Greg LaRocque

Greg LaRocque
Born	February 24, 1954 Baltimore, Maryland
Nationality	American
Area(s)	Penciller
Notable works	The Avengers The Flash Legion of Super-Heroes Power Man and Iron Fist.

Greg LaRocque (born February 24, 1954)^[1] is an American comic book illustrator best known for his work on the Legion of Super-Heroes and The Flash.

Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, LaRocque worked as an assistant teacher at the Professional Institute of Art while still a teenager. He started his art career in the advertising field.^[2]

Comics career

Greg LaRocque began his comics career at DC Comics and his first published work was the story "That Which Conquers All" in Mystery in Space #115 (Jan. 1981). This was followed by a series of OMAC back-up stories in The Warlord #42-47 (Feb. 1981-July 1981). His first work for Marvel Comics appeared in Power Man and Iron Fist #73 (Sept. 1981).^[3] He drew several issues of Marvel Team-Up including the last issue of the series.^[4] He and writer Louise Simonson then launched a new Spider-Man title, Web of Spider-Man, in April 1985.^[5] After returning to DC Comics, LaRocque became prominent for his work illustrating the Legion of Super-Heroes. He stated in a 2013 interview that "I decided to leave Marvel for personal reasons, and the first person I called was [editor] Karen Berger. She handed me the next available Legion script, and the day I handed in the work she offered me the book."^[6] He drew The Flash with writer William Messner-Loebs from issue #15 (Aug. 1988) through #79 (Aug. 1993). A career highlight was redesigning the Flash's costume to its current incarnation.^[2]

Exiled Studio released LaRocque's creator owned material in the three-issue mini-series The Exiled, followed by CryBaby, Exiled Studio's first color comic book. The CryBaby story arc was concluded in the 80-page graphic novel Extinction. LaRocque's The Dreaming graphic novel was published by Exiled Studio in 2009.^[7]

LaRocque's work among the independent companies include London Night Studios, Peregrine Entertainment, Realm Press, Catfish Comics, and Avatar Press. In 2010 he helped launch the revival of Dave Cockrum's Futurians with a cover for David Miller Studio. LaRocque's fantasy art was exhibited at Gallery Provocateur in Chicago, Illinois^[8] to coincide with his appearance at the 2010 Chicago ComicCon. He returned to DC Comics in 2011 to draw the DC Retroactive: The Flash - The '80s one-shot.^[3][9]

Bibliography

Alternative Comics 9-11 Emergency Relief (2002) DC Comics The Big Book of Conspiracies (1995) The Big Book of Hoaxes (1996) DC Retroactive: The Flash - The '80s #1 (2011) Fighting American #1-6 (1994) The Flash #15-18, 20-22, 24-28, 30-59, 62-65, 67-71, 73-79, Annual #2-3 (1988-1993) Ghosts #98, 103 (1981) Justice League America Annual #7 (1993) Justice League International Quarterly #13 (1993) Justice League Task Force #9, 16 (1994) Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 3 #15, 17-48, Annual #3 (1985-1988) Mystery in Space #115 (1981) Primal Force #7 (1995) Secrets of Haunted House #33-34, 36, 41, 46 (1981-1982) Showcase '95 #3 (Eradicator) (1995) Steel #17 (1995) The Unexpected #207 (1981) The Warlord #42-47 (OMAC back-up stories) (1981) Weird War Tales #95, 104 (1981) Who's Who in the DC Universe #2-3, 10, 16 (1990-1992) Who's Who in the DC Universe Update 1993 #1 (1992) Who's Who in the Legion of Super-Heroes #1-7 (1988) Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe #7, 11, 13-14, 19, 21, 24-25 (1985-1987) Who's Who: Update '87 #1-3, 5 (1987) Who's Who: Update '88 #3-4 (1988)

Exiled Studio The Exiled #1 (1998) London Night Razor: Uncut #39-40, 42 (1997) Marvel Comics The Amazing Spider-Man Annual #15 (1981) Avengers #222-223, 225-226 (1982) Bizarre Adventures #32 (1982) The Incredible Hulk #279 (1983) Marvel Comics Presents #55 (Collective Man) (1990) Marvel Graphic Novel #16 ("The Aladdin Effect") (1985) Marvel Super-Heroes vol. 2 #11, 13-14 (1992-1993) Marvel Team-Up #137-138, 141-148, 150 (1984-1985) Micronauts #37 (1982) Moon Knight #21-22 (1982) Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe #5, 10 (1983) Power Man and Iron Fist #73, 91, 103-104, 106, 108-113 (1981-1985) Rom #25, Annual #1 (back-up stories) (1981-1982) The Spectacular Spider-Man #60, 63, 83, 124 (1981-1987) Thor #323 (1982) Web of Spider-Man #1-5 (1985) What If...? #32, 35 (1982)

References

1. Miller, John Jackson (June 10, 2005). "Comics Industry Birthdays". Comics Buyer's Guide. Iola, Wisconsin. Archived from the original on October 29, 2010. Retrieved December 12, 2010.
2. "Greg LaRocque". Lambiek Comiclopedia. May 25, 2014. Archived from the original on October 9, 2014.
3. Greg LaRocque at the Grand Comics Database
4. Manning, Matthew K.; Gilbert, Laura, ed. (2012). "1980s". Spider-Man Chronicle Celebrating 50 Years of Web-Slinging. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p. 146. ISBN 978-0756692360. Spider-Man's classic team-up title came to an end in spectacular fashion in this Louise Simonson story illustrated by Greg LaRocque.
5. Manning "1980s" in Gilbert (2012), p. 147: "Spider-Man swung into the pages of an all-new ongoing series in this first issue by writer Louise Simonson and penciler Greg LaRocque."
6. Schweier, Philip (October 2013). "Back to the Future: The Legion in the 1980s". Back Issue!. Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing (68): 61.
7. Lorah, Michael C. (December 26, 2008). "Stories From Exile: Checking in with Greg LaRocque". Newsarama. Archived from the original on September 24, 2013.
8. "The Art of Greg LaRocque". Gallery Provocateur. August 2010. Archived from the original on December 22, 2014.
9. Elias, Greg (June 27, 2011). "Interview: Greg LaRocque on DC Retroactive: The Flash – The '80s". Speedforce.org. Archived from the original on August 16, 2013.

External links

• Greg LaRocque at the Comic Book DB
• Greg LaRocque at Mike's Amazing World of Comics
• Greg LaRocque at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators