Lee Elias

Lee Elias was a British-American comics artist born on May 21, 1920, who became best known for his sustained work on Harvey Comics' Black Cat series during the 1940s. He passed away on April 8, 1998.

Elias built a remarkably versatile career across several decades, contributing as artist, colorist, inker, and letterer on hundreds of comic book issues from the early 1940s onward. His output ranged widely across genres and publishers, with credits spanning titles such as Wings Comics, Power Man, and The Human Fly, alongside his signature Black Cat work. That breadth of technical roles — handling everything from pencils to lettering — speaks to a craftsman equally comfortable at multiple stages of the production process.

The Black Cat, a costumed crime-fighter who ranked among the more prominent superheroines of the Golden Age, provided Elias with his most enduring association. His clean, confident linework suited the character well and helped sustain reader interest in the title across its run.

Though he never became a household name outside dedicated comics readership, Elias's consistent professionalism across war, superhero, and adventure genres earned him a respected place in mid-century American comics. His work has since been revisited in Spanish-language reprints such as Misterios del Gato Negro, extending his reach to audiences well beyond his original era.