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[Robb_K]

Hello Folks.  I have a great love of much of the artwork of "The Sangor Shop" Studio, started by Ben Sangor about the end of 1941, to take advantage of Disney Studios' strike, and Warner Brothers' lockout, to provide high-quality artists for his and Jim Hughes' new line of comic books, as well as to make a profit on selling high-quality comic artwork to smaller comic book publishers who couldn't or wouldn't want to hire a decent artist staff of their own.  They provided the art for Ned Pines' Better/Nedor/Standard Comics, funny animal stories to National/DC, and the same to many small independent publishers.  These artists were located on The East Coast, mostly near New York (moonlighters from Fleischer, Famous and Van Beuren Studios, and in Los Angeles (ex Disney and WB animators).

In our discussion of this on another topic's thread, The Australian Panther suggested to me that we should start a thread discussing comic book artists that came from The Animation Industry, and those that started in newspaper comic strips and comic books that left for animation.  So I have posted this thread.  The list immediately below, is what I knew offhand from memory, with little research added to fill out the major firms for which these artists and writers worked to fill out their career paths.  Of course it is far from complete, as I have worked only in the "Funny Animal" arena my whole career, and have only read that genre, plus very cartoony Human character comics all my life.  I know NOTHING about realistically-drawn comic book and comic strip art, and which artists and writers produced them. So, please fill us in on any artists and writers that you know, and the publishers/studios for whom they worked, plus any information not on my list of creators.  Also, we'd like to read any stories or anecdotes about those characters and studio officials, and editors, and history of what went on related to that interesting symbiosis between the two industries.

Comic Book Artists From Animation

Carl Barks - Disney Animation to Western/Dell Comics (Disney/MGM)
Bill Wright - Disney Animation to Disney NewspaperComics to Western Pub/Disney Comics/LantzComics
Dick Moores - Disney Animation to Disney newspaper comics to Western Pub./Disney Comics to Newspaper Comics (Gasoline Alley)
Walt Kelly - Disney Animation to Western Pub./Disney Comics/Dell Fairy Tale Comics/Pogo Comics to Pogo newspaper strip
Tony Strobl - Disney Animation to Western Pub./Disney Comics
Paul Murry - Disney Animation to Western Pub./Disney Comics
Jack Bradbury - Disney Animation to Sangor Comics Shop - to Western Pub./Disney Comics
Al Hubbard - Disney Animation to Sangor Comics Shop - to Western Pub/Disney Comics
Al Taliaferro - Disney Animation to Disney Newspaper Comics/Disney Comic Books - Sangor Shop
Riley Thompson - Disney Animation to Western Pub/Disney Comics
Ken Hultgren - Disney Animation to Western Pub./Dell(Disney Comics) to Sangor Comics Shop to WB Animation
Lynn Karp - Disney Animation to Sangor Comics Shop to WesternPub/DisneyComics/WBComics/MGMComics
Gil Turner - Disney Animation to Sangor Comics Shop and WesternPub/Disney Comics
Jack Hannah - Disney Animation to Western Pub/Disney Comics
Harvey Eisenberg - MGM Animation to Joe Barbera's Dearfield Comics (Foxy Fagan/Red Rabbit) to Western Pub/MGM Comics(Tom & Jerry) to Hanna Barbera Comics
Hank Ketcham - animator for Walter Lantz then Disney to own newspaper comic strip (Dennis The Menace)
Don (Aar) (R.) Christensen - Disney Animation to WB Animation to Sangor Comics Shop to Western Pub/Disney Comics
Manny Gonzales - Disney Animation to Disney Newspaper Comics
Bob Wickersham - Animation with Charles Mintz, Harman-Ising, Iwerks, Fleischer and Disney Studios to Sangor Comics Shop(Creston/ACG and DC Comics to WB Animation
Ray Patin - Charles Mintz, Ub Iwerks, Harman-Ising, Disney, WB Animation to Sangor Comics Shop to Disney Animation to independent animated commercials producer
Don Gunn - Disney Animation to Sangor Comics Shop to Fawcett Comics (Hoppy The Marvel Bunny) to Western Pub/Disney Comics
Jim Tyer - Fleischer, Terrytoons and Paramount Animation to Sanger Shop to St. Johns Terrytoons Comics to Bakshi Animation
Preston Blair - Disney Animation to Sangor Comics Shop
Jim Davis - Disney Animation to Fleischer Animation to Famous Studios, to Sangor Comics Shop
Pete Alvarado - Disney Animation to Western Pub/Dell Comics (Disney/WB/MGM/Lantz/HannaBarbera)
Phil DeLara - WB Animation to Western Pub/WB/Disney/MGMHannaBarbera Comics
Ken Champin - WB Animation to Sangor Comics Shop
Al Stahl - newspaper comic strip to Fleischer Studio to Columbia(Terrytoons) to Al Stahl Animated
Bob Karp - Disney Animation to Sangor Comics Shop to Disney Comics Dept.
Hubie Karp - Disney Animation to Sangor Comics Shop
Hawley Pratt - Disney to WB Animation to Sangor Comics Shop to DePatie-Freeleng Animation(Pink Panther)
Howard Swift - Disney Animation to Sangor Comics Shop
Cal Howard - Disney Animation to WB Animation to Sangor Comics Shop
Karran (Kay) Wright - Disney Animation to Sangor Studios, ACG/Nedor, to DC Comics, back to Disney Animation, to own newspaper comic strip (Soapy Waters) to Western Publishing Hanna Barbara/Lants, and mostly Disney Comics, to Filmation Animation
Manny Perez - WB Animation to Sangor Comics Shop to Hanna-Barbara Animation to DePatie-Freeleng Animation
Owen Fitzgerald - Harman-Ising, WB Animation to Sangor Comics Shop to Dennis The Menace newspaper comic strip
Harris Steinbrook (AKA Steinberg) - Eastern animation studio (Fleischer? Famous?  Van Beuren?) to National/DC to Sangor Comics Shop
Dan Gordon -  Van Beuren Animation Studio, to Paul Terry Studio, to MGM, to Fleischer Studio, to Famous Studios, to Sangor Studio, to Transfilm Studio, to Sutherland Commercial Studio, to            Hanna-Barbara TV Animation
Dan Gormley - Animation?  Van Beuren?  Fletcher?  Terry-Toons Studio?  Comics - Western Printing, (NY) Sangor Studio (NY)? Western Printing (Dell Comics)
Daan Jippes - Dutch Disney Comics to US Disney comic strips to Disney Animation to Dreamworks Animation to Dutch and Danish Disney Comics
Tom McKimson - Disney, Harman-Ising, WB Animation to Western Pub/Dell Comics
Robert McKimson - Disney, Harman-Ising, WB Animation to Western Pub/Dell Comics
Chuck McKimson - Harman-Ising, WB Animation to Western Pub/Dell Comics
Connie Rasinski - Terrytoons and Paramount Animation to St. Johns to Terrytoons Comics to Harvey Comics
Marty Taras - Terrytoons and Paramount Animation to St. Johns to Terrytoons Comics to Harvey Comics to Bakshi Animation
Carlo Vinci - Terrytoons and Paramount Animation to St. Johns Terrytoons Comics
Art Barsch - Terrytoons and Paramount Animation to St. Johns Terrytoons Comics
Tom Golden - Fleischer, Famous, Sangor Studio, Paramount Animation to Harvey Comics
Steve Mufatti - Fleischer, Famous, Paramount Animation to Harvey Comics
Dave Tendlar - Fleischer, Famous, Paramount Animation to Harvey Comics to Columbia(Terrytoons) Animation to Filmation Animation to Hanna-Barbera Animation
Phil Monroe - WB Animation to Sangor Comics Shop to UPA Animation to WB Animation to Chuck Jones Animation
Frank Carin - Van Beuren Animation Studio to FleischerStudio, to Timely Comics, to Terrytoons Studio, to Avon Periodicals and Nation-Wide Comics, to Terrytoons Studio, to Western Publishing
Vince Fago - Audio Productions, Jam Handy Animation, to  Fleischer Animation to Timely Comics/Atlas (TerryToons Comics) to Fago Brothers Studio Peter Rabbit Newspaper Comic Strip
Joe Oriolo - Fawcett Comics to Felix The Cat animation to Felix The Cat newspaper comic strip to comic books (Western Pub/Dell) to own Adventure Cartoon Prod.
Tom Baron - WB to Fleischer to Sangor Comics Shop to Hanna-Barbera Animation
Gene Deitch - UPA, Columbia(Terrytoons) Animation to United Features Terrible Thompson comic strip to CBS(NewTerrytoons) Animation
Curt Perkins - Lantz, Disney, WB Animation to Sangor Comics Shop(Creston/ACG and Better/Nedor Comics) to Clampett Studios(Beany & Cecil) to Hanna Barbera Animation
Fawcett Comics
Lu Guarnier- Leon Schlesinger Studio, Warner Brothers Animation to Funnies,Inc. for Lev Gleason Publications, to Film Graphics, to UPA Animation, to Hanna Barbera Animation to Maurice Sendak Studio
Chad Grothkopf - Disney, Fleischer Animation to Toytown Christmas newspaper strip to National/DC Comics to Fawcett Comics, Nedor, United Feature Synd, (Howdy Doody comic strip) to St. Johns Comics (Terrytoons)(Mighty Mouse) to Hanna-Barbara.TV Animation to WB TV Animation
Mike Sekowsky - Timely, Fawcett, Quality, Nedor, St. John, D.C., Atlas, Marvel Comics to Hanna-Barbera TV Animation
Jack Kirby - Timely to DC to Mainline (own company) to Newspaper Comic Strip (Sky Masters) to Atlas Comics to Marvel Comics to Hanna-Barbera Animation
Ed Winiarski - Animation (firm unknown-but Eastern studio -perhaps Fleischer?) to National Comics to Timely Comics to Hillman and Prize Comics to Atlas Comics
Milt Stein - Fleischer Studio, Famous Studios, to Better/Nedor Comics(SuperMouse), to Timely Comics, to DC Comics to Terrytoons Animation(Mighty Mouse), to DC Comics to Rankin/Bass Animation(Return To Oz)
Ben Solomon - Fleischer Animation to Famous Films, to Bailey Comic Book Studio, to Solomon and Gelman Cartoons
Woody Gelman - Fleischer Animation to Famous Films, to Bailey Comic Book Studio, to Solomon and Gelman Cartoons
Orestes Calpini Fleischer Studio to Sangor Studio to Hillman Comics to Famous Studios
Milt Gross - newspaper Comic Strips (New York Journal), animation -John Bray Animation Studio, Universal Studio, MGM, Comic books - ACG (Milt Gross Funnies)
Jack Davis Mark trail Comic Strip, The Saint Comic Strip, Beauregard Comic Strip, to EC Comics, to Mad Magazine, to Panic Magazine, to Cracked Magazine, to Dell Comics (Yak, Yak), to Topps Chewing Gum, Co. to Rankin-Bass Productions (animation)
Etta Parks - Disney Studio '44-'46 (in-betweener), to Dearfield Comics '50-'51(Red Rabbit, Little Buck,Li'l Tinker, various series' front covers) to editorial cartoons for The Texas Observer and Fort Worth Star-Telegram '1954-'2008

[bowers]

Bravo! Thanks for this amazing list- a most excellent reference. Cheers, Bowers

[The Australian Panther]

Wow! What a great start!
Then there's people who went the other way. I'm no serious expert. But two that went the other way, albeit after the Golden Age, were Alex Toth and Jack Kirby.
Toth had a celebrated career in TV animation,
As outlined in this recent book
Alex Toth: By Design Paperback

[SuperScrounge]

Doug Wildey (Johnny Quest) did both, but I'm not sure which field he started in.

Dave Stevens (The Rocketeer) worked for an animation studio, although I'm not sure if that was before he did any comic work.

I think Mike Sekowsky (Justice League of America's first penciller) was working at the same animation house Wildey and Stevens were at in the 1970s.

[mopee167]

Mike Sekowsky moved to California in the 1980s to work for Hanna-Barbera animated TV shows, such as Scooby-Doo, Space Ghost, Super Friends, and The New Shmoo.

[Robb_K]

I've been adding to the list, and will continue to do so, after doing some research.  So come back and check out the list every so often.

[The Australian Panther]

Michael G. Ploog, 'best known for his work on Marvel Comics' 1970s Man-Thing and The Monster of Frankenstein series, and as the initial artist on the features Ghost Rider and Werewolf by Night ' went over into TV and Movie work, Here's his IMDB page. Quite Impressive.
Pity we haven't seen more of his highly individual style in comic books. 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0687396/

[SuperScrounge]

Just remembered an interesting example Winsor McKay. Started off doing early comic strips (Little Nemo etc.) to doing early animation (Gertie the Dinosaur).

A much more recent example.

Fred Perry (Gold Digger, amongst others, for Antarctic) did some animated cartoons (Gold Digger The Time Raft).

[mopee167]

CHARLES MENGES (1906-1965?)
Animator: Little Hiawatha (1937, Walt Disney). Artist: Eek & Squeak (1946, Pines); funny animals (1946, ACG) thru Sangor Shop.

http://www.bailsprojects.com/whoswho.aspx?mode=AtoZsearch&id=MENGES%2c+CHARLES

[The Australian Panther]

Periphal to this subject is Comics Creators who worked in Advertising.

This book has just come out.

Comics Ad Men #1

http://www.fantagraphics.com/comics-ad-men/

Cheers!

[Robb_K]

Periphal to this subject is Comics Creators who worked in Advertising.

This book has just come out.

Comics Ad Men #1

http://www.fantagraphics.com/comics-ad-men/

Cheers!

No surprise!  Especially with kids reading less, all over The World, and watching more animation, comic book sales are dropping, and artists find themselves needing to get jobs in advertising and illustration fields (such as children's books).  But that has ALWAYS  been so for artists, because of the glut of artists who need work - related to the amount of work available.  EVERY friend and work colleague I've had in 37 years in the business, has done advertising and animation work to supplement their income, and usually, they did more of that work during their overall career, than they did actual work on comic books.  But, even the few who did more comic book work than anything else, probably had a higher % of their total income, over the years, come from those other sources, because the pay for comic book work is so low, in comparison to those other fields. 

[Electricmastro]

Al Eugster



http://www.bailsprojects.com/bio.aspx?Name=EUGSTER%2c+AL



http://web.archive.org/web/20201002063204/http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache%3AcWAsoh4jIwkJ%3Awww.oocities.org%2Fhollywood%2Fboulevard%2F3131%2Fcomic.html+&cd=13&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=safari

From Frisky Fables #v3#5 (August, 1947):

[Robb_K]

Yes, Jason Art and Al Fago did most of Novelty's "Frisky Fables' artwork. Jason also supplied Lev Gleason, Jamboree. Prize's "Wonderland Comics, Orbit's "Toytown" and "Taffy Comics", some work for Fox Features, and Robert Farrell's Four Star and Star Publications' lines, such as "Hi-Ho Comics", "Kiddie Kapers", "Daffy Tunes", "Holiday Comics", and "Frisky Fables", after he took that line over from Novelty, as well as Harvey's early Funny Animals "Nutty Comics", and "Clown Comics", and Hillman's "Punch & Judy".

[Electricmastro]

Yes, Jason Art and Al Fago did most of Novelty's "Frisky Fables' artwork. Jason also supplied Lev Gleason, Jamboree. Prize's "Wonderland Comics, Orbit's "Toytown" and "Taffy Comics", some work for Fox Features, and Robert Farrell's Four Starand Star Publications' lines, such as "Hi-Ho Comics", "Kiddie Kapers", "Daffy Tunes", "Holiday Comics", and "Frisky Fables", after he took that line over from Novelty, as well as Harvey's early Funny Animals "Nutty Comics", and "Clown Comics", and Hillman's "Punch & Judy".

Bails also gave a list of names of people said to have been associated with Jason Comic Art Studio, but I don

[Robb_K]

I have seen the following names from the list before, so I think they are pencilers or inkers:

Gilbert Delgado, David Bryant, Ernest Fillion, Harold Sparaco.  The others may be inkers or letterers.

[Electricmastro]

I have seen the following names from the list before, so I think they are pencilers or inkers:

Gilbert Delgado, David Bryant, Ernest Fillion, Harold Sparaco.  The others may be inkers or letterers.

Cool! Know any specifics about them or where you heard about them before? Their mention alongside Nutty Comics (presumably Harvey

[Robb_K]

I have seen the following names from the list before, so I think they are pencilers or inkers:

Gilbert Delgado, David Bryant, Ernest Fillion, Harold Sparaco.  The others may be inkers or letterers.

Cool! Know any specifics about them or where you heard about them before? Their mention alongside Nutty Comics (presumably Harvey

[The Australian Panther]

There are some that go back and forth between Animation and Comic books.
Two that come to mind are Paul Dini who has worked extensively on the Batman Animation properties as well as having drawn and written comics for DC. He also has created characters for the 'Batman Mythos' most notably Harley Quinn, Terrance "Terry" McGinnis/Future Batman and Peyton Riley/The Ventriloquist/Scarface.
https://batman.fandom.com/wiki/Paul_Dini

Darwyn Cook had to have been involved in the creation of the Animated version of his ' The New Frontier' but I'm not sure to what extent.

Then again, these lists concentrate on US artists. If we had the information to include UK, European and say, Japanese or other creators, we would have a much larger list.
I also wonder how much input earlier strip creators, like E.C. Segar and Bud Sagendorf [Popeye] had on the animated versions of their properties. I do know that Max Fleishers studio first bought Popeye to the screen.     
Max Fleischer started as a Newspaper cartoonist.

In 1900 the 17-year old Max Fleischer went to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. He was so desperate to become a newspaper cartoonist that he offered the manager two dollars a week, just to be able to visit their art department on a regular basis. While his offer was refused he did get hired as a paper and errand boy. Soon Fleischer moved up to the position of photographer and eventually the job he so desired in the first place: cartoonist.

https://www.lambiek.net/artists/f/fleischer_max.htm

He is most well-known as the creator of the Betty Boop animated cartoons, but his by-line appeared on the Betty Boop strip for quite a few years. I do not know if anybody was ghosting for him.

Huge subject actually!

Cheers!


 

[The Australian Panther]

Hold the presses!
Just looked more closely at
https://www.lambiek.net/artists/f/fleischer_max.htm

  In 1927 they signed a contract with Paramount, which would last until 1942. Among the notable people once employed at their studio were Ray Bailey, J.R. Bray, Les Carroll, Shamus Culhane, Arthur Davis, Jim Davis, Tony Di Paola, Irving Dressler, Harvey Eisenberg, Frank Engli, Vincent Fago, Otto Feuer, Owen Fitzgerald, Gill Fox, Woody Gelman, Dan Gordon, Chad Grothkopf, Rube Grossman, Harry Haenigsen, Dick Hall, Cal Howard, Dick Huemer, Jerry Iger, Bob Kane, Jack Kirby, Seymour Kneitel, Tack Knight, Harry Lampert, Edwin Laughlin, Pauline Loth, Steve Muffatti, Joseph Oriolo, Tony Pabian, John Pierotti, Sy Reit, Vivie Risto, Erich F.T. Schenk, Hal Seeger, Isadore Sparber, Irving Spector, Al Stahl, John Stanley, Milt Stein, Martin B. Taras, Frank Tashlin, David Tendlar, Reuben Timmins, Jim Tyer, Myron Waldman, Carl Wessler, Bob Wickersham, Margaret Winkler (who was the first female producer and distributor of animated cartoons), George Wolfe and Ralph A. Wolfe. 

The Descendants of some of those people are active, some at very high level, in Hollywood today.
Incidentally, have you ever stayed for the credits at the end of a modern movie and seen the huge list of names for artists and animators?
Cheers!

[Robb_K]

There are some that go back and forth between Animation and Comic books.
Two that come to mind are Paul Dini who has worked extensively on the Batman Animation properties as well as having drawn and written comics for DC. He also has created characters for the 'Batman Mythos' most notably Harley Quinn, Terrance "Terry" McGinnis/Future Batman and Peyton Riley/The Ventriloquist/Scarface.
https://batman.fandom.com/wiki/Paul_Dini

Darwyn Cook had to have been involved in the creation of the Animated version of his ' The New Frontier' but I'm not sure to what extent.

Then again, these lists concentrate on US artists. If we had the information to include UK, European and say, Japanese or other creators, we would have a much larger list.
I also wonder how much input earlier strip creators, like E.C. Segar and Bud Sagendorf [Popeye] had on the animated versions of their properties. I do know that Max Fleishers studio first bought Popeye to the screen.     
Max Fleischer started as a Newspaper cartoonist.

In 1900 the 17-year old Max Fleischer went to the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. He was so desperate to become a newspaper cartoonist that he offered the manager two dollars a week, just to be able to visit their art department on a regular basis. While his offer was refused he did get hired as a paper and errand boy. Soon Fleischer moved up to the position of photographer and eventually the job he so desired in the first place: cartoonist.

https://www.lambiek.net/artists/f/fleischer_max.htm

He is most well-known as the creator of the Betty Boop animated cartoons, but his by-line appeared on the Betty Boop strip for quite a few years. I do not know if anybody was ghosting for him.
Huge subject actually!  Cheers!

As we saw in Lambiek's blurb on The Fleischers, both Max and Dave were cartoon artists - not just businessmen.  Also, the list of their studio artists has just about every animator who worked in The Eastern USA in animation from 1917-1945, at Fleischer's New York Studio, Van Beuren Studio, Fleischer's Miami Studio, and Famous Studios.  Also, many of those artists also drew comic books for Sangor's Studios in New York or Hollywood, or Jason Art in New York, or Baily's Studios in New York, Or Al Fago's Studio, or Louis Ferstadt's Studio in New York, or Comics House, or The Funnies, Inc., in New York, or Western Printing's studio in New York, or the one in Beverly Hills, California.  I'll have to add several names from this list to my list above (that I forgot to list, or thought I already had, but actually didn't), when I get some free time.  When those are added we will have MOST of those from, at least, The Golden Age.  The list above does have a few European (mostly Dutch) artists, peers from my time 1970s-current.

By the way, Lambiek was one of my favourite comic shops from the 1970s-1990s, and The maintainer of Lambiek's Cartoonist list was formerly a story 1st pass (screening) editor for me at Dutch Disney Comics.

[Electricmastro]

A couple of the rare times Fleischer animator Saul Kessler

[Electricmastro]

Kay Blitz, whom apparently worked as a Fleischer animator and for Sangor Studio in the early 40s, but I don

[ComicMike]

(Exciting Comics #28, August 1943)

Maxie reminds me of Wimpy, from the Popeye comics by Elzie Segar.

[Electricmastro]

Arman Williams (Startling Comics #32, March 1945):

[Electricmastro]

Don Williams of Disney, Walter Lantz, and Warner Bros. (America's Best Comics #5, April 1943):