Sururi Gümen

Sururi Gümen (July 20, 1920 – September 20, 2000) was a Turkish American illustrator best known for his long, uncredited tenure as the ghost artist of the newspaper comic strip *Kerry Drake*. He emigrated to the United States in 1955 and for decades drew the daily adventure strip without public acknowledgment, finally receiving co-credit in 1976 alongside creator Alfred Andriola. Gümen’s precise, clean linework and ability to sustain a consistent visual tone made him indispensable to the feature’s longevity.

Earlier in his career, Gümen contributed to a range of American comic books, primarily for Charlton Comics. Between 1972 and 1981, he worked as artist, inker, and letterer on titles such as *David Cassidy*, *Cracked*, *David Cassidy Annual*, *I Love You*, *Monster Hunters*, and *Teen Confessions*. These assignments, though less celebrated than his newspaper work, demonstrate his versatility across humor, teen romance, and monster genres.

Gümen’s path into comics began in Turkey before he relocated to the United States. Details of his early life remain sparse, but his son later helped illuminate his career and the challenges of working as an uncredited ghost artist. Gümen’s legacy is that of a skilled craftsman who labored in the shadows, finally gaining recognition late in life. He passed away in 2000 at age 80.