The Yellow Kong: Dating by Dotscreen!

Several original pages appear here in color, to show how some of the dotscreen has aged. For conoisseurs of old comic book and comic strip art, the concept of Benday screens is nothing new; a number of manufacturers made dot screens on advesive-back film (Zip-A-Tone, Mecanorma, Pantone, Formatt), and I probably used every variety on the original art for Kong.

Some of the effects I was able to accomplish, depending on whether the dots were printed on the front of the film, was scratching off the pattern to create mist or white glows, etc.

Some of it seems to have aged better than others, although I no longer have any record of which brand was used on which page. All of the art was stored in the same (not optimal) conditions, with heat in the summer and cold in the winter, and all of the art was scanned under the same parameters. The scans match the originals fairly accurately on my monitor. The only factor that is different is the manufacturer (although it all might have fared better in a more climate-controlled storage facility).

However, as illustrator Vince Dorse suggests, the yellowing kind of gives the art a patina of charm! Enjoy.

Close-up of Ann Darrow that has aged pretty well, although some slight shrinkage is evident to the right of the circle where two pieces of dot screen were laid next to one another.

Dots and line patterns are used on this page, which shows different degrees of yellowing. Clearly, it is the adhesive backing that is the culprit. So much for archival quality! Although it does make the flesh tones of the villagers rich and varied.

Some scratching on top of the film is evident in panel one, to create a modulating effect.

Spotlights are emphasized against the skyline by cutting away the dot screen. This page was one of the last I drew; it is so iconic, I don't know why I didn't plan it from the start.

Different dot screen values (probably 20% black to 40% black) were used in bands to give the water added depth in the second panel. Leaving the figure of Ann and the bubbles white make them pop out from the murky depths. Some shrinkage, however, can be seen at the top right corner and along the seams, particularly between Ann's neck and left arm. It appears in the photocopies of the time and probably the printed comic, so I probably did not do such a great job joining that spot in the first place.

First Kingdom: Kong Thumbnails from 1990

The first issue of King Kong began an exceptional assignment in my freelance career in many ways (I have always thought of it as freelance work, despite owning co-copyright on the artwork). First of all, it was an adaptation of a well-known story (one could hardly think of a story more familiar to fans of fantasy, sci-fi, horror, comics, or even cinema in general), and an assignment I would never have applied for. Fantagraphics, in fact, came to me - Thom Powers, whom I knew from Detroit, did a lot of the traffic editing for the Monster Comics line. It was in some ways a stretch, requiring period research (not easily accomplished in pre-internet days), and I also had to avoid quoting the movie directly - Fantagraphics only had the rights to illustrate the 1932 story, which was essentially a novelization of the screenplay.

Consequently, I approached the project, and especially the first issue, with more than the usual preparation. I recently came across the original 8½" x 11" roughs I made, in rollerball pen, and was shocked that the finished lettering already appeared on the roughs. Now, it was not at all unusual for me to start by making  8½" x 11" roughs (I did it for numerous projects at the time, including Megaton Meets the Uncategorizable X+Thems #1, various TMNT projects, Marvel and DC samples, and so forth (I've posted many of these all over my various blogs). But what is different about Kong is that I seem to have actually already lettered the dialogue on the 11" x 17" Bristol board, made reduced photocopies, then drew the roughs on these blank pages.

If I typed out a plot or script of some sort, it's present location is unknown; also, if I scribbled anything at all in a sketchbook, that is also not on hand; I can only conclude from looking at these roughs that I panicked to some degree, after lettering the text on the boards, and wanted to play it safe by roughing out the visuals, which I then blew up on a photocopier and traced onto the Bristol with the lettering, then inking.

It may also be the case that I went to such lengths because I wanted to get the lettering out of the way first. Lettering of course takes up visual space, and there's no sense drawing lush jungle backgrounds or cityscapes if they are only going to be covered over later by lettering. I have since placed the lettering first, although nowadays I just pencil the lettering very tightly on my layout, rather than ink the lettering and make photocopies, as I seem to have done with Kong.

In any case, this lettering-first extreme was highly unusual for me, and I don't think I ever went to this length again. In fact, after the first issue of Kong, I drew rough layouts without lettering, which was more my usual routine during this period in my career. (Issues #2-6 of Kong were done in this fashion, and a few examples of those roughs follow at the end here.)

In fact, as I post the, I realize that I only lettered the first twenty or so pages; after that point, I used my traditional 8½" x 11" rough template to scribble out my visuals, with only blobs to indicate word balloons.

I have scanned the roughs here in color, so you can see not only the yellowing as the paper has aged, but also the Avery-label patches over certain panels as I made corrections to the roughs before proceeding to later stages in the artwork.

These sheet of sketches, on a cream-colored legal pad, predates the first issue - it was for a tryout page that eventually appeared, with some modifications, later in the story (issue #3, as indicated), with Ann stranded up  in a tree as Jack tries to rescue her, and Kong is about to go at it with the Tyrannosaurus Rex.

Full-size intermediate rough in marker; you can see clearly Ann has on a safari shirt different than what is depicted in the final story.

Here is the original inked page, submitted as a sample to Fantagraphics, left, and the page as it appeared in the final story, modified to be more consistent with the surrounding sequence.

This is an example of one of the later story page roughs, done full-size (11" x 17") on Strathmore Graphics paper or equivalent, known as a "tissue" for being thin and traceable on a light table.

Rough Riders: Kong Art from Concept to Finish

My working methods have changed and evolved throughout my career; more or less, I've tried everything. From penciling directly on the Bristol board and inking, to making tiny thumbnail sketches, and everything in between.

For the first 40-page issue, I began by doing rough sketches on 8½" x 11" bond paper with a roller pen. These layouts I then blew up on a photocopier to 11" x 17". At this point, if the rough is tight enough, I may elect to "light table" (literally, trace on a light table) onto Bristol board, but in the case of Kong, I took the further step of doing a "tissue" (thin paper) refinement, tightening up the layout and fleshing out the drawings in pencil. Then, I traced those onto Bristol board, further refined the pencils, and inked them (and in the case of Kong, applying a lot of dot screens). Page 1, below, shows all three separate states of this process.

After the first issue, I began doing my roughs for Kong full size, skipping the smaller rough stage. As seen in the case of page 40 (below), I composed the layout with light blue and graphite pencil on thin paper (called "tissue" in the world of cartooning and commercial art). This rough layout I then light-tabled onto Bristol in pencil, then lettered and inked. I finished the art with dot screens, scraping away highlights with an X-Acto blade.

Left: Rough pencil layout on "tissue" (thin paper); Right: finished artwork in ink and dot screen.

On a totally different note, while I was drawing King Kong for Fantagraphics' Monster Comics, I was also creating my explicitly pornographic comics for Fantagraphics under their Eros Comix imprint (and under my patently unconvincing pseudonym, Anton Drek). Kong seemed to influence my Anton Drek comics, insofar as when it came time to collect Wendy Whitebread, Undercover Slut and Forbidden Frankenstein into a single trade paperback (it would undergo two editions and was already being translated into Spanish, Italian, French, and Finnish), I employed a Kong compositional theme, putting our stalwart heroine into the monsters massive palm.

Original thumbnail sketch, 4" across; red and black rollerball ink pen.

Full size rough on tissue, 14" x 17", blue and graphite pencils.

Material content aside, my approach to drawing this image is identical to the approach I was employing on Kong, which is to say, I drew a full-size rough (in this case, 14" x 17") in blue and graphite pencil, then transferred to Bristol board in pencil, then inked with a brush and probably crowquill pen.

14" x 17" brush and ink on Bristol board; colored blueline with Cel-Vinyl colors and acetate overlay.

The final step in this case was to color the illustration, which involved a creation of a "blue line" (the linework from the cartoon drawing is photographically transferred to illustration board), and then colored with paints. One can use watercolor, acrylic, or even oil, but for this one I used mainly Cel-Vinyl paints, which were used to paint cels in animation.

Cover of Anton's Collected Drek (first edition, June 1992), Cel-Vinyl paint on blueline with acetate overlay.

Aside from subject matter, I made no attempt to alter my drawing style or working method between "Don Simpson" and "Anton Drek" in the early 90s. Allow the Drek comics came to an end by 1992, my cartooning workflow has continued to evolve into the digital era. Scanners, for example, allow more accuracy and precise enlargement (although in recent years I've used a variety of tracing papers rather than Bristol board). Numerous examples of my current method have been posted on my various blogs, but if you are interested, you can start here.

Ann and the Ape: Panels from the Prehistoric Past!

Don Simpson's 1991-1992 official, complete, and authorized graphic novel adaptation of King Kong contains many wonders for the discerning cartooning fan. Based on the 1932 book by Edgar Wallace, Merian C. Cooper, and Delos W. Lovelace, it includes numerous scenes deleted from the film for sexual or racial content. In addition, the cartoonist, who scripted, penciled, inked, and lettered more than 130 pages for the project, added numerous personal touches, inside jokes, and easter eggs of admiration in his labor of love

A brontosaurus makes mince meat of the visitors to Skull Island!

Below are a selection of favorite panels and tiers from the classic tale. Created in a simple "newspaper style" vocabulary and originally published in black and white, Simpson's art made ample use of "black spotting," vigorous brush and pen and ink drawing (including raking the original art with a razor blade to achieve expressive, sweeping effects), hand lettering, and simple but effective dot screens (known in pre-digital days as Ben Day, Zipatone, and numerous other brand names).

Carl Denham, defeated by Skull Island, returns from his afternoon in Jurassic Park.

Harkening back to the classic adventure strips of Noel Sickles (Scorchy Smith), Roy Crane (Wash Tubbs), and Leslie Turner (Cap'n Easy) - as much, if not more, than such obvious influences as Wally Wood, Frank Frazetta, and EC Comics - Simpson successfully evokes the nostalgia of the period without directly quoting from the 1933 RKO Pictures movie

Kong reaches for Ann Darrow.

 "We only had rights to the book," Simpson notes, "which freed me from a literal adaptation of screen images and actors' likenesses." Another bonus were added scenes left out of the film, or cut by exhibitors and TV stations over the years; these included shots of lethal, giant spiders devouring the crew of the ship, and Kong's grisly rampage through a native village.

The secret map to Skull Island (in 3D)!

Simpson also took liberties with Ann Darrow, love object and heroine of the piece, emphasizing her physicality and blatant sexuality. "She's a strong heroine," says the cartoonist, "and pretty confident, even while being pursued by a giant ape." The 1991 graphic novel taps into the underlying eroticism implicit in King Kong, perhaps more than any adaptation of the story before or since.

Jack Driscoll and Ann Darrow on board the tramp steamer. All men are basically monkeys of one sort or another!

 "But she always retains agency," notes the cartoonist. "In my version of the story, she doesn't end up in the arms of Jack Driscoll; she's alone on the pinnacle of the Empire State Building, along, weeping for her fallen would-be suitor, who in his childlike way never understood the modern world."

Tied to the altar, Ann awaits her fate!

 Simpson's distinct emphasis of the female figure is contrasted with almost cartoony renditions of the giant ape and other denizens of Skull Island, including the dinosaurs. "I was trying to evoke the artificiality of gorilla costumes and rubber suits, and model kits of dinosaurs, as much as 'real' dinosaurs," says the artist. "This isn't a Kong where verisimilitude is a high priority; it's a primal story, evoking childhood and immature conceptions of reality. I wasn't trying to hit readers over the head with paleontology, like Stephen R. Bissette's Tyrant. I was telling a 'rattling good' pulp story in the manner of Edgar Rice Burroughs, by way of Philip José Farmer."

Gas bombs take down the stegosaurus!

The original six-issue series featured a variety of covers by noted fantasy illustrators, including Dave Stevens, Mark Shultz, Al Williamson, Ken Steacy, and two by William Stout. "Dave just swiped a movie still of Faye Wray," Simpson recalls, "which technically violated the contract with the Merian C. Cooper estate." Worse still, the cover amounted to the entirety of publicity by the publisher on behalf of the series.

Kong paws for Jack!

Don Simpson, best known as the creator of the superhero parody Megaton Man, seemed an unlikely choice to adapt Kong. "I knew Gary Groth and Kim Thompson, of course, as well as Thom Powers, who was heading up the Monster Comics and Erox Comix imprints," recalls the cartoonist. "Gary always had nice things to say about my black-and-white science fiction saga Border Worlds, and maybe they also saw Pteranoman #1, which featured dinosaurs and Cowboy Gorilla. Also, as a reliable writer, artist, and letterer - who would work cheap - I was kind of one-stop shopping. But Kong is not something I would have sought out or begged to draw."

Seaman Jack Driscoll is no big-game hunter!

"The marketing of King Kong was an enormous missed opportunity, in my view," says Simpson. "Fantagraphics [publisher of the industry-antagonist Comics Journal] seemed to think that achieving commercial success was as simple as lowering your standards and deigning to slum in a popular genre. They never sunk so low as to produce a superhero comic book, but for them, King Kong was selling out. Naturally, when a publisher is that ambivalent about a project, they're not going to be wholehearted in their promotion of it."

Ann takes charge of the relationship!

Simpson recalls attending a San Diego Comicon during the period in which his Kong was appearing. "The publisher was happily promoting Love and Rockets, Eightball, and their other critically-acclaimed arthouse projects," notes the cartoonist. "But King Kong, they were hiding under a bushel. The only display I saw at the show at all concerning Kong was a vintage movie poster at a dealer's table. Here was a household word and I was busting my balls to write and draw the best adaptation I could manage, and the publisher was inexplicably taking a dive on the project. That's what I call a missed opportunity."

Stripped to her skivvies, Ann remains athletic!

The six-issue serialization format also proved a mixed blessing. "On the one hand, I had ample room to explore the story graphically, using silent panels, tall panels, wide-screen panels, and so on," says Simpson. "I could essentially indulge my impulses to direct my own movie version. On the downside, however, it meant trying to hold an audience's attention for over a year, as six bi-monthly issues rolled out. And everyone already knew the ending of the story, so it wasn't as if I had suspense working in my favor."
 

The only escape from the cliff is a death-defying drop into the lake ...

Don Simpson's adaptation of King Kong preceded the age of the graphic novel by several years. "At that time, in the early 1990s, single-issues were still what comics readers expected. The idea of packaging or repackaging a story into a trade paperback was not yet a 'thing' that was widely accepted, or done very often, believe it of not. A decade later, 'graphic novels' became the norm - fans wanted longer, self-contained reads. Fantagraphics could have taken the lead there - I even numbered the pages 1 through 135, so I always conceived of it as a single graphic novel. But they neglected that golden opportunity as well.

Jack brings Ann back from her harrowing adventure on Skull Island!

Fans have been mystified that the series has not been collected in the quarter-century since its only printing, and the artist suspects collusion. "I have reason to believe - because insiders have told me - that a consortium of licensors, Hollywood producers, and comic book publishers have conspired to keep my 1991 King Kong out of print, because they didn't want competition or comparisons. I particularly believe this is true in the case of Dark Horse Comics, who put out an execrable adaptation of the 2005 Peter Jackson film. I believe someone there has it in for me, because they also sicked Charles Atlas, with whom they were creating some merchandise, on me for a parody advertisement I did around the same time."

Ann has just about enough of Carl Denham's ruthless exploitation ...

Whatever the explanation, why anyone associated with the King Kong brand would want to suppress a venerable graphic novel adaptation of the story - anymore than one would want to suppress the 1977 Dino Di Laurentis film, or for that matter the original 1993 Edgar Wallace and Merian C. Cooper Film - is a mystery to millions of fans of Kong. "This is an American institution," notes the cartoonist. "The fact that the story has been told and retold to generations of fans down through the decades should be a point of pride, not of embarrassment or censorship."

The photographers' flashbulbs confuse and anger Kong.

While the cartoonist singles out a jealous rival publisher, other stakeholders in the King Kong brand seem just as, if not more, culpable. "You can tell the difference between a brand or a franchise that is strong, like James Bond or Batman or Star Trek, and can proudly embrace all of its myriad interpretations by various creators over the years -- from the dark and brooding to the campy and corny -- and franchises that are timid and weak, and afraid of its own shadow," notes Simpson. "It is a paradox that King Kong - perhaps the most macho American entertainment franchise imaginable - is run by such tepid, timid, ahistorical wimps."

Kong has Ann once again! Only this time, he's taking things downtown ...

The cartoonist still holds out hope that his 1991 graphic novel will be collected and released as a true graphic novel. "In 2017, two of my past projects were gathered into 'squarebound' format," notes the artist. "Splitting Image, a two-issue series, was re-released along with the normalman vs. Megaton Man Special, under Jim Valentino's Shadowhawk imprint at Image Comics, as an '80-page Giant.' At the same time, Dover Publications gathered together my Border Worlds science fiction series series, and did a beautiful hardcover edition. Both of these are also available on Comixology. I still have all the original artwork for Kong; a single-volume edition would be a no-brainer."

Biplanes approach the Empire State Building!

While Simpson steadfastly claims King Kong was never a dream project, it grew into a labor of love over the course of the year-long assignment. "I gave the publisher, and I hope the readers, their money's worth," says the artist. "It was obvious to me early on that Fantagraphics didn't know how to promote a comic book to fans, even when it was already a household word. But I wasn't drawing for the publisher; I was drawing for the readers, and fans of Kong of all ages. And in some abstract way, I was trying to put forward a notion of traditional, all-American cartooning - complete with drooling apes, nearly naked women, and big Zip-A-Tone dot screens - that I thought was beginning to become lost in the 1990s. Boy, did that prediction come true."

Kong cannot hold on as Ann helpless watches him plummet to his fate.

While Simpson's "newspaper style" comic strip version of King Kong languishes in back-issue bins in comic shops all over the English-speaking world, there is still a strong following for the work. "Fans come up to me all the time with issued of King Kong to autograph, and they want sketches and so. Every convention, every personal appearance - and increasingly on social media - fans demand to see it in bookshelf format. It remains a golden opportunity, if the bean-counters could only unclench their sphincters."

"'Twas beauty killed the beast!"

__________________________________________________________

Published by Monster Comics (an imprint of Fantagraphics Books) in 1991, Don Simpson's graphic novel adaptation of King Kong was first full, complete, official and authorized adaptation of the 1932 story by Edgar Wallace, Merian C. Cooper, and Delos W. Lovelace. It was in no way related to or derived from any of the motion picture versions of the story.

The artwork excerpted here is © 1991, 2018 Don Simpson and Richard Merian Cooper, all rights reserved. 

See also: The Kong Process from Sketch to Finished Art!
See also: King Kong's Uncensored Scenes Featuring Incredible Shrinking Underwear!