Comic Strip Pioneers
© Tim Lasiuta
Comic strip and book creators do not just fade away. They move on, and often never realize just how much we appreciate their work. This is your chance.
Viewed from my corner of the collecting field, illustrated mediums have got the short end of the stick. Whether it’s comic books, comic strips, or the graphic novel, story telling has become a lost art, and the practishoners, under appreciated.
That statement is not entirely true though, select creators have been singled out for acclaim, but they have had to stray out of the ‘juvenile’ formats. To keep work loads up, an out of work comic book artist was ‘in advertising’, or an ‘illustrator’. Respected creators like Jerry Robinson, Neal Adams, Dick Giordano, Frank Miller, Frank Brunner, Creig Flessel, and even Harvey Pekar turned to storyboards, and advertising to practise their craft.
Jerry Robinson made his mark in comic books in the early 1940’s on Batman with Kane and Finger, but left an indelible mark with his Creators and Writers Syndicate. Recently, he has been honored with entry into the Comic Book Hall of Fame. Morton Walker, has been prolific in cartooning since the late 1940’s, and his leadership role in the National Cartoonists Society has led to his legacy, the museum he has nurtured for over a decade now will open in the Empire State Building in 2007. Not only has he been behind Beetle Bailey, Hi and Lois, and Boners Ark, but he has written screenplays, and published over 50 books. Neal Adams has turned Continuity Associates into an international success story. Lew Sayre Schwartz ghosted Bob Kane during the 1950’s, and turned to film production, earning numerous Emmy nominations over the years. The prolific Will Eisner, who started his career in the 1930’s taught, produced work for the army, and mentored many students until his death in 2005.
Sheer talent is not enough. Drive is not enough. Timing is not enough. The term ’starving’ artist is more than accurate at times, yet it is what drives us creative types to produce. Pay us $200 a page, we’ll get by on fewer pages. Pay us $75, we’ll work just as hard, but produce twice as much. Appreciate us, and we’ll work like dogs and make sure you’re satisfied.
Back to the point of this piece. Writing, drawing, coloring, lettering, selling (our work) is WORK. Doing columns like this is WORK. Sometimes the ideas flow. Sometimes not. What makes it easier is the little things like fan letters. Having recently written many to comic strip artists, and writers, the most common comment I get and am told is that they are glad that people remember, and that fans make them like their work was important. The late Tom Gill told me that he was always surprised that people remembered.
How do you find these folks?
Glad you asked. Often you can find their addresses through their own websites, or companies like DC and Marvel. They do forward mail. If you want to get hold of comic strip artists, write to the syndicates. They will get their mail. Look for email addresses on the strips. If you have an idea of where they live, check 411.com, that works too.
As another way to help out the artist and writers is buy their work. Look for it at the various bookstores, online at their websites, or check out ACTOR. ACTOR supports those men and women who have produced the art we have seen for years and are not now financially stable.
Some email addresses that will help are:
These are only a few….search away. The men and women who make us laugh, cry, and shake our head in wonder will appreciate your words.
I remain,
A Fan of the genre.
Tim Lasiuta