Esteban Maroto, epic-horror-erotic fantasy

Esteban Maroto (1942-) is a Spanish comic book artist. He started to be known in his own country in 1970 when the magazine Trinca published Alma de Dragón. He designed the "metal bikini" for the character Red Sonja, in Savage Tales #3, Comixscene #5, and in the first issue of The Savage Sword of Conan and pencilled her first solo story, which was inked by Neal Adams and Ernie Chan. He also redesigned Satana for Marvel Comics and drew her second solo story in Vampire Tales #3. In issue 4 of the same series he drew an outstanding adaptation of the short story "The Drifting Snow" by August Derleth.

Maroto joined Warren Publishing in November 1971 when artists from the Spanish agency Selleciones Illustrada started appearing in the their three horror magazines, Creepy, Eerie and Vampirella. Maroto's first story, "Wolfhunt", appeared in Vampirella #14. Maroto quickly became one of the most well known and critically acclaimed Spanish artists at Warren. He would eventually draw 101 stories for them, more than any other artist except Jose Ortiz. Maroto won the Warren Award for best artist/writer in 1972, and his story "A Scream in the Forest" won the best art in a story award in 1973. Maroto remained with Warren until its folding in 1983.