Alex Raymond

Alexander Gillespie Raymond Jr. was born on October 2, 1909, and would become one of the most influential cartoonists in the history of American newspaper strips. He died on September 6, 1956, killed in an automobile accident at the age of 46.

Raised by a father who actively encouraged drawing, Raymond worked his way into the comics world during the early 1930s as an assistant on established strips including *Tillie the Toiler* and *Tim Tyler's Luck*. Late in 1933, King Features Syndicate gave him the opportunity to develop a science fiction adventure strip capable of rivaling the hugely popular *Buck Rogers*. The result, *Flash Gordon*, launched in 1934 and quickly surpassed its competition. Raymond simultaneously produced the jungle saga *Jungle Jim* and the spy thriller *Secret Agent X-9*, though the demands of managing three strips led him to relinquish *X-9* by 1935. *Flash Gordon* would go on to inspire three Universal serials, a 1950s television series, and a 1980 feature film.

In 1944 Raymond enlisted in the Marines, saw combat in the Pacific in 1945, and returned to civilian life in 1946 to create *Rip Kirby*, a well-regarded private detective strip. His meticulous draftsmanship — he worked from live models supplied by Manhattan's Walter Thornton Agency — earned him the reputation of "the artist's artist." Jack Kirby, Bob Kane, Al Williamson, and George Lucas all cited his influence. Raymond was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1996.