Redondo Komix 45, page 25, January 1965 by Alfredo Alcala
Artists: Alfredo Alcala (Penciller) , Alfredo Alcala (Inker)
13 Comments - 146 Views - 11 Likes
Additional Images:
Redondo Komix 39 published cover
Redondo Komix 39 Wahoo published page
Artwork Details
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DescriptionStory title might be "Ku-Wahoo" or "Wahoo," written and lettered probably by Alfredo Alcala. Publication year is likely 1965, although I haven't found a physical or electronic copy of the issue.Update 9/2/2025: Series title is "The History of the Submarine Wahoo" ("Ang Kasaysayan Ng Submarinong Wahoo"), according to a list of Alfredo Alcala komiks serials compiled by Tristan Lapoussière. The series ran in Redondo Komix 38-50, 1964-65. Alcala wrote and drew the series as well as almost certainly lettered it. Publication date of Redondo Komix 45 likely is January 11, 1965. Although I still haven't located a physical or electronic copy, I've uploaded a previous issue's cover, Redondo Komix 39, featuring the Wahoo and the interior Wahoo page. Alcala saw World War II up close and personal. According to Mark Evanier, "In his pre-teen years, during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines...He would ride his bicycle past Japanese camps — facilities where you'd be shot if they caught you with a camera. Once out of range, he would sit down under a tree, haul out a pad and draw what he'd seen, from memory." Mark also recounts a story about Alcala's prodigious output, let alone his talent: "Orlando was naturally impressed with the quality of the work he was shown. He told Alfredo that DC would hire him and asked how many pages per week he could produce. 'Forty,' said Alfredo. The editor was startled. The least exhaustible DC artist would be hard-pressed to pencil and ink ten pages in a week. Then he realized that Alfredo probably assumed he would only pencil or only ink. 'No, no,' Orlando said. 'We want you to do all the art…pencil, ink, even lettering.' 'I see,' Alfredo muttered. 'I pencil, I ink, I letter?' 'Yes,' Orlando nodded. 'Now, how many pages per week do you think you can do?' 'Forty," said Alfredo. Again, the editor was startled. Obviously, there was some sort of misunderstanding here. He figured that the artist before him was thinking in terms of very simple pages with only two or three panels on each and no detail. Fortunately, Orlando had brought along with him, several dozen pages of original art from past DC books. He showed Alfredo pages by Neal Adams, Joe Kubert, Curt Swan and others. 'We want work like this…these many panels per page, and this detailed,' Orlando explained. 'Oh,' Alfredo nodded. 'You want me to pencil, ink and letter pages like this?' 'Yes.' 'Well,' Alfredo explained. 'That changes things.' 'I would think so,' Orlando sniffed. 'Now then…how many pages a week do you think you can do?' 'Eighty,' said Alfredo. Skeptical and disbelieving, Orlando put Alfredo down for 40 pages per week. Soon after, when Alcala pages began arriving at DC at that rate, it was assumed by some that 'Alfredo P. Alcala' was the joint moniker of perhaps a half-dozen hands. Not so — as anyone who later saw Alfredo sketching at a convention can attest." Translation of Tagalog/Filipino text: "Chapter 8 The Past: The submarine Wahoo went to the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea, encountered inter-island ships, and did not fire on them. A few days later they arrived at Shantung Promontory and saw a ship at sea. (Now:) Commander Mush Morton sights the Nanka Maru-type freighter. A torpedo was fired... A few minutes later, they realized that the name of the freighter was Zogen Maru." Note: The Wahoo sank the Zogen Maru during its fourth patrol in March 1943. The Japanese sunk the Wahoo during its seventh patrol in October 1943 in the La Pérouse Strait/Soya Strait (between Hokkaidō, Japan and Sakhalin, Russia). Wikipedia entry on the USS Wahoo's patrols during World War II: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Wahoo_(SS-238) Social/Sharing |
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Comments on this Artwork
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John C 
Member Since 2014
1 - Posted on 6/1/2025
I heard one time the conveyor belt went out of whack and he ended up penciling over his inks.
Peter Roe
Member Since 2009
1 - Posted on 6/1/2025
John C wrote:
I heard one time the conveyor belt went out of whack and he ended up penciling over his inks.
Haha!! Thanks, John!
Tom B.
Member Since 2005
1 - Posted on 6/1/2025
Quite possibly the best comic art related anecdote I have read! Alcala was an astonishing artist.
Kavi H
Member Since 2018
1 - Posted on 6/1/2025
Another awesome page by Alcala, and an amazing story about his discovery and beginnings at DC. Thanks for sharing that Peter!
Ruben DaCollector
Member Since 2008
1 - Posted on 6/1/2025
Holy shit, what a page! Again, can you imagine how the Marvel Universe would have looked with such a realist handling all the main titles instead of a standard, cartoony artist like Kirby? The whole page is gorgeous, but that establishing shot is absolutely astounding!
Peter Roe
Member Since 2009
1 - Posted on 6/1/2025
Ruben DaCollector wrote:
Holy shit, what a page! Again, can you imagine how the Marvel Universe would have looked with such a realist handling all the main titles instead of a standard, cartoony artist like Kirby? The whole page is gorgeous, but that establishing shot is absolutely astounding!
Thanks, Ruben! First panel also blew me away!
Marcus Wai
Member Since 2005
1 - Posted on 6/2/2025
Masterful illustration work! The deep seas look so alive like the deep jungle where ships this large would be sitting ducks! Chef's kiss!
David Kwock
Member Since 2012
1 - Posted on 6/2/2025
Wow I absolutely love this one Peter; amazing acquisition. Love Alcala such an awesome artist.
Lee Harmon
Member Since 2020
1 - Posted on 6/3/2025
Alcala is my favorite. Your account is what I too have read in the past. The man even fashioned the first prefilled brush to eliminate time wasted dipping into ink wells! All while refusing to sacrifice the quality of his work. Insane page that I am thrilled to see within such a fine collection as yours my friend. You landed a gem!
Peter Roe
Member Since 2009
Posted on 6/3/2025
Lee Harmon wrote:
Alcala is my favorite. Your account is what I too have read in the past. The man even fashioned the first prefilled brush to eliminate time wasted dipping into ink wells! All while refusing to sacrifice the quality of his work. Insane page that I am thrilled to see within such a fine collection as yours my friend. You landed a gem!Cool story! I appreciate the kind words, Lee. Your Alcala collection is amazing!
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