Mike’s Magical Time at Marvel Artist Mike Ploog recalls his Man-Thing masterpieces and collaborating with Gerber Conducted by JON B. COOKE
126
Comic Book Creator #6 presents Swampmen: Muck-Monsters and Their Makers
Mike Ploog photo © the respective copyright holder.
remember right, there was a period of time where Werewolf by Night was outselling Spider-Man. It was one of their best sellers. And I didn’t even know it. This was something that [Michael George Ploog came into the comics game by Holly told me later on, and she was amazed that I never reway of the U.S. Marine Corps, television animation, and a alized it. Well, I didn’t realize it because of the fact that I just two-year hitch as assistant to the great Will Eisner, who went in there, delivered my work, and snuck back out again. produced P*S magazine at the time for the U.S. Army. At CBC: Wow. Because I thought your work was just a bolt the suggestion of letterer of Ben Oda and artist Wallace from the blue. I had actually not been familiar with Eisner’s Wood, Mike freelanced for Warren Publication’s black-&work, so I didn’t see it as a lovely homage, like a lot of other white horror line, and his work there caught the attention of Marvel, where he was given the “Werewolf by Night” series. fans did, but it was just striking, because it was so moody and full of character. After co-creating the modern Ghost Rider and rendering a masterful version of The Monster of Frankenstein, Mike was Mike: I think it came from some of the stuff that Will implanted in me. Y’know, don’t just draw a picture, do someoffered the Man-Thing assignment. After leaving comics thing with it. Anybody can draw a picture. in the late ’70s, he would go on to a successful career as a motion picture storyboard artist and visual designer. The fol- CBC: There was a Marvel method there. Did you work from plots? Below: A 2008 pic of the wonder- lowing interview was conducted by phone on Nov. 26, 2002, Mike: Yeah, I worked mostly from plots. Then, during later ful comic book artist and designer and was transcribed by Steven Tice and later copyedited by times, it would be just telephone conversations. Like on for the movie industry, Mike Ploog. Aaron Kashtan. — Y.E.] Man-Thing — [laughs] What was the writer’s name? Comic Book Creator: Who’d CBC: Steve Gerber. you meet with you when at Marvel? Mike: Steve! I love Steve, he’s a sweetheart, but Steve Mike Ploog: I met with Roy used to drive me nuts. I mean, either his wife was sick, or Thomas and a couple of other guys. she was leaving him, or he was sick and he was leaving her, I think Verpoorten was in there and so every month it was like, [imitates Gerber’s voice:] “Ohhh, a couple of other people. And they Mike, it’s terrible, I don’t know what we’re going to do.” I said, “No, no, sorry, we can’t do said, “Well, Steve. Let me see what I can come up with and any business with you. You’re too I’ll run it across ya and you can give me a plot.” I’d call him cartoony.” But about two or three up. “Oh, Mike, that sounds great!” [laughter] Then it would days later I get a call, and it’s Roy get in there, then somebody would start editing it. And I Thomas. And he’s saying, “How would get so pissed off that I didn’t get paid for the writing, would you like to do a monster but now they’re starting to edit it anyway. [laughs] Those magazine?” Because he had seen were good old days. Yeah, it was always from a plot. I always my stuff from Warren. And I said, had the luxury of just more or less getting a beginning, mid“Sure, I’d love it!” And that was dle, and an end, and just stringing it all together. “Werewolf by Night.” And so off I CBC: There was an explosion of monster books at Marvel. went. Mike: Yeah. CBC: Were you still single when CBC: That really got you in a good position immediately? working for Marvel? Mike: Well, it did. Because it was the first monster book, Mike: Yeah, I was single then. and it took off. They took off with gangbusters. Then all of CBC: Did you meet Holly [Resa sudden they wanted you to do everything. As a matter of nicoff, one-time secretary to Stan fact, I was doing Frankenstein and Werewolf, I was penciling Lee, whom Mike married] on your one, and penciling and inking the other. It was goofy, it was first visit to the office? crazy time. Mike: Yeah. Well, I used to sneak CBC: You know, another big character in the history of in there and sneak out. comics, almost of the same stature as Will Eisner, certainly, CBC: Why? was Stan Lee. What was he like? Mike: Because I was embarMike: [Laughs] Stan was great! I loved Stan. Another story rassed. Going back to being a farm of going in to ask for more money. While I’m waiting for him boy, I guess. Y’know, all these to get off the phone, I’m walking around his office looking at fantastic artists. I mean, that’s when all the pictures of Rolls Royces on his wall. He’s got every Barry Windsor-Smith was working Rolls Royce he’s ever owned hanging up on his wall, y’know? there. All of those guys, and they He gets off the phone, and I said, “God, you know, I could were brilliant. And I kept thinking, really use some more money.” And he’s giving me this hard “Oh God, and here I am wandering luck story and everything like that. And then he looks out in with this crap.” So I’d just sneak the window, he looks down and he says, “Oh, look there! in, deliver, and sneak out. That’s my wife! And that’s my new Rolls Royce!” [laughter] I CBC: Did you get any critical thought, “You sh*t! Show me your goddamned Rolls Royce notice early on? and I’m asking for another $5 a page,” or something. [laughs] Mike: No, no. They loved it. If I But I like Stan. I liked him a lot, he was a man with an enor-