Ralph Reese

Ralph Reese (born May 19, 1949) is an American artist who has illustrated for books, magazines, trading cards, comic books and comic strips, including a year drawing the Flash Gordon strip for King Features. Prolific from the 1960s to the 1990s, he is best known for his collaboration with Byron Preiss on the continuing feature "One Year Affair", serialized in the satiric magazine National Lampoon from 1973 to 1975 and then collected into a 1976 book.

Reese early in his career worked in the studio of Wally Wood, assisting on both mainstream and alternative-press comics and on trading cards. He went on to do mainly fantasy and horror illustrations for science-fiction magazines and black-and-white horror-comics magazines. He drew many fantasy, horror and science-fiction stories for Marvel Comics, DC Comics and Valiant Comics.

Early life Born in New York City, Reese attended New York's High School of Art and Design. He was in the same graduating class as Larry Hama and Frank Brunner.

Career

Early career While still an art student in 1966, Reese began his career at age 16 as an assistant to artist Wally Wood, who became a dominant influence on Reese's art.

Wally Wood studio Reese contributed to various Wood projects, including Topps trading cards, DC Comics stories and Wood's independent comics. His first confirmed comics work is an illustration for a one-page text story, "...And Thereby Hangs A Tale...", in witzend #1 (Summer 1966). His first comics story was co-penciling and co-inking with Wood a 10-page science-fiction in Heroes, Inc. Presents Cannon (1969). In 2001, Reese recalled his duties at the Wood's studio:

With the Wood Studio as a launching pad, Reese became a prolific freelancer. In 1969, he did a cover and numerous interior illustrations for Galaxy Science Fiction. For Robert Sproul's Major Publications, he was a regular 1969-70 contributor to Web of Horror, edited by Terry Bisson. His first confirmed solo comics story credit is as penciler-inker of Bisson's four-page story "The Skin-Eaters' in Major Publications' Web of Horror #1 (Dec. 1969). and Esquire.

Reese worked from 1972 to 1977 at Neal Adams' Continuity Associates studio at 9 East 48th Street in Manhattan. Drool, and editor Jay Lynch's Kitchen Sink Press comic Bijou Funnies.

In 1989 and 1990, he drew both the daily and Sunday strips of King Features' Flash Gordon, scripted by Bruce Jones. Also in the 1990s, he contributed to several Paradox Press titles: The Big Book of Hoaxes, The Big Book of Freaks, The Big Book of Losers and The Big Book of Little Criminals.

In 2009, Reese returned to DC with "The Thirteenth Hour" in issue #13 (July 2009) of editor Angela Rufino's House of Mystery revival for Vertigo. In 2010, an interview with Reese was reprinted in Pure Imagination's Wild Wood.

Awards Shazam Award for Best Inker (Humor Division) in 1973 and 1974.