On this day, October 30, 1878, illustrator Katharine Richardson Wireman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She studied with Howard Pyle at Drexel Institute. She worked as a fashion illustrator for local newspapers and then began producing story and cover illustrations for various magazines.
On this day, October 29, 1884, James C. McKell was born in Burlington, Iowa. He studied at the Cumming School of Art in Des Moines and then in Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. By 1918 his illustrations began appearing in The Saturday Evening Post.
On this day, October 28, 1945, illustrator and cartoonist Gary Hallgren was born. He studied at Western Washington State College and around 1970 he became involved with the underground commix scene. He produces work for such varied publications as The New York Times and Mad magazine.
On this day, October 27, 1948, Bernie Wrightson was born in Baltimore, Maryland. Wrightson is best known for his horror illustrations and comic book art. He did the Famous Artists School course and then began working for The Baltimore Sun as an illustrator in 1966. He was inspired to produce his own stories, creating Swamp Thing
On this day, October 26, 1931, comic artist Larry Lieber was born in New York City. Lieber studied at Pratt Art Institute and at the Art Students League. His first daily newspaper comic was The Incredible Hulk. And later he was the artist on the daily Spider-Man comic written by his older brother, Stan Lee.
On this day, October 25, 1960, comic book artist and illustrator June Brigman was born in Atlanta, Georgia. Brigman studied at Georgia State University and the University of Georgia. She was part of the team who created the Power Pack characters and she was the artist of the Brenda Starr strip from 1995 through 2011 when
On this day, October 24, 1899, illustrator Richard Lillis was born in Oxford, New York. Lillis studied at the Art Students League in New York and he began working freelance in 1928. He sold his first pulp cover illustration in 1929. After WWII Lillis also painted paperback book covers.
On this day, October 23, 1963, comic artist Eric Shanower was born in Key West, Florida. After college he attended the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. Shanower’s first comic series was The Enchanted Apples of Oz, fulfilling his desire to “. . . write and draw Oz books when I grew up.” His
On this day, October 22, 1925, illustrator Rufus Fairchild Zogbaum died in New Rochelle, New York. After studying at the Art Students League in New York and abroad, Zogbaum was hired by Harper’s Weekly as one of its few staff artists. Zogbaum specialized in illustrations of western and military themes, setting the standard that later illustrators, Remington and
On this day, October 21, 1944, illustrator and comic artist Nell Brinkley died in New Rochelle, New York. While not formally trained, early in her career Brinkley produced ink drawings for various newspapers. Brinkley’s pretty girl illustrations, known as Brinkley Girls, were feminine, fun-loving, and more independent than Gibson’s Girls.