Yesterday was Esteban Maroto’s eightieth birthday. Time is short, but I couldn’t let such a date pass without due respects being paid. Maroto drew and painted some of the greatest fantasy art of the ‘70s and ‘80s. especially in the realm of Heroic Fantasy/Sword-and-Sorcery.

As I mentioned, time is short this morning. Thus, I'll be quoting liberally from the bio posted at the estimable Lambiek Comiclopedia website:

Esteban Maroto Torres started his career in the early 1960s, working under the guidance of Manuel López Blanco in Madrid. Together with Carlos Giménez, he began an independent artistic career with such strips as 'Buck John' and 'El Príncipe de Rodas'. (...) Maroto established his unique graphic style in 1967 with his long series 'Cinco por Infinito' ('Zero Patrol', published in Delta 99 and in English by Continuity Comics), followed by 'La Tumba de los Dioses'. His 'Alma de Dragon' in magazine Trinca was also a big success. Maroto was present in Drácula with 'Wolf' and in Pueblo with 'Manly, el Guerrero' [both of which were Sword-and-Sorcery series].

Maroto drew numerous short stories for U.S. magazines Creepy, Vampirella and Eerie during the 1970s and 1980s, and also worked for Marvel with black-in-white art on 'Conan', 'Red Sonja' and 'Dracula'. His 'Manly' serial also found its way to the States under the title 'Dax the Warrior', published by Warren.
After devoting himself exclusively to illustrating (a.o. covers for DC since 1987), he returned to comics in 1993 with 'Zatanna', 'Aquaman' and 'The Atlantis Chronicles' for DC Comics. Also for Topps, he illustrated series like 'Cadillacs and 'Dinosaurs' and 'Lady Rawhide'.

As a supplement to that comic-centric bio, I'll note that Esteban's ISFDB entry shows that he began doing book covers in Europe in 1970. Good ol' Don Wollheim at DAW Books gave Maroto his first shot at an American paperback cover in 1978. Esteban would go on to do numerous gorgeous paperback--and hardback--covers for the next decade. One thing Lambiek failed to mention is that Maroto designed Red Sonja's classic 'chainmail bikini'. Esteban later worked with Roy Thomas for Topps, crafting a fine comics adaptation of the life of the historical Dracula, Vlad Tepes.

During his active career, Maroto was incredibly prolific. One post can't do all of that justice. I could--and should--do posts on his Red Sonja and REH art in the future.

Feel free to check out the gallery below.

Maroto’s first American paperback cover. He is a master at depicting women in fantasy settings.

Maroto’s cover painting for Pigeons from Hell, illustrating Robert E. Howard’s classic S&S yarn, “The Garden of Fear”. One of my first introductions to his art.

Esteban’s cover painting for a German edition of Haggard’s Nada the Lily. Apparently, according to ISFDB, he also provided numerous interior illos—as he did with many books at that point in his career.

Feliz cumpleaños, Esteban.