We all know the importance of a the creator of a comic character but at the same time, the artist who made the creator’s vision possible is also equally important. Without an artist, what the writer wants to tell to his readers won’t come across properly. Artist Murphy Anderson who passed away at the age of 89, was one of the illustrators who made the creator’s imagination come to life.
Born on 9 July, 1926 Murphy Anderson is best known for his vast work at DC in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s, including co-creating characters such as Zatanna and the Atomic Knight. He’s known for his work as both a penciler and an inker and he entered the comic industry with Suicide Smith, Sky Rangers and Star Pirate features for Fiction House. Later he worked for several comic publishers like Pines Comics, St. John Publications, Ziff Davis, DC Comics and Atlas Comics. He worked on many characters such as Hawkman, Batgirl, Zatanna, the Spectre and Superman, as well as on the Buck Rogers daily syndicated newspaper comic strip.
Anderson’s favorite assignment was with writer John Broome with whom he created the feature Atomic Knights in Strange Adventures#117 (June 1960). Anderson has also left a legacy with his creations of the age like the mystical magician Zatanna, daughter of Golden Age hero Zatara who he created with writer Gardner Fox.
“Sad to hear of the passing of Murphy Anderson today, he was one of the true greats of DC Comics and helped define a generation of heroes,” posted DC’s Co-Publisher Dan DiDio on his Facebook page this morning.
Anderson was inducted into the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1998, and then the Will Eisner Hall of Fame the following year. Recently in 2013, he was also inducted in the Inkwell Awards Joe Sinott Hall of Fame.