CBR reports comic book artist Frank Thorne, who was best known for his work on Marvel’s “Red Sonja,” died yesterday on March 7, 2021. He was 90 years old, and passed away on the same day as his wife, Marilyn. Their cause of death is currently unknown.
Thorne was born in Rahway, New Jersey, on June 16, 1930. He began his career drawing romance titles at Standard Comics in 1948, and went to pencil several newspaper strips and comic books, including “Perry Mason,” “Flash Gordon,” and “The Green Hornet.” He illustrated Red Sonja’s adventures in 1976’s “Marvel Feature,” beginning with the second issue (written by Bruce Jones), and then her self-titled series (penned by Roy Thomas and Clara Noto) from 1977 to 1978.
Paul Levitz commented on Facebook, “Frank had the best time of his career on Marvel’s Red Sonja, who he made both powerful and sexy. He was probably the first working mainstream [artist] to revel in [cosplay], becoming the Wizard who acted with Wendy Pini’s Sonja at show after show.” Thorne regularly judged conventions’ Red Sonja Lookalike Contests in his persona of the Wizard.
He went on to create a number of explicitly erotic comics for magazines like Playboy, Heavy Metal, and National Lampoon, including his own woman warrior, Ghita of Alizarr, for Fantagraphics. (Reprints of his adult-aimed work are currently available via Hermes Press.) Thorne told The Comics Journal in 2007 that drawing “Sonja” had been a “coming out party” for his preoccupation with drawing eroticized women, something he had been repressing for years.
Thorne was the recipient of a National Cartoonists Society award in 1963; a San Diego Inkpot Award in 1978; and a Playboy editorial award. He and Marilyn had been married since 1956. Levitz said he was “a man of talent, charm and great wit. Good journey onward, Frank, you will be long remembered.”
