John Cullen Murphy

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John Cullen Murphy
Elzie Segar
Award

John Cullen Murphy (May 3, 1919 – July 2, 2004) was an American illustrator best known for his three decades of work on the Prince Valiant comic strip.

Early life and education

Born in New York City, Murphy spent his childhood in Chicago and in New Rochelle, New York, where his family moved in 1930.[1]

He started art classes at the age of 9, but aspired to be a

Art Students League, where he was taught by the anatomist George Bridgman.[3]

Army service

Murphy entered the

U.S. Army in 1940, joining the 7th Regiment. He became an anti-aircraft officer during World War II, rising to the rank of major. He spent several years in the Pacific, beginning in Australia and ending in Tokyo. He was an aide to General William F. Marquat, who was on General Douglas MacArthur's staff. During the war, Murphy continued to illustrate, sending work to the Chicago Tribune and painting numerous portraits of military figures, including MacArthur.[3][4][5][6]

Work

Magazine illustration

Murphy's first professional work at the age of seventeen was for

Sport, Holiday and Columbia, published by the Knights of Columbus
.

Big Ben Bolt

Murphy's art often depicted sports subjects. His boxing material unexpectedly led him into the comic strip field, something he had never previously considered. In 1950, writer Elliot Caplin (brother of cartoonist Al Capp) of King Features Syndicate asked Murphy to illustrate a boxing comic strip he was planning to write. Murphy accepted his invitation. The resulting daily comic strip, Big Ben Bolt, was launched in 1950 and ran until 1978.[7]

Prince Valiant

Murphy began his collaboration on Prince Valiant (the saga of a young Norse prince who becomes a knight of King Arthur's round table at Camelot)[6] with creator Hal Foster in 1970 when Foster decided to lessen his workload at age 78. From the fall of 1970 until early 1980 Foster sent Murphy pencilled layouts, notes, and initially scripts. With Foster's retirement in 1979, Murphy's son Cullen took over the writing. Cullen Murphy began contributing stories to Foster while studying at Amherst College. Bill Crouch also contributed six story lines over the next four years. Murphy continued to draw Prince Valiant with his son scripting and his daughter doing the lettering and coloring until his retirement in March 2004, when he turned the strip over to his chosen successor, illustrator Gary Gianni. Murphy died four months later in Cos Cob, Connecticut.

Personal life

In 1951, Murphy married Joan Byrne, also from New Rochelle. They had eight children.[3] His son, Cullen Murphy (John Cullen Murphy, Jr.), is a writer and magazine editor.[8]

Skills

Murphy never copied Foster's style, preferring a harder pen line instead of the softer brush look, giving the strip a more angular feel. Frank Bolle helped Murphy in layouts and research but Murphy's detailed pen work could still be seen in all the finished pages.[6]

Awards

For his work on

Elzie Segar Award in 1983.[11]

References

  1. ^ "NCS Member Profile: John Cullen Murphy 8/26/2010". National Cartoonists Society.
  2. ^ "John Cullen Murphy Dies; Drew Prince Val". New York Daily News. July 9, 2004. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d Wolfgang Saxon (July 8, 2004). "John Cullen Murphy, 85, Artist Who Illustrated 'Prince Valiant'". New York Times.
  4. ^ Cullen Murphy (August 2008). "A Tale of Two Sittings". Vanity Fair.
  5. ^ "Going to Work". World Digital Library. 1944. Retrieved 2013-06-14.
  6. ^ a b c Karlen, Dave (November 25, 2007). "John Cullen Murphy...Boxing & Broadswords". Dave Karlen Original Art Blog.
  7. ^ "John Cullen Murphy Cartoons; An inventory of his cartoons at Syracuse University". Syracuse University Library. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
  8. ^ "John Cullen Murphy Cartoons An inventory of his cartoons at Syracuse University". Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries. Retrieved 2020-09-28.
  9. National Cartoonist Society. Archived
    from the original on January 15, 2006. Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  10. Ocala Star-Banner
    . May 30, 1988. p. 2A.
  11. ^ "Other Awards". National Cartoonists Society. Archived from the original on January 16, 2006. Retrieved February 6, 2020.

Further reading

  • Murphy, Cullen (2017). Cartoon County: My Father and His Friends in the Golden Age of Make-Believe. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
    ISBN 978-0-374-29855-5
    .
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