Frank Robbins
| Frank Robbins | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 9, 1917 |
| Died | November 28, 1994 (aged 77) |
| Nationality | American |
| Area(s) | Writer, Penciller |
| Notable works | Batman the Invaders |
Franklin "Frank" Robbins (September 9, 1917 – November 28, 1994) was a notable American comic book and comic strip artist and writer, as well as a prominent painter whose work appeared in museums including the Whitney Museum of American Art, where one of his paintings was featured in the 1955 Whitney Annual Exhibition of American Painting.
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Born in Boston, Robbins was in his teens when he received a Rockefeller grant and scholarships to the Boston Museum and the National Academy of Design in New York. His early career included work as an assistant to Edward Trumbull on his NBC building murals, and creating promotional materials for RKO Pictures.
[edit] Comic books
As a writer/editor, Robbins was instrumental in returning Batman to the character's gothic roots, such as his story "One Bullet Too Many". Working with editor Julius Schwartz and artists Neal Adams and Irv Novick, he would revitalize the character with a series of noteworthy stories reestablishing Batman's dark, brooding nature.[1] In addition to Batman, Robbins' comic book work appeared in Captain America, Daredevil, Detective Comics, Flash, Ghost Rider, House of Mystery, House of Secrets, Human Fly, Invaders, Weird War Tales, and Power Man, as well as comic-book adaptations of Man from Atlantis and The Shadow.
[edit] Comic strips
In 1939, the Associated Press hired Robbins to take over the aviation strip Scorchy Smith which he drew until 1944. Robbins created his Johnny Hazard strip in 1944 and did the strip for more than three decades until it ended in 1977. Robbins' Johnny Hazard comic book was published by Standard from August 1948 to May 1949. The Sunday strips were reprinted in a full-color volume published by the Pacific Comics Club. Other reprints were published by Pioneer Comics and Dragon Lady Press.
[edit] Archives
The Frank Robbins collection at Syracuse University has 1090 original Johnny Hazard strips, consisting of 934 daily strips and 156 Sunday strips.[2]
[edit] References
- ^ Greenberger, Robert; Manning, Matthew K. (2009). The Batman Vault: A Museum-in-a-Book with Rare Collectibles from the Batcave. Running Press. p. 26. ISBN 0762436638. "Editor Julius Schwartz had decided to darken the character's world to further distance him from the camp environment created by the 1966 ABC show. Bringing in the talented O'Neil as well as the innovative Frank Robbins and showcasing the art of rising star Neal Adams...Schwartz pointed Batman in a new and darker direction, a path the character still continues on to this day."
- ^ Syracuse University: Frank Robbins Cartoons
