Frank Godwin
Encyclopedia
Francis Godwin better known as Frank Godwin, was an American
illustrator
and comic strip
artist, notable for his strip Connie
and his book illustrations for Treasure Island
, Kidnapped
, Robinson Crusoe
, Robin Hood
and King Arthur
. He also was a prolific editorial and advertising illustrator.
Born in Washington, D.C.
, Godwin was the son of the Washington Star
's city editor, and in 1905, at age 16, he began as an apprentice on his father's paper. Studying in New York at the Art Students League
, Godwin became friends with James Montgomery Flagg
and two shared a studio together. Godwin was influenced by Flagg and Charles Dana Gibson
, and reflections of both can be seen in Godwin's work. Illustration historian and critic Jim Vadeboncoeur gave Godwin the highest ranking:
Roy Powers, Eagle Scout ("the official strip of the Boy Scouts of America") which continued until 1942. Godwin's two major strips, seen over three decades, were Rusty Riley
(1948-59) and Connie
(1927-44). Some sources indicate 1929 as the start date for Connie. Hal Foster, Milton Caniff
and Alex Raymond
continue to be reprinted with regularity, while Godwin's strips are difficult to find. He receives more attention in Europe
, specifically France
(where Connie is usually called Cora), though even there it is quite sparse.
In 1952, Godwin said, "I am a frustrated engineer." In the wood and metal shop on the ground floor of his Bucks County, Pennsylvania
, studio, he built a live-steam working model locomotive measuring four feet long. He also built a six-inch telescope with an electrical device which enabled him to follow the paths of stars.
A Society of Illustrators
vice-president, Godwin was a member of the National Press Club and the Dutch Treat and Salmagundi clubs.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
and 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....
artist, notable for his strip Connie
Connie (Comic Strip)
Connie was an American adventure comic strip created by the cartoonist Frank Godwin, who introduced a book illustration style to the comics page. The strip ran from 1927 to 1944 for the Ledger Syndicate...
and his book illustrations for Treasure Island
Treasure Island
Treasure Island is an adventure novel by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson, narrating a tale of "pirates and buried gold". First published as a book on May 23, 1883, it was originally serialized in the children's magazine Young Folks between 1881–82 under the title Treasure Island; or, the...
, Kidnapped
Kidnapped (novel)
Kidnapped is a historical fiction adventure novel by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. Written as a "boys' novel" and first published in the magazine Young Folks from May to July 1886, the novel has attracted the praise and admiration of writers as diverse as Henry James, Jorge Luis...
, Robinson Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe is a novel by Daniel Defoe that was first published in 1719. Epistolary, confessional, and didactic in form, the book is a fictional autobiography of the title character—a castaway who spends 28 years on a remote tropical island near Trinidad, encountering cannibals, captives, and...
, Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
and King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
. He also was a prolific editorial and advertising illustrator.
Born in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Godwin was the son of the Washington Star
Washington Star
The Washington Star, previously known as the Washington Star-News and the Washington Evening Star, was a daily afternoon newspaper published in Washington, D.C. between 1852 and 1981. For most of that time, it was the city's newspaper of record, and the longtime home to columnist Mary McGrory and...
's city editor, and in 1905, at age 16, he began as an apprentice on his father's paper. Studying in New York at the 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...
, Godwin became friends with James Montgomery Flagg
James Montgomery Flagg
James Montgomery Flagg was an American artist and illustrator. He worked in media ranging from fine art painting to cartooning, but is best remembered for his political posters....
and two shared a studio together. Godwin was influenced by Flagg and Charles Dana Gibson
Charles Dana Gibson
Charles Dana Gibson was an American graphic artist, best known for his creation of the Gibson Girl, an iconic representation of the beautiful and independent American woman at the turn of the 20th century....
, and reflections of both can be seen in Godwin's work. Illustration historian and critic Jim Vadeboncoeur gave Godwin the highest ranking:
- While obviously influenced by Flagg (and Charles Dana Gibson), Godwin managed to create a style that was recognizably his and that stood out from both his idols and the mass of clones that were cropping up everywhere. His ability to create tones, especially facial characteristics, with his pen and brush were equal to and in some ways better than Gibson and, I think, obviously superior to Flagg. His use of pen and brush in the same illustration demonstrated an understanding of the medium that set his work apart from his contemporaries. It, combined with his tonal skills, gave his work a depth and weight that was seldom equaled. Walt and Roger Reed in The Illustrator in America, 1880-1980 credit some of this realism to his modeling of busts in clay for reference. They don't say when he adopted this practice, but it's unlikely that he was doing this so early in his career.
Comic strips
In 1938, Godwin stepped in to replace illustrator Kemp Starrett on writer Paul Powell's daily stripDaily strip
A daily strip is a newspaper comic strip format, appearing on weekdays, Monday through Saturday, as contrasted with a Sunday strip, which typically only appears on Sundays....
Roy Powers, Eagle Scout ("the official strip of the Boy Scouts of America") which continued until 1942. Godwin's two major strips, seen over three decades, were Rusty Riley
Rusty Riley
Rusty Riley was an American comic strip which ran from 1948 to 1959. It was created and drawn by Frank Godwin for King Features.The line work in Rusty Riley shows an obvious influence of James Montgomery Flagg and Charles Dana Gibson, although Godwin used a variety of styles in his book and...
(1948-59) and Connie
Connie (Comic Strip)
Connie was an American adventure comic strip created by the cartoonist Frank Godwin, who introduced a book illustration style to the comics page. The strip ran from 1927 to 1944 for the Ledger Syndicate...
(1927-44). Some sources indicate 1929 as the start date for Connie. Hal Foster, Milton Caniff
Milton Caniff
Milton Arthur Paul Caniff was an American cartoonist famous for the Terry and the Pirates and Steve Canyon comic strips.-Biography:...
and Alex Raymond
Alex Raymond
Alexander Gillespie "Alex" Raymond was an American cartoonist, best known for creating Flash Gordon for King Features in 1934...
continue to be reprinted with regularity, while Godwin's strips are difficult to find. He receives more attention in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, specifically France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
(where Connie is usually called Cora), though even there it is quite sparse.
Bucks County, Pennsylvania
- Industry and commerce :The boroughs of Bristol and Morrisville were prominent industrial centers along the Northeast Corridor during World War II. Suburban development accelerated in Lower Bucks in the 1950s with the opening of Levittown, Pennsylvania, the second such "Levittown" designed by...
, studio, he built a live-steam working model locomotive measuring four feet long. He also built a six-inch telescope with an electrical device which enabled him to follow the paths of stars.
A Society of Illustrators
Society of Illustrators
The Society of Illustrators is a professional society based in New York City. Founded in 1901, the mission of the Society is to promote the art and appreciation of illustration, as well as its history...
vice-president, Godwin was a member of the National Press Club and the Dutch Treat and Salmagundi clubs.