I concur, Tom: That's one sweet cover! -- UPDATED

Comics Reporter, Sunday Magazine, 30 April 2006, "Superhero Covers I Like, Episode Nine":

Herb Trimpe's cover work for Marvel varied wildly, even by the rough standards established by second-generation Marvel artist covers. ... [This] cover is boldly split in half, each half leaping out at the reader with non-comic book variations on black (dark gray) and white (ivory), the lettering and the title are in a way both pushed back into the art in a way that evokes the "event" status of the story, and the eye travels nicely up the back of the sabretooth tiger Zabu to an almost publicity-photo type scene between the Hulk and his guest-star. ... [more]

Reminds me of a Nick Cardy composition. Very striking! No doubt "jumped" off the spinner rack and newsstand.


UPDATE: Credit where credit's (probably) due...

Comics Reporter, Letters to CR, 1 May 2006, "Kim Thompson on That Herb Trimpe Hulk Cover From Sunday's CR Magazine":

As I recall at the time of that HULK cover Marie Severin was designing a great many of the Marvel covers. In fact, since (a) she'd been pencilling the HULK comic for several issues before that and had just passed the torch onto Trimpe, (b) it was inked by her brother and (c) as you say, it's completely atypical for Trimpe, I would put my money on her. [more]