July 28, 2014 is the one hundredth anniversary * of the beginning of what the British called, The Great War. While America had already experienced the vast destruction (of humans and land) during our mid-19th century Civil War, World War I was the first time Europe experienced the broad devastation of land and people in
On this day, July 24, 1959, comic book writer and artist Trevor Von Eeden was born in Georgetown, Guyana. When he was 16 Eeden began working for DC Comics. He was the creator of the company’s first African American superhero, Black Lightning. Eeden has also worked on Batman, Green Arrow, and Power Man and Iron Fist.
On this day, July 23, 2006, cartoonist Vernon Ethelbert Grant died in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Grant studied for one year at the Vesper George School of Art in Boston and then join the U. S. Army. In Tokyo Grant was a regular cartoonist for Stars and Stripes and he developed a fascination with Japanese comics. In
On this day, July 22, 1882, illustrator and artist Edward Hopper was born in Nyack, New York. Hopper studied at the Correspondence School of Illustrating and at the New York School of Art. From 1906 through 1925, Hopper earned his living as an illustrator until his paintings began to sell. When that happened, he was happy
On this day, July 21, 1929, artist and illustrator Don Almquist was born in Hartford, Connecticut. Almquist studied art at the Rhode Island School of Design. He worked in graphic art and illustrations for a variety of publications and over two dozen children’s books.
On this day, July 20, 1887, illustrator Gayle Porter Hoskins was born in Brazil, Indiana. Hoskins studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and then was a student Howard Pyle’s in Wilmington, Delaware. Even before his art studies Hoskins was creating cartoons for the Denver Post. Hoskins created illustrations for the mainstream periodicals
On this day, July 19, 1950, comic writer and artist Richard Pini was born in New Haven, Connecticut. With his wife Wendy Fletcher Pini, they created the Elfquest series of comics, graphic novels, and prose works. A fan of science fictions, Richard Pini studied astrophysics at MIT and then worked as a lecturer at Charles Hayden
On this day, July 18, 1911, illustrator (John) Emery Clarke was born in Parsons City, Kansas. He studied at the Kansas City Art Institute and then moved to New York City. Clarke painted covers for various pulp and action magazines. During WWII, Clarke worked on training films for the army. After the war he also worked
On this day, July 17, 1954, illustrator Jules Cannert died in New York City. Born in Roumania, Cannert’s family emigrated to New York City in 1905. During WWI he served in an anti-aircraft machine gun battalion. After he began to create illustrations for pulp magazines and painted pretty women, especially of glamorous Hollywood stars.
On this day, July 16, 1913, Lorence Bjorklund was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. Bjorklund studied art at the Pratt Institute and while a student he began to do work for pulp magazines. He became renowned for his illustrations of the American Old West. His studio was filled with cowboy and Indian objects. He illustrated more