Gil Thorp
| Gil Thorp | |
|---|---|
| Illustrator(s) | Jack Berrill (creator) Warren Sattler Frank Bolle Ray Burns[1] Frank McLaughlin Rod Whigham[2] |
| Website | gocomics.com/gilthorp |
| Current status/schedule | Running |
| Launch date | September 8, 1958[3] |
| Syndicate(s) | Tribune Content Agency[4] |
| Genre(s) | Sports |
Gil Thorp is a sports-oriented comic strip which has been published since September 8, 1958. The main character, Gil Thorp, is the athletic director of Milford High School and coaches the football, basketball, and baseball teams. In addition to the sports storylines, the strip also deals with issues facing teenagers such as teen pregnancy, steroids, and drug abuse.
History
The strip was created by Jack Berrill, who modeled and named Thorp after baseball player Gil Hodges and Olympic athlete Jim Thorpe.[citation needed] The setting of Milford is named for New Milford, Connecticut when he began writing the strip.[5] Berrill continued the strip until he died of cancer on March 14, 1996.[citation needed] Over the course of his 38 years, Berrill broke ground with many of his stories, often dealing with sensitive social issues of the day. As editorial standards relaxed, he was able to move from stories about jalopies and after-school jobs to topics like teen pregnancy, divorce, steroids,[3] and sexual harassment.[5]
When the
Writers
Upon Berrill's death, Tribune Media Services chose author
In 2004, Jenkins was followed as writer by
In 2022, the Tribune Content Agency announced that graphic novel writer Henry Barajas would take over authorship of the strip beginning in July of that year.[10]
Artists
The strip was drawn by Berrill from 1958–1993 until
The Bucket
The Bucket was an online forum hosted by the Chicago Tribune, named after the teen burger hangout in the strip, The Bucket. It was a lively site for 15 years and featured discussions about the strip and other topics. Members of the community were known as "Bucketeers".[citation needed]
References
- ^ "Ray Burns - Lambiek Comiclopedia". Lambiek Comiclopedia. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
- ^ "Rod Whigham - Lambiek Comiclopedia". Lambiek Comiclopedia. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
- ^ a b c Downey, Mike (September 7, 2008). "Timeless classic Gil Thorp looks at life on and off the fields of play". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
- ^ "Gil Thorp comics by Neal Rubin and Rod Whigham". Tribune Content Agency. Retrieved October 9, 2018.
- ^ a b c Jacobson, David (September 8, 1993). "True Fans Follow Every Pitch from 'Gil Thorp'". Hartford Courant. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
- ^ Miner, Michael (February 5, 1998). "Good Sports, Bad Sports". Chicago Reader. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
- ^ Fleishman, Daniel (August 28, 2001). "Who Was That Yarmulke-topped Man? 'Gil Thorp' Strip Gets Sabbath-observant Character". Jewish World Review.
- ^ Miner, Michael (April 17, 2003). "Gil Thorp Gets Benched". Chicago Reader. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
- ^ "Rubin Debut Ends "Passion of Gil Thorp"". The Comics Reporter. April 17, 2004. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
- ^ "Welcome to the team! Gil Thorp comic strip welcomes new author Henry Barajas". Tribune Content Agency. June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
- ^ "New Artist Set to Take Over Gil Thorp Strip". Chicago Tribune. March 3, 2008.
External links
- Gil Thorp on GoComics.com
- Gil Thorp at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on August 28, 2016.
- "Gil Thorp Gets Benched" by Michael Miner, Chicago Reader, April 18, 2003 (Archived May 13, 2003).