Ron Frenz

Ronald Wade Frenz (born February 1, 1960)[1] is an American comics artist known for his work for Marvel Comics. He is well known for his 1980s work on The Amazing Spider-Man, particularly introducing the hero's black costume, and later for his work on Spider-Girl whom he co-created with writer Tom DeFalco. Frenz and DeFalco had earlier co-created the New Warriors in the pages of Thor.

Ron Frenz
BornRonald Wade Frenz
(1960-02-01) February 1, 1960
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Area(s)Writer, Penciller
Notable works
catskillcomics.com/frenz.htm

Career

Frenz began working for Marvel Comics in the early 1980s. Frenz's early work includes such titles as Ka-Zar the Savage, Star Wars,[2] The Further Adventures of Indiana Jones, and Marvel Saga.[3] His first credited story for Marvel was published in Ka-Zar the Savage #16 (July 1982).[4]

Frenz has a history of working on comic book series in which the characters were not in their original costumes/identities. Spider-Man wore his black costume, Thor took on a new secret identity and look, and Superman changed costumes and powers while Frenz was the regular artist on their titles.[5]

Frenz became the regular artist on The Amazing Spider-Man in 1984 and the stories he pencilled included "The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man" in issue #248 (Jan. 1984)[6][7] and the first appearance of Spider-Man's black costume in issue #252 (May 1984).[8] Among the new characters introduced during his run were the Puma in issue #256 (Sept. 1984)[9] and Silver Sable in #265 (June 1985).[10] Frenz and Tom DeFalco revealed that the "black suit" was an alien creature in issue #258 (Nov. 1984).[11] Frenz drew The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #18 (1984), a story written by Stan Lee, which featured the wedding of Spider-Man supporting characters J. Jonah Jameson and Marla Madison.[12] Frenz had originally been brought onto the series as a short-term substitute for John Romita Jr., but was retained when it became apparent that he meshed well with series writer DeFalco. Frenz recounted:

Initially, I was hired to only do six issues, while Romita, Jr. went off to get X-Men up and running. And he was supposed to come back and do both X-Men and The Amazing Spider-Man. And six issues in, I found out from [editor] Danny Fingeroth that JR had come into the office and said he'd seen the stuff that Tom and I were doing, and Danny said, "Yeah, I'm really happy with what they're doing." And JR said, "You are, aren't you?" And Danny said, "Yeah, I think they're really gelling as a team." And JR said, "If you're really happy with these guys, give it to them." And the first time I met JR, I thanked him for my run on Spider-Man.[13]

Jim Owsley, editor of the Spider-Man titles at the time, has noted that "Frenz was passionate about Spider-Man, verging on fanatical."[14] In 1986, Frenz and DeFalco were removed from The Amazing Spider-Man by Owsley.[13][14] Frenz and DeFalco became the creative team on Thor in 1987[4] and introduced the Eric Masterson character in Thor #391 (May 1988).[15] Eric Masterson later became the superhero known as Thunderstrike and received his own series by DeFalco and Frenz in 1993.[16]

In 1995, Frenz moved to DC Comics and became the artist on Superman.[4] The following year, he was one of the many creators who contributed to the Superman: The Wedding Album one-shot wherein the title character married Lois Lane.[17] Superman received a new costume, designed by Frenz himself, and new superpowers in Superman vol. 2 #123 (May 1997).[18] Frenz drew part of the Superman Red/Superman Blue one-shot which launched the storyline of the same name which ran through the various Superman titles.[19]

Frenz returned to Marvel with the Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives limited series, written by Roger Stern, in 1997.[20] DeFalco and Frenz reunited and introduced Spider-Girl in What If ...? vol. 2 #105 (Feb. 1998).[21] Spider-Girl became an ongoing series in October 1998[22] and ran until issue #100 (Sept. 2006).[23] A new series, The Amazing Spider-Girl, was launched the following December,[24] Frenz drew all 30 issues until the series' cancellation in 2009.[25]

On June 4, 2009, Ron Frenz was the recipient of the 2009 Nemo Award for Excellence in the Cartoon Arts.[26]

In 2017, Ron Frenz and long-time inking collaborator Sal Buscema began working on The Blue Baron, written by Darin Henry and published by Sitcomics.[27] In 2021, Frenz also started to pencil another Sitcomics title: The Heroes Union.

He rejoined Tom DeFalco to co-create and pencil The R.I.G.H.T. Project for Apex Comic Group, again inked by Sal Buscema.[28] The one-shot comicbook was crowdfunded via Indiegogo and sent to its backers in February 2022.

Bibliography

Apex Comics Group
  • The R.I.G.H.T. Project #1 (2022)

Archie Comics

Capstone Publishers
  • John Sutter and the California Gold Rush (2006)
  • Winter at Valley Forge (2006)

DC Comics

Future Comics
  • Freemind #6 (2003)

IDW Publishing

Image Comics
  • Randy O'Donnell is the M@n #1 (flipside comic Mr. Right #0) (2001)
  • Savage Dragon #200 (2014)

Marvel Comics

Moonstone Books
  • Kolchak: Tales of the Night Stalker #3 (2003)
  • Kolchak Tales: Ghost Stories #1 (2006)

Sitcomics
  • Blue Baron #1–3 (2017–2020)
  • Heroes Union #1 (2021)
  • Unbeatable Blue Baron #1 (2022)

References
  1. Miller, John Jackson (June 10, 2005). "Comics Industry Birthdays". Comics Buyer's Guide. Iola, Wisconsin. Archived from the original on February 18, 2011. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
  2. "Ron Frenz Interview". Jedinews.co.uk. June 5, 2011. Archived from the original on September 27, 2015.
  3. "Ron Frenz". Lambiek Comiclopedia. December 28, 2007. Archived from the original on September 24, 2012.
  4. Ron Frenz at the Grand Comics Database
  5. Regina, Steven (2011). "Drawing From Past to Present, Frenz Reads Comics' Future". Theswervemagazine.com. Archived from the original on December 26, 2013. Retrieved December 26, 2013. Archive requires scrolldown.
  6. Cronin, Brian (May 10, 2010). "The Greatest Roger Stern Stories Ever Told!". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on October 26, 2011. Retrieved February 20, 2012. Stern and guest-artist Ron Frenz tell the heartfelt tale of a little boy who might be Spider-Man's biggest fan. Spidey visits the boy and has a nice talk with him (and naturally, there is a twist to the tale).
  7. Manning, Matthew K.; Gilbert, Laura, ed. (2012). "1980s". Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 138. ISBN 978-0-7566-9236-0. {{cite book}}: |first2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. Manning "1980s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 139: "This particular tale was produced by plotter [Roger] Stern, scripter Tom DeFalco, breakdown artist Frenz, and finisher Brett Breeding."
  9. Manning "1980s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 141: "Another new character to spin out of the imagination of writer DeFalco and artist Frenz would debut in this issue when the Puma went on the prowl after Spider-Man."
  10. Manning "1980s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 148: "In a story written by Tom DeFalco and penciled by Ron Frenz, readers met Silver Sable for the first time."
  11. Manning "1980s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 142
  12. Manning "1980s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 143: "[Stan] Lee's script was unmistakable and meshed well with drawings by Frenz and finishes by artists Bob Layton and Jackson Guice. The occasion for Stan's return was the wedding of J. Jonah Jameson to Doctor Marla Madison."
  13. Greenberg, Glenn (August 2009). "When Hobby Met Spidey". Back Issue!. Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing (35): 10–23.
  14. Priest, Christopher J. (May 2002). "Oswald: Why I Never Discuss Spider-Man". DigitalPriest.com. Archived from the original on December 27, 2013. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
  15. DeFalco, Tom; Gilbert, Laura, ed. (2008). "1980s". Marvel Chronicle A Year by Year History. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 237. ISBN 978-0-7566-4123-8. Eric Masterson was an architect working on a construction site in this issue by Tom Defalco and Ron Frenz. {{cite book}}: |first2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. Manning, Matthew K. "1990s" in Gilbert (2008), p. 264: "Distancing himself from his former identity as Thor, Eric Masterson earned his own ongoing series by Tom Defalco and Ron Frenz in Thunderstrike #1"
  17. Manning, Matthew K.; Dolan, Hannah, ed. (2010). "1990s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 275. ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9. The behind-the-scenes talent on the monumental issue appropriately spanned several generations of the Man of Tomorrow's career. Written by Dan Jurgens, Karl Kesel, David Michelinie, Louise Simonson, and Roger Stern, the one-shot featured the pencils of John Byrne, Gil Kane, Stuart Immonen, Paul Ryan, Jon Bogdanove, Kieron Dwyer, Tom Grummett, Dick Giordano, Jim Mooney, Curt Swan, Nick Cardy, Al Plastino, Barry Kitson, Ron Frenz, and Dan Jurgens. {{cite book}}: |first2= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  18. Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 279: "In Superman #123 ... Superman debuted his new blue-and-white costume with a little help from scripter Dan Jurgens and penciller Ron Frenz."
  19. Manning "1990s" in Dolan, p. 283: "The special written by Dan Jurgens, Stuart Immonen, Karl Kesel, and Louise Simonson, with pencils by Stuart Immonen, Ron Frenz, Tom Grummett, Paul Ryan, and Jon Bogdanove."
  20. Cowsill, Alan "1990s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 234: "The mystery of the Hobgoblin's true identity was finally solved in this three issue miniseries by writer Roger Stern and artist Ron Frenz."
  21. Cowsill "1990s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 240: "Written by Tom DeFalco and drawn by Ron Frenz, the story focused on May Parker, Peter {Parker] and [Mary Jane Watson's] teenage daughter."
  22. Cowsill "1990s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 243
  23. Cowsill "2000s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 300
  24. Cowsill "2000s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 301: "Writer Tom DeFalco and artist Ron Frenz reunited for a new series of adventures featuring May Parker."
  25. Khouri, Andy (October 13, 2008). "DeFalco Confirms Amazing Spider-Girl Cancelation". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved December 26, 2013.
  26. Uricchio, Marylynn (June 9, 2009). "ToonSeum cartoon museum holds annual Ka-Blam! fundraiser". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on December 26, 2013. Retrieved December 21, 2010.
  27. "Darin Henry's Sitcomics Wants to Disrupt Comics Industry With Sell-Through Distribution, Binge Books". Bleeding Cool. December 28, 2017. Archived from the original on July 5, 2019.
  28. Johnston, Rich (October 17, 2021). "Tom DeFalco, Ron Frenz & Sal Buscema Fund The R.I.G.H.T. Project". Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
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