[The Australian Panther]

Paul Parker. Excellent Art here. Doesn't appear to be on wikipedia or have a Lambiak entry. Can anybody point me to information on him?

Thanks

Link to the book: A-1 Comics 022 - Dick Powell

[crashryan]

Thanks for pointing out this book, Panther. It's a great read and Paul Parker is in fine style. I too have wondered about Parker. I like his bold inking, especially of drapery. He also seems to have written a lot of his material, like the Kirk of Scotland Yard series and perhaps this Dick Powell story. Parker also lettered a lot of his material, which helped me recognize him when I was learning to recognize his art. The last story of his that I've found is in Dell's Tales from the Tomb giant ("Two for the Price of One").

I tried Googling Parker in several ways. Twasn't easy: there are a Manchester United footballer, a breast implant surgeon, two pop musicians, and a skateboard painter with the same name. I found an intriguing lead on Pappy's Golden Age blog:

https://pappysgoldenage.blogspot.com/2010/08/number-782-science-fiction-week-amazing.html

A commenter says Parker the comics artist joined New York news radio station WINS in 1965 and worked there as a reporter into the 1980s. I managed to find several references to Parker, remembered as a hard-working on-the-scene street reporter chasing ambulances and fire trucks. Unfortunately I found nothing about his career path, particularly something that confirmed his transition from comic artist to radio personality. It is noteworthy that the dates of radio Parker's appearance and comic book Parker's disappearance fit together nicely. I've posted a comment on the blog asking for details, but the comment is six years old so it may not come to anything.

Addendum: On YouTube I've just found a 20th-anniversary retrospective video made by WINS. Parker appears in the first few minutes. So IF that's the comic book Parker, here's what he looks (and sounds) like:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28A0SPltfkc