Gill Fox
Encyclopedia
Gilbert Theodore "Gill" Fox (November 29, 1915–May 15, 2004) was an American
political cartoonist, comic book
artist
and editor
, and animator
.
's studio, but left due to labor unrest. He entered the comic book industry, working for a number of studios and companies, including DC Comics
. Beginning in 1940, he was an editor and a cover artist for Quality Comics
, with his work gracing the covers of such titles as Torchy
and Plastic Man
. In 1941, he wrote several weeks of continuity for the Spirit daily newspaper strip
. He left his editorial position at Quality in 1943 to serve in World War Two, where he worked for Stars and Stripes
. Once discharged from military service, Fox freelanced for Quality Comics until the early 1950s.
Fox later moved to advertising
, working for the Johnstone and Cushing
advertising agency
. There he met Dik Browne, and assisted him on Browne's comic strip Hi and Lois
. He also assisted/ghosted on several other strips as favors to friends. His daughter, Susan Fox, continued the tradition. She lettered
several newspaper strips in the 1970s and 1980s, including Star Hawks, Annie, and Beetle Bailey
.
Fox later worked as a political cartoonist for the Connecticut
newspapers The Fairfield Citizen and the Connecticut Post
; he was nominated for two Pulitzer Prize
s.
He died in Redding Ridge, Connecticut, at age 88.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
political cartoonist, comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
and editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
, and animator
Animator
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images that give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence; the images are called frames and key frames. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an...
.
Biography
Fox began his career in animation at Max FleischerMax Fleischer
Max Fleischer was an American animator. He was a pioneer in the development of the animated cartoon and served as the head of Fleischer Studios...
's studio, but left due to labor unrest. He entered the comic book industry, working for a number of studios and companies, including DC Comics
DC 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...
. Beginning in 1940, he was an editor and a cover artist for Quality Comics
Quality Comics
Quality Comics was an American comic book publishing company that operated from 1939 to 1956 and was an influential creative force in what historians and fans call the Golden Age of comic books....
, with his work gracing the covers of such titles as Torchy
Torchy (comics)
Torchy is a comic strip and, primarily, a series of comic books featuring the ingenue Torchy Todd, created by the American "good girl art" cartoonist Bill Ward in 1944.-Publication history:...
and Plastic Man
Plastic Man
Plastic Man is a fictional comic-book superhero originally published by Quality Comics and later acquired by DC Comics. Created by writer-artist Jack Cole, he first appeared in Police Comics #1 ....
. In 1941, he wrote several weeks of continuity for the Spirit daily newspaper 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....
. He left his editorial position at Quality in 1943 to serve in World War Two, where he worked for Stars and Stripes
Stars and Stripes (newspaper)
Stars and Stripes is a news source that operates from inside the United States Department of Defense but is editorially separate from it. The First Amendment protection which Stars and Stripes enjoys is safeguarded by Congress to whom an independent ombudsman, who serves the readers' interests,...
. Once discharged from military service, Fox freelanced for Quality Comics until the early 1950s.
Fox later moved to advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
, working for the Johnstone and Cushing
Johnstone and Cushing
Johnstone and Cushing was an American advertising agency that specialized in comic strip-style advertisements that used many prominent cartoonists and commercial artists of the time...
advertising agency
Advertising agency
An advertising agency or ad agency is a service business dedicated to creating, planning and handling advertising for its clients. An ad agency is independent from the client and provides an outside point of view to the effort of selling the client's products or services...
. There he met Dik Browne, and assisted him on Browne's comic strip Hi and Lois
Hi and Lois
Hi and Lois is a comic strip about a suburban family. Created by Mort Walker and illustrated by Dik Browne, it debuted on October 18, 1954, distributed by King Features Syndicate.-Characters:...
. He also assisted/ghosted on several other strips as favors to friends. His daughter, Susan Fox, continued the tradition. She lettered
Letterer
A letterer is a member of a team of comic book creators responsible for drawing the comic book's text. The letterer's use of typefaces, calligraphy, letter size, and layout all contribute to the impact of the comic. The letterer crafts the comic's "display lettering": the story title lettering and...
several newspaper strips in the 1970s and 1980s, including Star Hawks, Annie, and Beetle Bailey
Beetle Bailey
Beetle Bailey is an American comic strip set in a fictional United States Army military post, created by cartoonist Mort Walker. It is among the oldest comic strips still being produced by the original creator...
.
Fox later worked as a political cartoonist for the Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
newspapers The Fairfield Citizen and the Connecticut Post
Connecticut Post
The Connecticut Post is a daily newspaper located in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It serves the greater Bridgeport area, Fairfield County, and the Lower Naugatuck Valley. Municipalities in the Post's circulation area include Bridgeport, Ansonia,...
; he was nominated for two Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
s.
He died in Redding Ridge, Connecticut, at age 88.
External links
- Amash, Jim. "Quality Control: A Conversation with Gill Fox - Artist, Writer, and Editor (1940-43) of Quality Comics Group", Alter Ego vol. 3, #12, January 2002. WebCitation archive.
- Saxton, Brian."Famed cartoonist Gill Fox dead at 88", The News-Times (DanburyDanbury, ConnecticutDanbury is a city in northern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It had population at the 2010 census of 80,893. Danbury is the fourth largest city in Fairfield County and is the seventh largest city in Connecticut....
, ConnecticutConnecticutConnecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
), May 21, 2004. http://www.webcitation.org/5uFMwZMxo WebCitation archive].