Clarence Gray
Encyclopedia
Clarence Gray was an American comic strip artist, best known for his long run drawing Brick Bradford
for more than two decades. He also worked as a freelance illustrator for various magazines.
, the red-haired youth began drawing trains and automobiles at an early age, concentrating on art courses in grade and high school. After high school graduation, he started his career at $18 a week doing sports and editorial cartoonist with the Toledo
News-Bee. In 1933, he created Brick Bradford
with writer William Ritt, for the Central Press Association
of Cleveland. Launched as an adventure strip, it quickly developed into one of the leading science-fiction strips of the 1930s. The daily comic strip was joined by a Sunday page in 1934, followed by a companion strip, The Time Top in 1935.
When Ritt stopped scripting in 1952, Gray worked only on the Sunday strip and left the daily strip to Paul Norris
.
Gray and his wife Jessie lived in Rocky River, Ohio
where they had one son, Robert, and red-haired twins, Janet and Jane. When not at the drawing board, Gray liked golf, hunting, fishing and camping. "Rain on a tent-top thrills me," he said. "I always think there is a big bass under every lily pad on a cool, green lake."
Clarence Gray died in 1957 at age 55.
Brick Bradford
Brick Bradford was a science fiction comic strip created by writer William Ritt, a journalist based in Cleveland, and artist Clarence Gray. It was first distributed in 1933 by Central Press Association, a subsidiary of King Features Syndicate....
for more than two decades. He also worked as a freelance illustrator for various magazines.
Biography
Born in Toledo, OhioToledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
, the red-haired youth began drawing trains and automobiles at an early age, concentrating on art courses in grade and high school. After high school graduation, he started his career at $18 a week doing sports and editorial cartoonist with the Toledo
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
News-Bee. In 1933, he created Brick Bradford
Brick Bradford
Brick Bradford was a science fiction comic strip created by writer William Ritt, a journalist based in Cleveland, and artist Clarence Gray. It was first distributed in 1933 by Central Press Association, a subsidiary of King Features Syndicate....
with writer William Ritt, for the Central Press Association
Central Press Association
The Central Press Association was an American newspaper syndication company based in Cleveland, Ohio. It was in business from 1910 to 1971. At its peak, the Central Press supplied features, columns, and photographs to more than 400 newspapers and 12 million daily readers.-History:Virgil Venice...
of Cleveland. Launched as an adventure strip, it quickly developed into one of the leading science-fiction strips of the 1930s. The daily comic strip was joined by a Sunday page in 1934, followed by a companion strip, The Time Top in 1935.
When Ritt stopped scripting in 1952, Gray worked only on the Sunday strip and left the daily strip to Paul Norris
Paul Norris
Paul Leroy Norris was an American comic book artist best known as co-creator of the DC Comics superhero Aquaman, and for a 35-year run as artist of the newspaper comic strip Brick Bradford.-Early life and career:...
.
Gray and his wife Jessie lived in Rocky River, Ohio
Rocky River, Ohio
Rocky River is an affluent western suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, United States located in Cuyahoga County approximately nine miles west of Public Square in downtown Cleveland. The city is named for the river that forms its eastern border...
where they had one son, Robert, and red-haired twins, Janet and Jane. When not at the drawing board, Gray liked golf, hunting, fishing and camping. "Rain on a tent-top thrills me," he said. "I always think there is a big bass under every lily pad on a cool, green lake."
Clarence Gray died in 1957 at age 55.