Jack Sparling
| Jack Sparling | |
|---|---|
| Born | John Edmond Sparling June 21, 1916 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada |
| Died | February 15, 1997 |
| Nationality | Naturalized American (immigrated Canadian) |
| Area(s) | Artist |
| Notable works | Hap Hopper, Claire Voyant, Tiger Girl |
John Edmond Sparling (June 21, 1916 – February 15, 1997), better known as Jack Sparling, was a Canadian - American comics artist.
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sparling moved to the United States as a child. He received his early arts training at the Arts and Crafts Club in New Orleans and later attended the Corcoran School of Art. He worked briefly as a gag cartoonist for the New Orleans Item-Tribune.
[edit] Comic strips
In 1941, Sparling, along with writers Drew Pearson and Robert S. Allen, created the comic strip Hap Hopper, Washington Correspondent. The strip premiered in 1939, and Sparling was the artist until 1943, when he was succeeded by Al Plastino.
Sparling's next comic strip was Claire Voyant, which premiered May 10, 1943, in the New York PM. and ran until 1948.
[edit] Comic books
From the 1950s through the 1970s, Sparling provided art for a variety of publishers, including Harvey Comics (the Pirana), Charlton Comics (adaptations of The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman), DC Comics (Challengers of the Unknown, Secret Six, Eclipso) and Marvel Comics (Captain America). Sparling also worked for Classics Illustrated, drawing adaptations of Robin Hood and Mark Twain's Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.
Sparling was still active in the 1980s, working primarily on titles for Western Publishing. For Western's Gold Key Comics, Sparling illustrated comic book adaptations of the television series Family Affair and The Outer Limits. He also created, with Jerry Siegel, the superhero Tiger Girl.
