Which artist gave Venom the long tongue?

[tib2d2]

I think at first, McFarlane just had him with big teeth, but later the jaws opened even wider and he was shown with super long tongue. Who did that first? Michelinie?

[oldschool]

I think at first, McFarlane just had him with big teeth, but later the jaws opened even wider and he was shown with super long tongue. Who did that first? Michelinie?

Pretty sure it was Erik Larsen, the second artist to draw Venom.

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

Yep, Erik Larsen.
Started in #333, then went overboard in issues #346-347.

[Venomous Mask]

Allegedly, Larsen did it because he did not like the character and wanted him to look stupid. The look became popular, however, and only a few artists have foregone drawing the tongue. The first time Carnage ever got a tongue I think was in the Mind Bomb one-shot. I personally love Larsen's work in 346-347; it really added a sense of dread to Spider-Man's predicament and made it feel like he was trapped in a meat grinder.

[McFarlane's Green Hulk]

Yup.
And according to a recent Twitter exchange, this cover by McFarlane for the first Spidey/Venom TPB from 1990 was the "origin of the origin" to the whole exaggerated tongue.




From Larsen:
"Secret origins of Venom's tongue: I saw that Todd had drawn a TPB cover with Venom fighting Spider-Man where Venom's mouth was open--
Already had the issues so I didn't buy the TPB with the new cover and in my mind I thought, "Todd's giving Venom a tongue now--"
"I need to top him--and give him an even bigger tongue!" Point is--I thought Todd started it. Years later I saw that TPB again--
And I realized that Todd HADN'T given him a big tongue--he just had his mouth open--so I was reacting to pretty much nothing."

[AngelJD]

Sometimes you are not supposed to think about things and just take things as they are. Like in this case we know the venom symbiote color scheme and gooey biomass is a black white some white (mostly representing where it's eyes are). But Venom gives a few people once bonded long hard white teeth and a red long tongue. I figured for the teeth it was still the white biomass but forced harden enough to be a hard solid to be use for fear tactics and offence. The tongue for a 'monster look' to strike fear agian plus to clearly talk and taste if necessary like a regular tongue. However we know that a long tongue isn't necessary for that other then the fear tactic.

I also thought of it at times like a dog hanging it's head and tongue out the window in a moving car catching the breeze for enjoyment sometimes. This case past feral 'Venom' symbiote web swinging and enjoying the sensation like a dog might.

Interesting how one might trying something to hurt or blast a character only for it to backfire and become apart of the characters (and other symbiote/hosts bond look) image.


Chip made fun of the tongue recently in the How to Draw Venom variant but in this case missing the detail of the tentacle vs a human fat tongue:

[Scarlet Spider-Man]

Larsen's rendition of Venom is still my favorite.