Eric Parker (illustrator)

Eric Parker
Eric Parker
Born	Eric Robert Parker; 7 September 1898; Stoke Newington, London, England
Died	21 March 1974 (aged 75); Edgware, London
Nationality	British
Education	Central School of Arts and Crafts
Known for	Illustration, comics

Eric Robert Parker^[1] (7 September 1898 – 21 March 1974) was a prolific British illustrator and comics artist best known for illustrating the adventures of Sexton Blake in various periodicals.

Born at

Boy's Own Paper celebrating his achievement.^[3]

During the

The Scout, The Wide World Magazine, Wild West Weekly and others.^[2]

In 1939 AP launched a new comic,

Comet, drawing "The Happy Hussar", set during the Napoleonic Wars, for the former, and "Nelson", a biographical strip of the Naval hero, and the adventures of highwayman Claude Duval, for the latter. During the 1950s he drew more westerns and historical adventures for Cowboy Comics Library and Thriller Comics, and in the early 1960s he drew "The Three Rollicking Rogues" for Buster.^[2]

In the late 1940s and 50s he also drew five newspaper strips: "Pepys' Diary" for

Eagle, full colour political advertisements for the Conservative Party, and illustrations and covers for The Soldier, official magazine of the British Army.^[2]

In 1960 Parker was appointed art director for educational magazine Look and Learn, which involved laying out comic strips for other artists to draw. He also contributed to Ranger, including a full colour feature called "Scrapbook of the British Soldier", which he wrote as well as illustrated based on his knowledge of military history, beginning in 1966. The "Scrapbook" moved to Look and Learn when Ranger merged into it, and was followed by "Scrapbook of the British Sailor", and "For Valour", on the history of medals. When he died on 21 March 1974^[1] he was working on a new series, "A Thousand Years of Spying".^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b Eric Parker on Lambiek Comiclopedia
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Norman Wright and David Ashford, Masters of Fun and Thrills: The British Comic Artists Vol 1, Norman Wright (pub.), 2008, pp. 131–144
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d W. O. G. Lofts, The Eric Parker Story, Collectors Digest Vol. 37 issues 437-440, 1983, formerly presented on the Blakiana website, via Internet Archive
^ Alan Clark, Dictionary of British Comic Artists, Writers and Editors, The British Library, 1998, p. 125

[lambiek-1] Eric Parker on Lambiek Comiclopedia

[wright-ashford-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Norman Wright and David Ashford, Masters of Fun and Thrills: The British Comic Artists Vol 1, Norman Wright (pub.), 2008, pp. 131–144

[lofts-3] W. O. G. Lofts, The Eric Parker Story, Collectors Digest Vol. 37 issues 437-440, 1983, formerly presented on the Blakiana website, via Internet Archive

[clark-4] Alan Clark, Dictionary of British Comic Artists, Writers and Editors, The British Library, 1998, p. 125

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