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Alex Raymond: the story on HearLore | HearLore
— Ch. 1 · Early Life And Artistic Beginnings —
Alex Raymond.
~6 min read · Ch. 1 of 6
Alexander Gillespie Raymond Jr. was born on the 2nd of October 1909 in New Rochelle, New York. His father worked as a civil engineer and road builder who encouraged his son's love of drawing from an early age. The elder Raymond covered one wall of his office in the Woolworth Building with his young son's artwork. This support continued until the boy turned twelve when his father died. After that loss, Raymond felt there was not as viable a future in art as he had hoped. He attended Iona Prep on an athletic scholarship where he played fullback on coach Turk Smith's 1926 football team. His first job was as an order clerk on Wall Street following the economic crisis of 1929. In the wake of that financial collapse, he enrolled in the Grand Central School of Art in New York City. He began working as a solicitor for a mortgage broker while seeking other opportunities. Approaching former neighbor Russ Westover, Raymond soon quit his job by 1930 to assist Westover on his Tillie the Toiler comic strip. As a result, Raymond was introduced to King Features Syndicate where he later became a staff artist. For them, he would produce his greatest artwork.
The Flash Gordon Revolution
Towards the end of 1933, King Features asked him to create a Sunday page that could compete with Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Syndicate president Joe Connolly gave Raymond an idea based on fantastic adventures similar to those of Jules Verne. Alongside ghostwriter Don Moore, a pulp-fiction veteran, Raymond created the visually sumptuous science fiction epic comic strip Flash Gordon. The duo also created the complementary strip Jungle Jim, an adventurous saga set in South-East Asia. It ran above Flash in some papers. Flash Gordon debuted on the 7th of January 1934, introducing the world-famous polo player roped into a space adventure alongside love-interest Dale Arden and scientist Dr. Hans Zarkov. They were transported by rocket to the planet Mongo which was about to collide with Earth. The trio immediately became embroiled in the affairs of Mongo's inhabitants particularly those of its insidious warlord Emperor Ming. Flash Gordon quickly developed an audience far surpassing that of Buck Rogers. Stephen Becker wrote that it was wittier and moved faster. Historian Bill Crouch Jr. stated that Buck's position as America's favorite sci-fi hero went down in flames to the artistic lash and spectacle of Alex Raymond's virtuoso artwork.
War Service And Pacific Theater
In February 1944, Raymond left King Features and his work on the Sunday Flash Gordon and Jungle Jim pages to join the U.S. Marine Corps. He was commissioned as a captain and served in the public-relations arm. Shortly thereafter, he was sent to Quantico for training in the curriculum of the Aviation Ground Officer's School. Soon he began producing posters and patriotic images from a government office in Philadelphia. His most famous image from this time is Marines at Prayer which was destined to become a well-known and well-circulated image of Marines on a battlefield pausing for worship. He also designed the official 1944 Marine Corps Christmas card. Desiring to get closer to the action, he then trained at the Marine Corps Air Station in Santa Barbara before serving in the Pacific Ocean theater on the 1945 cruise of the escort carrier USS Gilbert Islands. Treated by his fellow marines who had been raised on Flash Gordon as a celebrity, he was nonetheless seen as a down-to-earth fellow. He saw a period of intense combat in June 1945 and was made an honorary member of VMTB-143 in August 1945. In May 1945, he designed a squadron patch for the men of VMTB-143 after which the squadron adopted the new name The Rocket Raiders.
Rip Kirby And Modern Detective Fiction
Upon his return, Raymond was unable to return to Flash Gordon because King Features were not prepared to usurp Austin Briggs from the Sunday strip. They pointed out that Raymond had left voluntarily to enlist. Relatives of Raymond recall the artist as resenting this decision which left him feeling cast off with so little regard. However, King Features offered Raymond the opportunity to create a new strip. His police daily strip named after its central character J. Remington Rip Kirby debuted on the 4th of March 1946. It was conceived and initially scripted by King Features editor Ward Greene. Running alongside the post-World War II reintegration of America's military into civilian life, Rip set himself up as a private detective. Described by Stephen Becker as modern and almost too intellectual, the strip eschewed many of the pulp fictional detective tropes like alcoholism or two-fisted assistants. Instead, Rip did more cogitating than fisticuffing and smoked a leisurely pipe while he did it. He had a frail balding assistant instead of a two-fisted sidekick. He even wore glasses. Rip lived and worked in a recognizable glamorous modern New York City on cases involving very human frailties and vice. He grew older as the strip progressed, a continuity advancement little seen in the strips of the time.
Artistic Legacy And Industry Influence
Alex Raymond's influence on other cartoonists was considerable during his lifetime and did not diminish after his death. George Lucas has cited Raymond's Flash Gordon as a major influence on his Star Wars films which cyclically inspired the 1980 Flash Gordon film. Comics artists who have cited Raymond as a particularly significant influence include Murphy Anderson, Jim Aparo, Matt Baker, Frank Brunner, John Buscema, Gene Colan, Dick Dillin, Lou Fine, José Luis García-López, Frank Giacoia, Bob Haney, Jack Katz, Everett Raymond Kinstler, Joe Kubert, Russ Manning, Mike Royer, Mort Meskin, Sheldon Moldoff, Luis Garcia Mozos, Joe Orlando, Mac Raboy, Drew Friedman, John Romita Jr., Kurt Schaffenberger, Joe Sinnott, Dick Sprang and Alex Toth. In particular, EC Comics-staple Al Williamson cites Raymond as a major influence and is quoted as saying that Raymond was the reason I became an artist. Key Golden Age artists credit Raymond with influencing their work. The artistic creators of Batman Bob Kane and Superman Joe Shuster credit him alongside Milton Caniff, Billy DeBeck and Roy Crane as having had a strong influence on their artistic development.
Tragic Death And Lasting Controversy
On the 6th of September 1956, a month before his 47th birthday, Raymond was killed in an automobile accident in Westport, Connecticut. He was driving fellow cartoonist Stan Drake's 1956 Corvette at twice the speed limit when he hit a tree and was killed. In his biography, Roberts described the circumstances as a result of the weather. Raymond was driving the convertible with its top down when the rain started to fall. He decided to reach his destination quicker rather than stop the vehicle to put the top back up. The car crashed and Drake was thrown clear but Raymond who was wearing his seat belt to no avail died instantly. Speculation surrounded the nature of his death. Drake and some others believed that Raymond was suicidal. Raymond had been involved in four automobile accidents in the month prior to his death. This led Drake to say that Raymond had been trying to kill himself. Author Arlen Schumer alleged that Raymond had been having affairs and that his wife was refusing to grant him a divorce. R.C. Harvey dismissed this motivation stating that committing suicide strikes me as an odd way for a man of Raymond's sophistication to react to his disappointment in romance. Harvey also noted that no mention of any alleged affairs appears in Tom Roberts's biography probably out of consideration to Raymond's surviving family.
When was Alex Raymond born and where did he grow up?
Alexander Gillespie Raymond Jr. was born on the 2nd of October 1909 in New Rochelle, New York.
What comic strips did Alex Raymond create for King Features Syndicate?
Alex Raymond created Flash Gordon and Jungle Jim while working as a staff artist for King Features Syndicate.
How long did Alex Raymond serve in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II?
Alex Raymond served from February 1944 until his return after the war ended in 1945.
Which famous detective strip did Alex Raymond launch after returning from military service?
Alex Raymond launched Rip Kirby which debuted on the 4th of March 1946 following his discharge from the Marines.
Who influenced Alex Raymond's work or who did he influence among other cartoonists?
Alex Raymond influenced numerous artists including George Lucas for Star Wars and key Golden Age creators like Bob Kane and Joe Shuster.
Under what circumstances did Alex Raymond die in September 1956?
Alex Raymond died instantly in an automobile accident on the 6th of September 1956 when he drove Stan Drake's Corvette into a tree at twice the speed limit.