and eight other issues, three of which he also wrote or co-wrote; nearly the entire run of the 28-issue spin-off G.I. Joe Special Missions (1986–1989); three of the four-issue miniseries G.I. Joe: The Order of Battle (1986–1987); and three issues of The Transformers. Trimpe, in a 1997 interview, described his Marvel arrangement: "I was a quota artist, which was non-contractual but [I] received a salary. I got a regular two-week check, and anything I did over quota I could voucher for as freelance income. I also had the extras, the company benefits. It was like a regular job, but I worked at home. It was a good deal." 1990s–2015 When Marvel went bankrupt in the mid-1990s, Trimpe attended Empire State College, Hudson Valley Center, graduating with a bachelor's degree in Arts in 1997. He went on to a master's degree program at SUNY New Paltz. Beginning September 8, 1999, he taught art for two years at Eldred Central School in Sullivan County, New York. He lost his staff position in the mid-1990s when Marvel downsized, but he continued to freelance for the publisher. In 2000, he wrote an article for The New York Times about ageism in comics. Trimpe penciled BPRD: The War on Frogs (Aug. 2008) for Dark Horse Comics, and returned to his signature character by drawing the eight-page story "The Death and Life of the Abomination" in Marvel's King-Size Hulk #1 (July 2008). In December 2009, Trimpe, a Bugatti airplane enthusiast and member of the Bugatti Aircraft Association, published the eight-page comic book Firehawks, in which the Bugatti 100P plays a major role. This was followed by a second Firehawks comic, the 24-page Firehawks 2: Breath of the Dragon. Trimpe's last convention appearance was at the April 2015 East Coast Comiccon in Secaucus, New Jersey. Personal life Sometime between 1969 and 1971, Trimpe was divorced from his first wife. In late 1972, Trimpe married Marvel Comics editorial assistant and writer Linda Fite, with whom he had three children. He later was married to Patricia, who survived him after his death. Trimpe's son, Alexander Spurlock "Alex" Trimpe, who co-pencilled RoboCop #11 (Jan. 1991), The Mighty Thor Annual #16 (1991), and Fantastic Four Unlimited #3 (Sept. 1993) with his father, is a member of the band The Chief Smiles. Trimpe's daughters Amelia Fite Trimpe and Sarah Trimpe were also in that band. At some point, Trimpe lived in Kerhonkson,