Frank Thomas (comics)
Encyclopedia
Frank Thomas was a Golden Age American
cartoonist
who worked primarily for Centaur Publications
.
For Centaur he created The Eye
, Chuck Hardy, Dr. Hypno, and Solarman (no relation to the Marvel Comics
superhero
of the same name
). Later in his career, he worked for Dell
on The Owl
, Billy and Bonnie Bee, Buddies and other characters. He wrote scripts for Andy Panda
, Little Lulu
, Woody Woodpecker
and Little Scouts.
. In the following decade, he did the Going West strip (1951–54), as well as Hossface Hank (Al Smith Service, 1955–64). Between 1955 and 1965 he was ghost artist
on Henning Dahl Mikkelsen
's Ferd'nand
comic strip
. His Aunty and Arabella comic panels for Cats magazine continued in print for over two decades after his death.
revived The Owl and Owl Girl, inspired by the success of the Batman TV series
. The two issues of Gold Key’s The Owl—in which the duo was shown in campy, self-parodying stories—came out in April 1967 and April 1968. In the 1970s, The Owl appeared in issue #22 of Gold Key’s The Occult Files of Doctor Spektor
.
In 1999, The Owl appeared in issue #17 of the AC Comics
title Men of Mystery Comics. Most recently, The Owl is one of many public domain
characters to appear in Dynamite Entertainment
’s 2008 miniseries Project Superpowers
.
His Eye character also saw a brief revival in the early 1990s as a supporting character in Malibu Comics
' Protectors
series.
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...
who worked primarily for Centaur Publications
Centaur Publications
Centaur Publications was one of the earliest American comic book publishers. During their short existence, they created several colorful characters, including Bill Everett's Amazing Man....
.
For Centaur he created The Eye
The Eye (Centaur)
The Eye is a fictional comic book character created by Frank Thomas and published by Centaur Publications. The character had no origin story, and existed only as a giant, floating, disembodied Eye, wreathed in a halo of golden light...
, Chuck Hardy, Dr. Hypno, and Solarman (no relation to the Marvel Comics
Marvel 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...
superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
of the same name
Solarman
Solarman was a superhero that ran briefly in his own 1989 title from Marvel Comics.In reality Solarman is teenager Benjamin Tucker, who dreams of becoming an artist for Marvel Comics even though his Los Angeles gym-owner father wants him to become a jock...
). Later in his career, he worked for Dell
Dell Comics
Dell Comics was the comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in pulp magazines. It published comics from 1929 to 1973. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium...
on The Owl
Owl (Dell Comics)
The Owl is a fictional superhero character who first appeared in Dell Comics in 1940; not to be confused with the Marvel Comics villain of the same name or with DC Comics’ Owlman.-Fictional biography:...
, Billy and Bonnie Bee, Buddies and other characters. He wrote scripts for Andy Panda
Andy Panda
Andy Panda is a cartoon character who starred in his own series of animated cartoon short subjects produced by Walter Lantz. These "cartunes" were released by Universal Pictures from 1939 to 1947 and United Artists from 1948 to 1949. The titular character is an anthropomorphic cartoon character, a...
, Little Lulu
Little Lulu
"Little Lulu" is the nickname for Lulu Moppett, a comic strip character created in the mid-1930s by Marjorie Henderson Buell. The character debuted in The Saturday Evening Post on February 23, 1935 in a single panel, appearing as a flower girl at a wedding and strewing the aisle with banana peels...
, Woody Woodpecker
Woody Woodpecker
Woody Woodpecker is an animated cartoon character, an anthropomorphic acorn woodpecker who appeared in theatrical short films produced by the Walter Lantz animation studio and distributed by Universal Pictures...
and Little Scouts.
Comic strips
Also in the 1940s, he did the Dinky Doyle 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....
. In the following decade, he did the Going West strip (1951–54), as well as Hossface Hank (Al Smith Service, 1955–64). Between 1955 and 1965 he was ghost artist
Ghostwriter
A ghostwriter is a professional writer who is paid to write books, articles, stories, reports, or other texts that are officially credited to another person. Celebrities, executives, and political leaders often hire ghostwriters to draft or edit autobiographies, magazine articles, or other written...
on Henning Dahl Mikkelsen
Henning Dahl Mikkelsen
Henning Dahl Mikkelsen was a Danish cartoonist, best known for creation of the long running newspaper comic strip Ferd'nand, which he signed as Mik....
's Ferd'nand
Ferd'nand
Ferd'nand is a pantomime comic strip notable for its lack of word balloons and captions, lack of continuity and its longevity .-Background:Ferd'nand was first published in 1937 by the Presse-Illustrations-Bureau of Copenhagen...
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....
. His Aunty and Arabella comic panels for Cats magazine continued in print for over two decades after his death.
Legacy
Despite his relatively brief career and obscure status as a creator, Frank Thomas's characters saw numerous revivals in the years and decades that followed his retirement from the field. In the 1960s, Gold Key ComicsGold Key Comics
Gold Key Comics was an imprint of Western Publishing created for comic books distributed to newsstands. Also known as Whitman Comics, Gold Key operated from 1962 to 1984.-History:...
revived The Owl and Owl Girl, inspired by the success of the Batman TV series
Batman (TV series)
Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
. The two issues of Gold Key’s The Owl—in which the duo was shown in campy, self-parodying stories—came out in April 1967 and April 1968. In the 1970s, The Owl appeared in issue #22 of Gold Key’s The Occult Files of Doctor Spektor
Doctor Spektor
Doctor Spektor is a fictional comic book "occult detective" that appeared in Western Publishing's Gold Key Comics. Created by writer Donald Glut and artist Dan Spiegle, he first appeared in Mystery Comics Digest #5 -Publication history:...
.
In 1999, The Owl appeared in issue #17 of the AC Comics
AC Comics
AC Comics is a comic book publishing company started by Bill Black.AC Comics specializes in reprints of Golden Age comics from now-defunct companies whose properties lapsed into public domain and were not reprinted elsewhere...
title Men of Mystery Comics. Most recently, The Owl is one of many public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
characters to appear in Dynamite Entertainment
Dynamite Entertainment
Dynamite Entertainment is an American comic book company that primarily publishes licensed franchises of adaptations of other media. These include adaptations of film properties such as Army of Darkness, Terminator and RoboCop, literary properties such as Zorro, Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, Alice in...
’s 2008 miniseries Project Superpowers
Project Superpowers
Project Superpowers is a comic book limited series published by Dynamite Entertainment beginning January 2008. It was co-plotted by Jim Krueger and Alex Ross, with scripts by Jim Krueger, covers by Alex Ross, and interior art by Doug Klauba and Stephen Sadowski for issue #0, and Carlos Paul for the...
.
His Eye character also saw a brief revival in the early 1990s as a supporting character in Malibu Comics
Malibu Comics
Malibu Comics was an American comic book publisher active in the late 1980s and early 1990s, best known for its Ultraverse line of superhero titles. The company's headquarters was in Calabasas, California. Malibu imprints included Aircel Comics and Eternity Comics...
' Protectors
Protectors
The Protectors was a 20-issue comic book series published by Malibu Comics from 1992 until 1994. Originally meant to be a six-issue series, response was positive enough that Malibu decided to make the series ongoing...
series.