Stan Drake
Encyclopedia
Stanley Albert Drake was an American
cartoonist
best known as the founding artist of the comic strip
The Heart of Juliet Jones
.
Born in Brooklyn, Drake worked in the back of a Dugan's Donut truck for a dollar-a-day salary while he was in high school. At the age of 17, he contributed art to Popular Detective, Popular Sports and other pulps. Entering the comic book field as artist, letterer and writer, he became friends with cartoonist Bob Lubbers
, who later suggested he draw newspaper comics.
He studied for two years at New York's Art Students League
. In the Pacific during World War II
, he did PR work for Stars and Stripes
. Returning to civilian life, he went into advertising, eventually heading a studio of 12 illustrators.
, was a dramatic comic drawn by Drake in a naturalistic style. Drake, whose assistants included Tex Blaisdell
and Frank McLaughlin, stayed on the strip until 1989, when he was succeeded by Frank Bolle
.
In 1984, Drake replaced Mike Gersher
as the artist on Blondie
(written by Dean Young
), and he continued drawing the strip until his death. His assistant on Blondie was Denis Lebrun
.
.
such as The Pitt
. Internationally, he is known for the artwork on the Kelly Green series of graphic novels about a young widow who fights crime in the manner of an action hero
. This series was written by Leonard Starr
. It was serialized in Pilote
magazine in black and white before being collected in color albums by the French firm Dargaud International Publishing.
An avid golfer, Drake created illustrations for Golf Digest
and the book The Touch System for Better Golf.
with their Story Comic Strip Award (1969, 1970, 1972) for The Heart of Juliet Jones.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
best known as the founding artist of the 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....
The Heart of Juliet Jones
The Heart of Juliet Jones
The Heart of Juliet Jones was a comic strip created by Stan Drake in 1953.The strip was a soap opera, following the prototype set by Mary Worth but elevated by Drake's exceptional artwork...
.
Born in Brooklyn, Drake worked in the back of a Dugan's Donut truck for a dollar-a-day salary while he was in high school. At the age of 17, he contributed art to Popular Detective, Popular Sports and other pulps. Entering the comic book field as artist, letterer and writer, he became friends with cartoonist Bob Lubbers
Bob Lubbers
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.-Biography:...
, who later suggested he draw newspaper comics.
He studied for two years at New York's Art Students League
Art Students League of New York
The Art Students League of New York is an art school located on West 57th Street in New York City. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists, and has maintained for over 130 years a tradition of offering reasonably priced classes on a...
. In the Pacific during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he did PR work 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,...
. Returning to civilian life, he went into advertising, eventually heading a studio of 12 illustrators.
Comic strips
Juliet Jones, created in 1953 by Drake and writer Elliot CaplinElliot 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....
, was a dramatic comic drawn by Drake in a naturalistic style. Drake, whose assistants included Tex Blaisdell
Tex Blaisdell
Philip Eustice Blaisdell , better known as Tex Blaisdell, was an American comic strip artist and comic book editor...
and Frank McLaughlin, stayed on the strip until 1989, when he was succeeded by Frank Bolle
Frank Bolle
Frank Bolle is an American comic strip artist, comic book artist and illustrator.-Career:-Children's books:...
.
In 1984, Drake replaced Mike Gersher
Mike Gersher
Mike Gersher was formerly an artist on the Blondie comic strip. He started being credited as the head artist in late December 1981, after the death of the long serving Jim Raymond. Gersher had assisted Raymond for about seventeen years, although it is not known what exactly contributions he made...
as the artist on Blondie
Blondie (comic strip)
Blondie is an American comic strip created by cartoonist Chic Young. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, the strip has been published in newspapers since September 8, 1930...
(written by Dean Young
Dean Young (cartoonist)
Dean Wayne Young is the head writer of the popular comic strip Blondie, which he inherited from his father Chic Young, who died in 1973....
), and he continued drawing the strip until his death. His assistant on Blondie was Denis Lebrun
Denis Lebrun
Denis Lebrun is a comic strip artist best known for his collaboration with Dean Young on the Blondie comic strip.-Comic strips:...
.
Fine art
He was a prolific painter and created portraits of more than 40 cartoonists, work displayed at the Comic Artist's Museum in Sarasota, FloridaSarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
.
Graphic novels
Drake drew comic books for Marvel ComicsMarvel 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...
such as The Pitt
The Pitt (Marvel Comics)
The Pitt is a 1987 one-shot comic book written by John Byrne and Mark Gruenwald, and illustrated by Sal Buscema and Stan Drake. It was published by Marvel Comics under its New Universe imprint...
. Internationally, he is known for the artwork on the Kelly Green series of graphic novels about a young widow who fights crime in the manner of an action hero
Action hero
An action hero is a character, usually a protagonist, in an action-adventure novel, film, television show, or game.-Further reading:*Osgerby, Bill, Anna Gough-Yates, and Marianne Wells. Action TV : Tough-Guys, Smooth Operators and Foxy Chicks. London: Routledge, 2001.*Tasker, Yvonne. Action and...
. This series was written by Leonard Starr
Leonard Starr
Leonard Starr is a Golden Age comic book artist, an advertising artist and award-winning cartoonist, notable for creating the newspaper strip On Stage and reviving Little Orphan Annie.-Early life:...
. It was serialized in Pilote
Pilote
thumb|Cover of the first Pilote teaser issue, #0.Pilote was a French comics periodical published from 1959 to 1989. Showcasing most of the major French or Belgian comics talents of its day the magazine introduced major series such as Astérix le Gaulois, Blueberry, Achille Talon, and Valérian et...
magazine in black and white before being collected in color albums by the French firm Dargaud International Publishing.
An avid golfer, Drake created illustrations for Golf Digest
Golf Digest
Golf Digest is a monthly golf magazine published by Condé Nast Publications in the United States. It is a generalist golf publication covering recreational golf and men's and women's competitive golf. Condé Nast Publications also publishes the more specialized , and Golf World Business. The...
and the book The Touch System for Better Golf.
Awards
He was recognized by the National Cartoonists SocietyNational Cartoonists Society
The National Cartoonists Society is an organization of professional cartoonists in the United States. It presents the National Cartoonists Society Awards. The Society was born in 1946 when groups of cartoonists got together to entertain the troops...
with their Story Comic Strip Award (1969, 1970, 1972) for The Heart of Juliet Jones.
External links
- NCS Awards
- Frank McLaughlin interview, Comic Book ArtistComic Book ArtistComic 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...
#9 (August 2000), pp 84–88 - Stan Drake Papers 1954-1971 at Syracuse University (primary source material)