Yanko, Mark :: Wally Wood

Witzend #4 - The World of the Wizard King - pg. 3

Artist: Wally Wood (All)

2,152 Views - 3 Comments - 2 Likes

Witzend #4 - The World of the Wizard King - pg. 3 Comic Art

Additional Images:

Detail, illustration 1 of 2.

Detail, illustration 2 of 2.

The top sketch was reprinted in a spot of honor as the endpaper art of Vanguard's deluxe hardcover collection of the Wizard King trilogy, The King of the World (2007).

Previous Item:
Tower of Shadows #7 - Of Swords and Sorcery! - pg. 2

Next Item:
Witzend #8 - The World of the Wizard King - pg. 4

Artwork Details

Title:	Witzend #4 - The World of the Wizard King - pg. 3
Artist:	Wally Wood (All)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Interior Page
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views:	2,152
Likes on CAF:	2 3
Comments:	3
Added to Site:	2/10/2016
Comic Art Archive:

Description

Only two Wood drawings, on a vintage page from Witzend. But what images! This is sequentially the third World of the Wizard King board, from the very first installment as printed in 1968.

These scenes recur in several versions of the Tolkein-esque fantasy that Wally Wood created and obviously held particularly close to his heart during the last two decades of his life. Wood depicts the bustling and idyllic village of the Peepl, a civilized but warlike clan of Elves, and contrasts it with the foreboding and nightmarish fortress of the evil god, Horrob. That's the head of Immortal Aristos, the deposed and assassinated King of the World, up there on the spike (not looking terribly immortal, at that).

I prefer this earlier and more hallucinatory variation of The Wizard King to the graphic novel. I think this is some of the artist's loveliest and least diluted draftsmanship. Here, we can really see what his rendering looks like without the obfuscation of input from assistants, or without having to squint through a slick and commercial bag of tricks like Zip-a-Tone or Craftint.

And here we can also glimpse the pure and simple love of drawing that Wood never really lost, in spite of his legendary clashes with publishers and personal career setbacks, vividly represented from a period before the onset of his debilitating health problems.

I'd like to publicly thank Belgian collector Gino Vernimmen for a smooth and pleasant transaction, which let me add this easily to my collection.

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About the Owner

	Mark Yanko
Joined:	August 2009
Last Login:	January 2026
Country:	UNITED STATES
On CAF:	Mark's Want List Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF

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Comments on this Artwork

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Lee Benaka
Member Since 2004

Posted on 2/10/2016

This is some great Wood art! I really enjoyed your write-up! That top illustration is really atmospheric, and the contrast in mood between the two illustrations is dramatic. Big congrats Mark!

Alex Johnson
Member Since 2006
Forum Moderator

Posted on 2/10/2016

Great art and a great description. Thanks for sharing.

Lars Teglbjaerg
Member Since 2005

Posted on 2/23/2016

I totally agree with you Mark, this is undiluted Wallace Wood and a gem of a page. Wood was in total control of The Wizard King and it shows in his work. 1980 I asked him in San Diego why he didn't color it himself, and he answered that he hadn't been paid enough to do it. Tatjana did nonetheless a magnificent job. BTW, I wonder why it has been called the Wizard King Trilogy, since we'll never see a third part! At least not done by Wood.

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