Harry Lucey
Encyclopedia
Harry Lucey was an American
comic artist
best known for his work in MLJ and Archie Comics
. He was the primary artist on Archie, the company's flagship title, from the late '50s through the mid-'70s.
Lucey, who graduated from the Pratt Institute
in 1935, worked on both adventure and humor titles for MLJ, including acting as the regular artist on The Hangman
, before being drafted into the United States Army. After being discharged, he spent several years working in advertising. In 1949 he re-joined MLJ, which by that time had changed its name to Archie Comics. Though he continued to draw action and romance comics for the company, including the hard-boiled mystery Sam Hill, Private Eye, his primary work was on their popular teen humor titles. During the '60s and early '70s, Lucey drew most of the stories in the Archie title, as well as drawing stories for many of the other titles. He also drew most of the company's in-house ads, and contributed many covers to titles like Pep Comics
.
In the late '60s, Lucey's health began to deteriorate. He developed an allergy to graphite which required him to wear gloves while drawing. In 1976, he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
, and abruptly retired from Archie comics; his inker, Chic Stone
, temporarily succeeded him as penciller on Archie. He died of cancer in 1984.
Since his death, Lucey's work has been rediscovered by younger cartoonists who celebrate his mastery of body language and physical comedy. Jaime Hernandez
frequently cites Lucey as one of his biggest influences in cartooning, preferring Lucey's work to that of his more famous colleague Dan DeCarlo
. "I like them both," Hernandez explained, "but Lucey just happens to be a personal favorite, because I think he was better at drawing natural characters — just their expressions taught me a lot about how I do my comics."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comic 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...
best known for his work in MLJ and Archie Comics
Archie Comics
Archie Comics is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck, New York, known for its many series featuring the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones. The characters were created by...
. He was the primary artist on Archie, the company's flagship title, from the late '50s through the mid-'70s.
Lucey, who graduated from the Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute
Pratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,...
in 1935, worked on both adventure and humor titles for MLJ, including acting as the regular artist on The Hangman
Hangman Comics
Hangman Comics was the name of an American anthology comic book series published by MLJ Magazines Inc., more commonly known as MLJ Comics, for seven issues between Spring 1942 and Fall 1943...
, before being drafted into the United States Army. After being discharged, he spent several years working in advertising. In 1949 he re-joined MLJ, which by that time had changed its name to Archie Comics. Though he continued to draw action and romance comics for the company, including the hard-boiled mystery Sam Hill, Private Eye, his primary work was on their popular teen humor titles. During the '60s and early '70s, Lucey drew most of the stories in the Archie title, as well as drawing stories for many of the other titles. He also drew most of the company's in-house ads, and contributed many covers to titles like Pep Comics
Pep Comics
Pep Comics is the name of an American comic book anthology series published by the Archie Comics predecessor MLJ Magazines Inc. during the 1930s and 1940s period known as the Golden Age of Comic Books...
.
In the late '60s, Lucey's health began to deteriorate. He developed an allergy to graphite which required him to wear gloves while drawing. In 1976, he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , also referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a form of motor neuron disease caused by the degeneration of upper and lower neurons, located in the ventral horn of the spinal cord and the cortical neurons that provide their efferent input...
, and abruptly retired from Archie comics; his inker, Chic Stone
Chic Stone
Charles Eber "Chic" Stone was an American comic book artist best known as one of Jack Kirby's Silver Age inkers, including on a landmark run of Fantastic Four.-Biography:...
, temporarily succeeded him as penciller on Archie. He died of cancer in 1984.
Since his death, Lucey's work has been rediscovered by younger cartoonists who celebrate his mastery of body language and physical comedy. Jaime Hernandez
Jaime Hernandez
Jaime Hernandez is the co-creator of the black & white independent comic book Love and Rockets .-Early life:...
frequently cites Lucey as one of his biggest influences in cartooning, preferring Lucey's work to that of his more famous colleague Dan DeCarlo
Dan DeCarlo
Daniel S. DeCarlo was an American cartoonist best known as the artist who developed the look of Archie Comics in the late 1950s and early 1960s, modernizing the characters to their contemporary appearance and establishing the publisher's house style...
. "I like them both," Hernandez explained, "but Lucey just happens to be a personal favorite, because I think he was better at drawing natural characters — just their expressions taught me a lot about how I do my comics."