Alex Niño

Infobox Comics creator
name = Alex Niño

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location = The Philippines
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Alex Niño (born May 1, 1940) is a Filipino comic book artist best known for his work for the American publishers DC Comics, Marvel Comics, and Warren Publishing, and in "Heavy Metal" magazine.

Biography

Early life and career

Born in Tarlac [http://lambiek.net/artists/n/nino_a.htm Alex Niño] at the Lambiek Comiclopedia] or Luzon, [ [http://members.cox.net/komikasa/MtoQ.htm Komikasa.com] ] The Philippines, the son of a professional photographer, Alex Niño studied medicine briefly at the University of Manila before leaving in 1959 [ [http://www.media-blastoff.net/alex_nino.htm Media Blastoff: Alex Niño ] ] to pursue his childhood goal of becoming a comics artist. In 1965, after studying under artist Jess Jodloman, Niño collaborated with Clodualdo del Mundo to create the feature "Kilabot Ng Persia" ("The Terror of Persia") for "Pilipino Komiks". Niño and Marcelo B. Isidro later created the feature "Dinoceras" for "Redondo Komiks". Other Valry Philippine work includes the series "Gruaga - The Fifth Corner of the World" for "Pioneer Komiks"; the feature "Mga Matang Nagliliyab" ("The Eyes that Glow in the Dark") with Isidro for "Alcala Komiks"; and for PSG Publications, stories of "Bruhilda Witch", which were adapted into movies. [http://lambiek.net/artists/n/nino_a.htm The Lambiek Comiclopedia: Alex Niño] ]

Niño was among the vanguard of Philippine comics artists — including Alfredo Alcala, Nestor Redondo, and Gerry Talaoc — recruited for American comic books by DC Comics editor Joe Orlando and editor-in-chief Carmine Infantino in 1971, following the success of the pioneering Tony DeZuniga. Niño's earliest U.S. comics credit is penciling and inking the nine-page story "To Die for Magda" in DC Comics' "House of Mystery" #204 (July 1972) written by Carl Wessler. Niño was soon contributing regularly to such other DC supernatural anthologies as companion title "House of Secrets" and "Forbidden Tales of Dark Mansion", "Secrets of Sinister House", "Weird War Tales", "Weird Mystery Tales", and "Witching Hour". He also drew the jungle-adventure feature "Korak" in some issues of DC's "Tarzan". Except for one story for Gold Key Comics' "Mystery Comics Digest" #17 (May 1974), Niño, who moved to the U.S. in 1974, drew comics exclusively for DC through the beginning of 1975.

With writer-editor Robert Kanigher, Niño created DC's 19th-century Caribbean-pirate protagonist Captain Fear in "Adventure Comics" #425 (Dec. 1972). Niño and writer Jack Oleck created the science-fiction feature "Space Voyagers" in "Rima, the Jungle Girl" #1 (May 1974).

Marvel Comics

After drawing some house ads and a frontispiece for two of Marvel Comics/Curtis Magazines' black-and-white comics magazines, Niño teamed with writer-editor Roy Thomas on a 17-page adaptation of the Harlan Ellison short story "'Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman" in the black-and-white "Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction" #3 (May 1975). This led to a high-profile, 30-page Conan the Barbarian tale, "People of the Dark" in "The Savage Sword of Conan" #6 (June 1975), also with Thomas, and a 23-page adaptation of the Michael Moorcock novel "Behold the Man", with writer Doug Moench in "Unknown Worlds of Science Fiction" #6 (Nov. 1975).

Niño made his color-comics debut with the company with "Marvel Classics Comics" #2 (1976), adapting with writer Otto Binder the H. G. Wells novel "The Time Machine". Niño would draw adaptations of "Moby-Dick" and "The Three Musketeers" as well, but did little else for Marvel's color comics, inking two issues of the Luke Cage series "Power Man" and a "Weirdworld" story in "Marvel Premiere" #38 (Sept. 1977).

Warren and "Heavy Metal"

Niño instead found his niche in the mature-audience horror and science-fiction/fantasy fare of Warren Publishing's black-and-white comics magazines "Creepy", "Eerie" and "Vampirella", and HM Communications' pioneering "Heavy Metal", a color comics magazine that blended imported European art-comics with new American work. From 1977 through 1984, Niño drew numerous stories, covers, and incidental art for those publishers, mixed with very occasional stories for DC Comics' supernatural-anthology titles, and some minor work for the short-lived Archie Comics superhero titles "The Comet" and "Shield - Steel Sterling".

Later 1980s work includes issues of DC's "Thriller" and "The Omega Men", New Comics Group's "Asylum", "World of Young Master Special", and "Demon Blade", and Fantagor Press' "Den". Niño both wrote and drew a single-issue occult adventure, "Alex Niño Nightmare" #1 (Dec. 1989), for Innovation Comics.

He also provided artwork for the 1987 animated television series "".

Later life and career

Essentially leaving comics for four years, Niño returned to do minor work for Dark Horse Comics' "Dark Horse Presents", Continuity Comics' "Shaman" and Big Entertainment's "John Jakes' Mullkon Empire" #4, and to re-team with writer Roy Thomas for the 37-page Conan the Barbarian story "Lions of Corinthia" in "The Savage Sword of Conan" #228 (Dec. 1994). Leaving comics again the following year, Niño returned in 1999 to write and draw a story each in Quantum Cat Entertainment's "Frank Frazetta Fantasy Illustrated" #7-8 (July & Sept. 1999).

After another hiatus from comics, during which time he worked on designs for the Walt Disney Pictures animated feature "" (2001), [http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=17325 Not The Love Boat: Smith on "Dead Ahead"] , Comic Book Resources, July 21, 2008] Niño returned to draw Bliss On Tap Publishing's single-issue "God the Dyslexic Dog" #1 (July 2004). Image Comics announced in 2008 that Niño would draw the three-issue miniseries "Dead Ahead", by writers Mel Smith and Clark Castillo.

Quotes

Artist Whilce Portacio: "I was exposed to Alex Niño's super-stylized artwork and that had a major influence on me. The design sense and the limitless imagination of Alex Niño really got me inspired to let my creative side imagine new worlds and characters. [ [http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=88232 Celebrating 120 Years of Komiks from the Philippines I: The History of Komiks] , by Benjamin Ong Pang Kean, "Newsarama", October 19, 2006]

Bibliography

Book-cover / interior illustrations for:
* "Satan's Tears: The Art of Alex Nino" (The Land of Enchantment, 1977)
*"Alex Niño Drawings" (Stuart Ng Books, 2005)

*"Weird Heroes: Vol. 1" (Berkley Publishing Group, 1975)
*"Weird Heroes: Vol. 3: Quest of the Gypsy" (Pyramid Books, 1976)
*"Moby Dick" (Pendulum Press / Now Age Illustrated, 1973) ISBN-10 0883010992, ISBN-13 978-0883010990
**Reissued (Educational Insights, 1998) ISBN-10 1567672353, ISBN-13 978-1567672350
*"Graphic Classics Volume 3: H. G. Wells" (Pendulum Press / Now Age Illustrated, 1974)
**Reissued (Eureka Productions, 2002) ISBN-10 0971246432, ISBN-13 978-0971246430
*"Rebel Spy (Be an Interplanetary Spy) " (Bantam Books, 1984) ISBN-10 0553241982, ISBN-13 978-0553241983
*"The Vulgmaster (Tales of the One-Eyed Crow)" (Roc, 1991) ISBN-10 0451450884, ISBN-13 978-0451450883
*"The Orc's Treasure" (I Books, 2006) ISBN-10 0743479432, ISBN-13 978-0743479431

Notes

References

*gcdb|type=credit|search=alex+nino|title=Alex Niño

External links

* [http://www.eeweems.com/artandartifice/alex_nino.html "Alex Nino 1973: "House of Mystery" #212"] (critique and art analysis)
* [http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/index.cgi?article=1768 Komikeros: The Filipino Contribution to the Comic Book Medium, Part 1: 1970s-1980s] , by Budjette Tan, "Comic Book Resources" #26, October 30, 2003