Everett Raymond Kinstler

Everett Raymond Kinstler (August 5, 1926 – May 26, 2019) is best known for his official portraits of Presidents Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan, both displayed in the White House, but his career began in the pulps and comic books of the 1940s and 1950s. Born in New York City, he entered the field as a teenager, drawing and inking for titles like *Wild Bill Hickok*, *Jesse James*, and *White Princess of the Jungle*. His clean, dynamic linework also appeared in *Captain Steve Savage* and *Strange Worlds*, and he contributed to *Gwandanaland Comics*. Kinstler’s comic-book output was concentrated in the postwar era, with credits spanning 101 issues from 1944 into the 2020s through reprints. He later transitioned to fine art and portraiture, becoming one of America’s most respected portraitists. His legacy bridges two worlds: the energetic, affordable adventure comics of his youth and the formal dignity of presidential likenesses. He received numerous honors, including the National Portrait Gallery’s Portrait of a Nation Prize, and his work is held in major institutions. Kinstler’s career is a rare example of a creator who moved from pulp storytelling to high-profile official art without losing the technical skill honed in comics.