Bob Lubbers
Encyclopedia
Bob Lubbers is an American
comic strip
and comic book artist
best known for his work on such strips as Tarzan
, Li'l Abner
and Long Sam
.
five nights a week while studying during the day with George Bridgman
and other instructors at the Art Students League. He entered the comic book field when he was 18 years old, as he recalled:
For Centaur (aka the Comics Corporation of America), Lubbers drew such features as the Arrow, Reef Kincaid, Red Riley and the Liberty Scouts. After Centaur folded in 1942, he signed on as art director at Fiction House, where he drew Firehair
in Rangers Comics, Camilla in Jungle Comics, Señorita Rio in Fight Comics, Captain Wings
in Wings, plus such features as Space Rangers, Rip Carson, Flint Baker and Captain Terry Thunder.
Remembering his first, pre-WWII employment at Fiction House, Lubbers recalled "a young teenager who'd come in now and then to show a little sample book he'd made up called Panther Lady. We could see this kid had the right stuff. He had no luck selling it to Fiction House, but it was just as well. Frank Frazetta
has become a glittering star in the world of fine art."
After WWII, he returned to comic books. Fiction House "welcomed me back and features and covers poured out until 1950, when my mentor Ray Van Buren
led me to UFS and Tarzan
and NCS membership."
, continuing on that strip for the next four years. In 1954, he first did work at the Al Capp
studio and entered, as he put it, Capp's "star-studded world of movers and shakers".
He began drawing The Saint
in 1959, and he also worked on Big Ben Bolt
. Frank Godwin
's Rusty Riley
was running in more than 150 newspapers when Godwin died of a heart attack in 1959 at his home in New Hope, Pennsylvania
. The final Rusty Riley strips were drawn by Lubbers, who recalled, "In 1959, Frank Godwin, the artist who did Rusty Riley, died. Sylvan Byck at King Features
asked if I'd do the last two weeks in Godwin's style to end the series. I admired his book illustrations and was honored to have the privilege to do it." In 1960, he drew Secret Agent X-9
(as "Bob Lewis"), and he contributed to Lil' Abner during the 1970s.
Lubber's own strips were Robin Malone (for NEA in the late 1960s) and Long Sam, created by Al Capp and syndicated by United Feature Syndicate from 1954 to 1962. Initially written by Capp, who soon turned the duties over to his brother, Elliot Caplin
; Lubbers eventually assumed the writing duties himself in the strip's final phase. Long Sam was, like Li'l Abner, a hillbilly strip, though based on a female character. The title character, Sam, was a tall, voluptuous, naive mountain girl who had been raised in a hidden valley away from civilization by her Maw, who hates men and wishes to protect her daughter from them. The stories deal with Sam's inevitable discovery of the world and its discovery of her.
's The Vigilante
, he drew Westerns
for Pines (Standard
/Nedor
) comics in the 1950s. He drew for comic books in the late 1970s, working for Marvel Comics
. Lubbers is sometimes mistakenly said to have drawn for DC Comics during the 1980s. A young inker named Bob Lewis did work for DC during that period. but he was not Lubbers using a pseudonym.
reviewed:
in Paris.
People of the United States
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
and comic book artist
Comic Book Artist
Comic Book Artist was an American magazine founded by Jon B. Cooke devoted to anecdotal histories of American comic books, with emphasis on comics published since the 1960s...
best known for his work on such strips as Tarzan
Tarzan (comics)
Tarzan, a fictional character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, first appeared in the 1912 novel Tarzan of the Apes, and then in 23 sequels. The character proved immensely popular and quickly made the jump to other media, including comics.-Comic strips:...
, Li'l Abner
Li'l Abner
Li'l Abner is a satirical American comic strip that appeared in many newspapers in the United States, Canada and Europe, featuring a fictional clan of hillbillies in the impoverished town of Dogpatch, Kentucky. Written and drawn by Al Capp , the strip ran for 43 years, from August 13, 1934 through...
and Long Sam
Long Sam
Long Sam was an American comic strip created by Al Capp, writer-artist of Li'l Abner, and illustrated by Bob Lubbers. It was syndicated by United Feature Syndicate from 1954 to 1962. The strip was initially written by Capp, who soon turned the duties over to his brother, Elliot Caplin...
.
Biography
Born Robert Lubbers in 1922, he began as an illustrator for his school newspaper. In his teens, he played trombone in a big bandBig band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
five nights a week while studying during the day with George Bridgman
George Bridgman
George Brant Bridgman was a Canadian-American painter, writer, and teacher in the fields of anatomy and figure drawing. Bridgman taught anatomy for artists at the Art Students League of New York for some 45 years....
and other instructors at the Art Students League. He entered the comic book field when he was 18 years old, as he recalled:
- My pal Stan DrakeStan DrakeStanley Albert Drake was an American cartoonist best known as the founding artist of the comic strip The Heart of Juliet Jones....
and I left Bridgman's life class one day and marched down to Centaur and sold the comic mag features we'd created. Before long I was doing features at Fiction HouseFiction HouseFiction House is an American publisher of pulp magazines and comic books that existed from the 1920s to the 1950s. Its comics division was best known for its pinup-style good girl art, as epitomized by the company's most popular character, Sheena, Queen of the Jungle.-History:-Jumbo and Jack...
until the War.
For Centaur (aka the Comics Corporation of America), Lubbers drew such features as the Arrow, Reef Kincaid, Red Riley and the Liberty Scouts. After Centaur folded in 1942, he signed on as art director at Fiction House, where he drew Firehair
Firehair
Firehair is a comic book character who appeared in features in the comic book anthology Rangers Comics , published by Fiction House. Firehair premiered in Rangers Comics #21 and appeared in every issue up to #65 . She also appeared in eleven issues of her own quarterly title from Winter 1948 to...
in Rangers Comics, Camilla in Jungle Comics, Señorita Rio in Fight Comics, Captain Wings
Captain Wings
Captain Wings is a fictional character in the Marvel Universe. He is based on Black Condor.-Publication history:Captain Wings appeared in Invaders #14-15 , and was created by Roy Thomas and Frank Robbins....
in Wings, plus such features as Space Rangers, Rip Carson, Flint Baker and Captain Terry Thunder.
Remembering his first, pre-WWII employment at Fiction House, Lubbers recalled "a young teenager who'd come in now and then to show a little sample book he'd made up called Panther Lady. We could see this kid had the right stuff. He had no luck selling it to Fiction House, but it was just as well. Frank Frazetta
Frank Frazetta
Frank Frazetta was an American fantasy and science fiction artist, noted for work in comic books, paperback book covers, paintings, posters, LP record album covers and other media...
has become a glittering star in the world of fine art."
After WWII, he returned to comic books. Fiction House "welcomed me back and features and covers poured out until 1950, when my mentor Ray Van Buren
Raeburn van Buren
Raeburn Van Buren was an American magazine and comic strip illustrator best known for his work on the syndicated Abbie an' Slats. He was familiarly known in the professional comics community as Ray Van Buren....
led me to UFS and Tarzan
Tarzan (comics)
Tarzan, a fictional character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, first appeared in the 1912 novel Tarzan of the Apes, and then in 23 sequels. The character proved immensely popular and quickly made the jump to other media, including comics.-Comic strips:...
and NCS membership."
Comic strips
In 1950, he began his association with TarzanTarzan (comics)
Tarzan, a fictional character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, first appeared in the 1912 novel Tarzan of the Apes, and then in 23 sequels. The character proved immensely popular and quickly made the jump to other media, including comics.-Comic strips:...
, continuing on that strip for the next four years. In 1954, he first did work at the Al Capp
Al Capp
Alfred Gerald Caplin , better known as Al Capp, was an American cartoonist and humorist best known for the satirical comic strip Li'l Abner. He also wrote the comic strips Abbie an' Slats and Long Sam...
studio and entered, as he put it, Capp's "star-studded world of movers and shakers".
He began drawing The Saint
Simon Templar
Simon Templar is a British fictional character known as The Saint featured in a long-running series of books by Leslie Charteris published between 1928 and 1963. After that date, other authors collaborated with Charteris on books until 1983; two additional works produced without Charteris’s...
in 1959, and he also worked on Big Ben Bolt
Big Ben Bolt
Big Ben Bolt was a comic strip drawn by John Cullen Murphy, written by Elliot Caplin and distributed by King Features Syndicate.Illustrator Murphy entered the Army in 1940, joining the 7th Regiment. He spent several years in the Pacific, beginning in Australia and ending in Tokyo...
. Frank Godwin
Frank Godwin
Francis Godwin , better known as Frank Godwin, was an American illustrator and comic strip artist, notable for his strip Connie and his book illustrations for Treasure Island, Kidnapped, Robinson Crusoe, Robin Hood and King Arthur...
's Rusty Riley
Rusty Riley
Rusty Riley was an American comic strip which ran from 1948 to 1959. It was created and drawn by Frank Godwin for King Features.The line work in Rusty Riley shows an obvious influence of James Montgomery Flagg and Charles Dana Gibson, although Godwin used a variety of styles in his book and...
was running in more than 150 newspapers when Godwin died of a heart attack in 1959 at his home in New Hope, Pennsylvania
New Hope, Pennsylvania
New Hope, formerly known as Coryell's Ferry, is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 2,528 at the 2010 census. The borough lies on the west bank of the Delaware River at its confluence with Aquetong Creek. A two-lane bridge carries automobile and foot traffic across the...
. The final Rusty Riley strips were drawn by Lubbers, who recalled, "In 1959, Frank Godwin, the artist who did Rusty Riley, died. Sylvan Byck at King Features
King Features Syndicate
King Features Syndicate, a print syndication company owned by The Hearst Corporation, distributes about 150 comic strips, newspaper columns, editorial cartoons, puzzles and games to nearly 5000 newspapers worldwide...
asked if I'd do the last two weeks in Godwin's style to end the series. I admired his book illustrations and was honored to have the privilege to do it." In 1960, he drew Secret Agent X-9
Secret Agent X-9
Secret Agent X-9 was a comic strip begun by writer Dashiell Hammett and artist Alex Raymond . Syndicated by King Features, it ran from January 22, 1934 until February 10, 1996....
(as "Bob Lewis"), and he contributed to Lil' Abner during the 1970s.
Lubber's own strips were Robin Malone (for NEA in the late 1960s) and Long Sam, created by Al Capp and syndicated by United Feature Syndicate from 1954 to 1962. Initially written by Capp, who soon turned the duties over to his brother, Elliot Caplin
Elliot Caplin
Elliott A. Caplin was a comic strip writer best known as the co-creator of The Heart of Juliet Jones. He was the younger brother of Al Capp, creator of Li'l Abner....
; Lubbers eventually assumed the writing duties himself in the strip's final phase. Long Sam was, like Li'l Abner, a hillbilly strip, though based on a female character. The title character, Sam, was a tall, voluptuous, naive mountain girl who had been raised in a hidden valley away from civilization by her Maw, who hates men and wishes to protect her daughter from them. The stories deal with Sam's inevitable discovery of the world and its discovery of her.
Comic books
In addition to DC ComicsDC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
's The Vigilante
Vigilante (comics)
Vigilante is the name used by several fictional characters appearing in DC Comics. The original character was one of the first DC Comics characters adapted for live-action film, beating Superman by one year.-Greg Saunders:...
, he drew Westerns
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
for Pines (Standard
Standard Comics
Standard Comics was a comic book imprint of American publisher Ned Pines, who also published pulp magazines under a variety of company names that he also used for the comics...
/Nedor
Nedor Comics
Nedor Publishing was a comic book imprint of publisher Ned Pines, who also published pulp magazines under a variety of company names that he also used for the comics...
) comics in the 1950s. He drew for comic books in the late 1970s, working for Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
. Lubbers is sometimes mistakenly said to have drawn for DC Comics during the 1980s. A young inker named Bob Lewis did work for DC during that period. but he was not Lubbers using a pseudonym.
Reprints
In 2001, when his work was collected in the 100-page Glamour International: The Good Girl Art of Bob Lubbers, comics historian Paul GravettPaul Gravett
Paul Gravett is a London-based journalist, curator, writer and broadcaster who has worked in comics publishing and promotion for over 20 years....
reviewed:
- Bob Lubbers is not the celebrated cartoonist he should be, but thanks to a legion of Italian admirers, he is now getting his day in the sunshine in his 80th year. The latest edition of the long-running Italian magazine Glamour International No. 26 (2001, $34.95) pays tribute to his Good Girl ArtGood girl artGood girl art is found in drawings or paintings which feature a strong emphasis on attractive women no matter what the subject or situation. GGA was most commonly featured in comic books, pulp magazines and crime fiction...
in a deluxe, bi-lingual 100-page, 12" x 12" inch square showcase, edited by the respected authority Alberto Beccattini. Lubbers himself writes the commentary tracing his fascinating life and 40-year career in comics, accompanied by photos, sketches, a host of brand new colour illustrations and covers, plus some specially colored panels of his Firehair, Camilla and Captain Wings comic books from his Fiction House days in the Forties and from his string of newspaper strips, Tarzan... Long Sam, The Saint, Secret Agent X9, Robin Malone and L'il Abner. Bob credits being in the right place at the right time for keeping him busy, jumping from one series to the next or juggling several at once. But this modesty overlooks his constantly fresh and lively draughtsmanship, his crisp storytelling skills and his particular lifelong love affair with the female form, qualities that have kept him in constant demand... Writing about his experiences in the comics industry, his encounters with stars, presidents and models, his passions for playing music and golf, and his current success at devising crossword puzzles, Lubbers comes across as a genial, big-hearted man, who has always enjoyed his life and developing a variety of talents. This book concludes with the most thorough checklist of his work to date, 11 pages meticulously compiled by Beccattini with help from many experts.
Awards and exhibitions
In 1998, Lubbers was honored with the prestigious Yellow Kid prize at Rome's Expo Cartoon Festival. Sunday strips by Lubbers were displayed in 2003 at the Tarzan! exhibition at the Musée du quai BranlyMusée du quai Branly
thumb|225px|Musée du quai BranlyThe Musée du quai Branly , known in English as the Quai Branly Museum, nicknamed MQB, is a museum in Paris, France that features indigenous art, cultures and civilizations from Africa, Asia, Oceania, and the Americas. The museum is located at 37, quai Branly -...
in Paris.