comic book experience—BK and AK—which is to say, before Kirby and after Kirby. Before Kirby, I was a huge EC fan and Jack Davis was the best in my book. I wanted to be him. After Kirby, it was Jack himself, prompted by Stan who, of course, held Jack up as the guy to pay attention to, both in dynamic drawing and composition style, and in story-telling.

PK: My follow-up to that is how did you end up working on G.I. Joe?

HT: Good question. You’ll have to check with my biographer on that one. Just kidding. I had a rep for liking military things, warrented or not, maybe because I owned an airplane. Go figure. Anyway, someone asked, an editor probably, maybe Larry Hama, I really can’t remember, if I’d be interested in doing Joe, and since it included getting all the action figures, weapons and vehicles, I said okay. Since it meant work=$, I would have said yes even if it had been a Barbie comic.

PK: Do you have any previous military experience? (If so, did it help?)

HT: Four years in the USAF including one year in Vietnam (a beautiful country). Did that help? Not really. I think that would have helped in the writing of the stories, the lingo, the slang, that sort of thing, but since the Joes are pure fantasy visually, it might have actually hindered the drawings. I was asked to do some model sheets for the characters, which I still have lying around somewhere, and they were not used because they weren’t imaginative enough. They looked like regular soldiers—too realistic.

PK: What did you use as examples for the characters? Did you use some of Hasbro’s designs?

HT: I used the Hasbro designs, the toys that is, and the character sheets on which the toys were modeled. There were so many personalities and so much military hardware being constantly created, it became a nightmare to keep up with it all. It made the Transformers look like Disney characters by comparison.

PK: Did you find it difficult to be the artist for G.I. Joe? And on that note, how did you convert the script that you were given into the book that we got in our hands?

HT: The difficult part as far as the art went, was the endless detail. Each element in the Joe universe was unique. In real life, soldiers look basically the same. Once you get the standard equipment down, you got it made. Not so with the Joes. And, of course, some of the vehicles and weapons were so bizarre they defied reason. As to the scripts, I didn’t work from scripts. I worked from a plot, which, thanks to Stan, was what made Marvel unique from other comic companies. Larry Hama was/is an excellent communicator, and his plots were a delight and a pleasure to follow. I didn’t mess around with them very much.

PK: You not only drew several of the first issues, but you also helped co-write or write several issues. Probably the two most famous of these issues are G.I. Joe #6 and #7, better known as the introduction of the October Guard.

HT: I think during my particular run on the book, I only missed doing issue #2, which, amazingly, was more valuable to the collectors than was the first issue! Quite a blow to the ego, I might add, but I’ve gotten over it. The only question I have is WHY&@#^??? for God’s sake. Maybe I haven’t gotten over it.

PK: How much influence did you have on the creation of this team?

HT: Zip, nada.

PK: Was it difficult to draw their demise in G.I. Joe Special Missions #26?

HT: No, it was only difficult because of the loss of the work. After that, things got tough, and if it wasn’t for Tom DeFalco, the editor-in-chief at the time, I would have had to look for another career—which may not have been a bad thing, now that I think about it.

PK: You are also credited with the plot on G.I. Joe #4 which introduced the Wingfield family to us. Can you tell us how you came up with that story?

HT: You got me. If you could give me a heads-up on the details of the story and the characters, I might remember it. My copies of the Joe comics are somewhere buried deep under the rubble in our shed.

PK: The Wingfield family showed up again in G.I. Joe Frontline #11-14. Did you get a chance to read that arc? If so, what did you think of the continuation of the story?

HT: As Bill Cosby replied when doing a bit on the Old Testament, “What’s an arc?” As I say, I don’t remember either one of those stories. It’s not that I am old, although there could be put forth an argument to that effect, it’s just that the number of stories and titles that I was involved in over the years have become a blur—except for say Hulk 181 which I am constantly reminded of.

PK: G.I. Joe #4 was also the first of only two times in the entire series, that we say the thoughts of Snake-Eyes. Was that your idea or Larry’s?

HT: Larry, for sure. He was the brains behind the madness.

PK: Do any of your other stories have a special place in your memory?

HT: I liked the one I wrote and drew that shows a Cobra catamaran submarine on the splash page. Can’t remember the number or name or even whether or not it was a Joe or Special Missions story. I also liked the one where the duplicate of George Bush senior is found. That was definitely a SM, and I think I did the art and story on that one also. Also, the SM featuring the New York Mets. Wookie Milson and the rest.

PK: Now, not only were you the first artist on the main G.I. Joe line, but you also was the first artist on the G.I. Joe Special Missions line. A comic line which you were almost the sole artist of. How was it working on that series?

HT: Just as nuts as the Joes. A rose by any other name… Millions of characters, hard to draw vehicles, what else was new?

PK: How was it different from the main series?

HT: I don’t think it was, was it? Only the reader would know. Like I say, millions of characters…and so on.

PK: What made you decide to come back to do G.I. Joe Special Missions after you had moved on?

HT: $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$…ad infinitum

PK: I must ask the question that I am sure many fans would like to know, how was it working with Larry Hama?

HT: Yeah, that one’s been covered, I think. To reiterate, it was great! Larry knew his stuff, he researched, he could draw, he was flexible, he was helpful, he was efficient and on-time. What else could one want?

PK: You two worked on so many issues together, did it become easier to do the art for his scripts as you went along?

HT: Larry started out being easy. Again, you couldn’t ask for a better working partner.

PK: I have asked you a lot of questions about the Marvel run of G.I. Joe, have you gotten a chance to read any of the new Devil’s Due run of G.I. Joe? If so, what do you think of it?

HT: Long questions, short answers. No, and nothing.

PK: Would you be willing to come back and draw an issue or two if asked?

HT: Funny you should ask. I recently got a call from an editor at Marvel to do an Avengers cover in the so-called “retro” style, the style that got most of us old farts at Marvel fired.
I figured what the hell, and said okay. I’m not sure I’d want to do a whole book. Probably not. I’m not set up for it, and besides, it’s too much like work. I don’t need the money or the glory, or whatever it is that makes people push on in this business. Been there, done that.

PK: Have you noticed the new G.I. Joe Comic Packs that Hasbro produced? Many of those figures were based off your drawings. How does that feel to see your influence on the G.I. Joe world after 20 years?

HT: No, I haven’t seen the packs. Contrary to what I said in the previous question, I’d rather have the money than the influence. Not really contrary, because for that kind of money I wouldn’t have had to work for it. I don’t get a kick out of influence. No highs.

PK: What are you currently working on? Or is there anything in the future we should keep our eyes open for with your name on it?

HT: Only the aforementioned Avengers cover and some commission work once in a while. I write nowadays and have had a book published by Big Apple Vision called “The Power of Angels.” It’s based on people I met at Ground Zero while volunteering during the clean-up and recovery period.

PK: Finally, is there anything you would like to share with the fans?

HT: Hello!

PK: Herb, again thanks for taking the time to answer these questions for us, I know the fans will lover hearing your responses.

HT: My pleasure, your very welcomed, Phil, and keep up the good work. Your website looks great and provides a wonderful service by adding valuable information to the historical record of the business. Thanks.

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Discuss the interview here.