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This translation is unedited!
Frank Thorne
The American Master Frank Thorne was born on June 16, 1930 in Rahway, New Jersey
Thorne began to draw comics around 1948. He created some romantic comics for Standard Comics and later on - after graduating from school - the newspaper strip "Perry Mason" for King Features. He has also worked for Dell comics on "Flash Gordon", "Jungle Jim", and "The Green Hornet".
In 1950, the young Thorne met the genre legend Irving Klaw. The photographer was the "Pin-Up"king of the USA in the 1950s and is regarded by his work, including his model Betty Page, as a "co-founder" of the fetish and bondage movement.
Thorne's breakthrough came in 1975 with the series Red Sonja for Marvel Comic. Red Sonja was masterfully designed and drawn by Barry Windsor-Smith for "Conan the Barbarian" after Roy Thomas transformed the original novel character into a "female version" of Conan.
Thorne took over the series "Marvel Feature" (Vol. 2, number 2-7) and "Red Sonja" (Solo-Comic-Series, Vol. 1 No. 1-11) and accompanied the booklets for several years. Thus 17 comic books were created with his help. Thorne developed the figure's typical appearance as a beautiful warrior with a chain-armor bikini.
In 1978 he left the red-haired beauty, since the author Roy Thomas did not like the "erotic" alignment of the figure, and developed his own flock of warriors in the eagerness of the gained freedom - but much more adult and erotic. Especially Ghita of Alizarr. This was followed by Lann for Heavy Metal, Ribit for Comico, Moonshine McJugs for Playboy and Fey Brith and Tristi Joie for "The Iron Devil and Devil´s Angel" for Eros Comix. In the latter series, Thorne drew more explicitly than ever before.
With "Ghita" - from 1979 - Thorne could finally draw an erotic, imaginative and mature version of "Red Sonja" without the restrictions of Marvel or the American comic code. Ghita was active in another universe and blonde instead of redheaded. But in the black and white drawings you could not see this color difference anyway. Ghita had her first appearance in Warren Publications controversial magazine in 1984, and Ghita was also a worthy setting for the regular appearance of Thornes alter Ego Thenef the Wizard. The peculiarity - to smuggle into the comic strip stories as a character - is inherent in almost every one of his produced series.
1990-1991 Catalan Communications released the entire Ghita material in two colour albums. At the same time, a new episode for the first person comic series "The Erotic Worlds of Frank Thorne" (Eros Comix) was created.
In this imaginative and fast-paced story, myths, typical Sword and Sorcery elements, crude humor, merge with modern views and characters of the 21st century. Ghita is "a scandalous warrior who fights with waving flags for the sexual revolution. A lascivious harlequin with divine proportions, living in an ancient world of friendly and deadly nightmares".
In addition to the comic works, the two autobiographies "Drawing Sexy Women" and "The Cristal Ballroom" - decorated with numerous illustrations, as well as the graphic novel "Nymph"were created. All three albums have been published by Fantagraphics Books.
His most powerful and erotic comic series is undoubtedly Iron Devil. Thanks to Thornes excellent artwork, Iron Devil became a varied and above all explicit (!) masterpiece. Only Iron Devil and the successor Devils Angel are interspersed with hardcore scenes. Thorne's previous works (Ghita, Lann, etc.) were mostly erotic and sexy, but never went as far as in the younger Devil series.
Iron Devil was created in 1990 and the first editions were quickly sold out. Eros Comix later only summarized the Iron Devil adventures in a collection. The series was re-released in 2007 - once again by Eros Comix. This time completely complete with all Iron Devil AND Devil's Angel episodes. In addition, the original drawings were finally printed in colour - with a brown tone - which gives the pictures more depth and effect. In the introduction to the book, Eros Comix editor Ryder Windham explains how he did not persuade Thorne's suggestion to "make porn", thank God.
The controversial series received special attention because of an inglorious raid on a comic book store in Oklahoma. At the end of 1995, several comic books were confiscated in the Planet Comic Shop; among others, Frank Thorne's "Devil´s Angel #2" was also confiscated. The indictment against the shop owners was considered child pornography by Thorne´s work. Without the help of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, the matter would have become quite expensive for shop owners. Similarly infamous criminal prosecution proceedings are also known in Germany. The trial against Alpha Comic Verlag in 2001 would certainly be worth mentioning.
This incident resulted in Thorne discontinuing the preparatory work for Devil?s Angel #3 and creating a completely different story for the third edition. In it, Thorne assembled all of his creations to sarcastically settle accounts with the political and bigot powers.
Iron Devil is about the legend "Fey Brith", the sexy newcomer to Iron Devil Bordel and "Tristi Joie", a New York-based service provider. The unusual, varied history of the city is constantly leaping from antiquity - with its legends and myths - into modern times. Thorne shows several sex variants and taboo-laden varieties - such as anal intercourse, golden shower or sodomy (as a dream sequence) - but not for the sake of the matter itself, but embedded in the context of the intelligently told plot.
Iron Devil is a sexual liberation strike! .... - for the artist himself, in the creation of the work, as well as for the open-minded and intelligent reader then as now.
Thornes drawing style was characterized by a strong, loosely sweeping brushstroke, which is usually sketchy. Its individual pages often seem a bit overloaded due to the sheer number of details. Larger open spaces are rarely found in layouts. His ability is beyond question and leaves no flaws in proportions, anatomy and perspective.
Thorne was also known for his self-staging. Even never embarrassed to dress up in fanciful costumes - mostly as a magician with a hat and long robe - many models and even colleague Wendy Pini - creator of the very successful fantasy comic series "Elfquest" - have inspired the "Master" in Red Sonja/Warrior Bikinis and have been allowed to serve as a drawing model.
Frank Thorne passed away on March 7, 2021 at the age of 90, in Scotch Plains, New Jersey.
More characters by Frank Thorne: Danger Rangerette This character was invented by author Ted Mann (National Lampoon) and the series made it to 20 episodes (one page each). Printed in Lampoon and later on in High Times. The complete episodes were printed in "The Erotic Worlds of Frank Thorne #5" (1999).
Moonshine McJugs The series ran on Playboy between 1980 and 1985, and the 27 pages that made it into Playboy were later collected and printed in "The Erotic Worlds of Frank Thorne #2 and 3" (1990/1991).
Lann A typical heavy metal science fiction series: sexy and wacky. In 1984 the end was already reached, because Thorne did not like the series any more. Ken Pierce Books compiled the Lann-Heavy Metal material as a scrapbook. In 1990 Thorne picked up the story again and the new stories were published in "The Erotic Worlds of Frank Thorne #4".
Ribit! A four episode fantasy series for Comico. The fans never really liked the story. Thorne's title for the series would have been "Spawn of Sorcery." |
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Frank Thorne Der amerikanische Altmeister Frank Thorne wurde am 16. Juni 1930 in Rahway, New Jersey, geboren. Thorne begann etwa ab dem Jahr 1948 Comics zu zeichnen. Er gestaltete für Standard Comics einige romantische Comic und später - nach seinem Schulabschluß - für King Features den Zeitungs-Strip "Perry Mason". Des Weiteren arbeitete er für Dell Comics unter anderem bei die Serien "Flash Gordon", "Jungle Jim" und "The Green Hornet". 1950 begegnete dem jungen Thorne die Szene-Größe Irving Klaw. Der Fotograf war in den 1950er Jahren der "Pin-Up"-König der USA und gilt durch seine Arbeit, unter anderem mit seinem Modell Betty Page, als "Mitbegründer" der Fetisch- und Bondage-Bewegung. Thorne´s Durchbruch erfolgte 1975 mit der Serie Red Sonja für Marvel Comic. Red Sonja wurde meisterlich von Barry Windsor-Smith für "Conan the Barbarian" gestaltet und gezeichnet, nachdem Roy Thomas die Original-Romanfigur in eine "weibliche Version" von Conan transformierte. Thorne übernahm die Serie "Marvel Feature" (Vol. 2, Nummer 2-7) und "Red Sonja" (Solo-Comic-Reihe, Vol. 1 Nr. 1-11) und begleitete die Hefte einige Jahre. So entstanden 17 Comicbooks unter seiner Mitwirkung. Thorne entwickelte dabei die heute typische Anmutung der Figur als wunderschöne Kriegerin mit Kettenrüstung-Bikini. 1978 verließ er die rothaarige Schönheit, da dem Autor Roy Thomas die "erotische" Ausrichtung der Figur nicht gefiel, und entwickelte im Eifer der gewonnenen Freiheit seine eigene Schar an wehrhaften Kriegerinnen - jedoch weitaus erwachsener und erotischer. Allen voran Ghita of Alizarr. Es folgten Lann für das Magazin Heavy Metal, Ribit für Comico, Moonshine McJugs für Playboy und Fey Brith und Tristi Joie für "The Iron Devil and Devil´s Angel" für Eros Comix. In letzterer Serie zeichnete Thorne so explizit wie noch nie. Mit "Ghita" - ab dem Jahr 1979 - konnte Thorne endlich eine erotische, fantasievolle und reife Version von "Red Sonja" zeichnen ohne die Restriktiven durch Marvel oder dem amerikanischen Comic Code. Ghita war zwar in einem anderen Universum tätig und blond anstatt rothaarig. Doch in den schwarz-weiß Zeichnungen konnte man diesen farblichen Unterschied eh nicht erkennen. Ghita hatte ihren ersten Auftritt in Warren Publications kontroversen Magazin 1984. In Ghita fand auch der regelmäßige Auftritt von Thornes alter Ego Thenef the Wizard einen würdigen Rahmen. Die Eigenart - sich in die Comic-Geschichten als Charakter einzuschmuggeln - haftet fast jeder seiner produzierten Serie an. 1990-1991 veröffentlichte Catalan Communications das bis dahin gesamte Ghita-Material in zwei farbigen Alben. Zeitgleich entstand eine neue Episode für die Ego-Comic-Reihe "The Erotic Worlds of Frank Thorne" (Eros Comix). In der fantasievollen und temporeichen Geschichte verschmelzen Mythen, typische "Sword and Sorcery"-Elemente, kruder Humor - mit modernen Ansichten und Charakteren des 21sten Jahrhunderts. Ghita ist "eine skandalöse Kriegerin, die mit wehenden Fahnen für die sexuelle Revolution kämpft. Ein lüsterner Harlekin mit göttlichen Proportionen, die in einer altertümlichen Welt aus freundlichen und tödlichen Alpträumen lebt". Neben den Comicarbeiten entstanden die zwei Autobiografien "Drawing Sexy Women" und "The Cristal Ballroom" - ausgeschmückt mit etlichen Illustrationen, sowie die Graphic-Novel "Nymph". Veröffentlicht wurden alle drei Alben bei Fantagraphics Books. Seine kraftvollste und erotischste Comic-Serie ist unbestritten Iron Devil. Dank Thornes exzellenter Artwork wurde Iron Devil zu einem abwechslungsreichen und vor allem expliziten (!) Meisterwerk. Nur Iron Devil und der Nachfolger Devils Angel sind durchzogen mit Hardcore-Szenen. Thornes bisherige Arbeiten (Ghita, Lann, usw.) waren zwar meist erotisch und sexy, gingen aber nie so weit wie in der jüngeren Devil-Serie. Iron Devil entstand ab dem Jahr 1990 und die ersten Auflagen waren schnell ausverkauft. Eros Comix fasste später nur die Iron Devil Abenteuer in einem Sammelband zusammen. Erst 2007 wurde die Serie - abermals von Eros Comix - neu aufgelegt. Diesmal vollständig mit allen Iron Devil UND Devil´s Angel Folgen. Außerdem wurden die Original Zeichnungen endlich farbig - mit einem Braunton - gedruckt, der den Bildern mehr Tiefe und Wirkung verleiht. In der Einleitung des Buches erklärt Eros Comix Herausgeber Ryder Windham, wie er Thorne´s Vorschlag "in Porno zu machen" Gott sei Dank nicht ausredete. Die kontroverse Serie erlangte besondere Aufmerksamkeit wegen einer unrühmlichen Razzia in einem Comicshop in Oklahoma. Dieser Vorfall hatte zur Folge, das Thorne die Vorarbeiten für Devil´s Angel #3 einstellte und eine völlig andere Geschichte für die dritte Ausgabe entwarf. In ihr versammelte Thorne all seine Schöpfungen, um sarkastisch mit den politischen und bigotten Mächten abzurechnen. Iron Devil handelt von der Legende "Fey Brith", dem sexy Neuzugang des Iron Devil Bordels und "Tristi Joie" einer "Dienstleister-Kollegin" aus New York. Die ungewöhnliche, abwechslungsreiche Geschichte springt kontinuierlich vom Altertum - mit ihren Legenden und Mythen - in die Neuzeit. Thorne zeigt etliche Sexvarianten und tabu behaftete Spielarten - wie Analverkehr, Natursekt oder Sodomie (als Traumsequenz) -, aber nicht um der Sache selbst willen einzelne Sexhandlungen abzuspulen, sondern eingebettet im Kontext zur intelligent erzählten Handlung. Iron Devil ist ein sexueller Befreiungsschlag! ... - für den Künstler selbst, bei der Schaffung des Werkes, sowie für den aufgeschlossenen und intelligenten Leser damals wie heute. Thornes Zeichenstil war geprägt durch einen kräftigen, locker-schwungvollen Pinselstrich, der meist skizzenhaft gesetzt wird. Thorne war zudem für seine Selbstinzenierungen bekannt. Selbst nie verlegen sich mit fantasiereichen Kostümen zu verkleiden - meist als Zauberer mit Hut und langer Robe -, haben etliche Modelle und sogar Kollegin Wendy Pini - Schöpferin der sehr erfolgreichen Fantasy-Comic-Serie "Elfquest" - in Red Sonja/Kriegerin Bikinis den "Meister" inspirieren und als Zeichenvorlage dienen dürfen. Frank Thorne verstarb am 7. März 2021 mit 90 Jahren, in Scotch Plains, New Jersey. Weitere Charaktere von Frank Thorne: Moonshine McJugs Lann Ribit! Bücher/Alben und Hefte/Publications (Auswahl/Selection): "Nichterotisches"/non-erotic (Auswahl/Selection): |
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