Fred Ray
Encyclopedia
Frederic E. Ray, Jr. was an American
comic book artist
and commercial illustrator best known as the primary Superman
cover-artist of the 1940s, whose work helped shape the defining look of the iconic superhero
character
, and for his more than two decades as artist of the DC Comics
feature "Tomahawk
". His cover of Superman #14 (Feb. 1942) is one of comics' most famous.
Fred Ray was born in Harrisburg
, Pennsylvania
, and began his career while still in high school
, influenced by the works of such artists as Howard Pyle
, W. H. D. Koerner, Frederick Gruger, and N.C. Wyeth. He later studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
At 20, he broke into National Comics
, the future DC Comics
, with illustrations for two-page text features in Detective Comics
#45 and More Fun Comics
#61 (both Nov. 1940). He penciled and inked
his first feature with the six-page Radio Squad story "Murder in the Street", by writer Jerry Siegel
, in More Fun Comics #62 (Dec. 1940). He continued with that detective feature in most issues through #72 (Oct. 1941).
Ray debuted as the Superman
cover artist with the one-shot promotional giveaway Superman's Christmas Adventure (1940). Shortly afterward, he drew Superman alongside fellow superhero
es Batman
and Robin
on the cover of the anthology World's Best Comics
#1 (undated; released early 1941), and almost simultaneously took over the cover-art duties for DC's two Superman starring titles, beginning with Superman #9 (April 1941) and Action Comics
#34 (March 1941). His redesign of the "S" symbol on Superman's costume became one of the defining features of the character's look during the 1930s to 1940s period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books
. Ray drew only one Superman story, the 12-page "I Sustain the Wings", in Superman #25 (Dec. 1943), written by Mort Weisinger
while he and Ray were doing their World War II
military service. It was reprinted as the lead feature in DC 100 Page Super Spectacular
#DC-18 (July 1973). His cover of Superman #14 (Feb. 1942) is one of comics' most famous.
Ray also drew occasional Batman covers for Detective Comics and Batman, and various heroes for covers of the anthology titles Star Spangled Comics and World's Finest Comics
.
Ray wrote and drew the jungle
-adventure
feature "Congo Bill" in DC's Action Comics
, beginning with # 39 (Aug. 1941), as well as the Revolutionary War
-era feature "Tomahawk
", starting with Star Spangled Comics #72 (Sept. 1947). Ray also drew the feature in the solo series Tomahawk that began running simultaneously in late 1950. As well, for a time in 1946, he briefly drew the Sunday edition of the Batman newspaper
comic strip
distributed by the McClure Syndicate
.
, Our Fighting Forces
, and Our Army at War
. Ray's last known comics work was the eight-page anthological story "The Lost Battle", written by Bob Haney
, in Tomahawk #139 (April 1972).
Ray, an authority on military uniforms of the Revolutionary War and a consultant to the Smithsonian Institution
, also wrote books on American history, including Oh, Say, Can You See (1970), and Alfred R. Waud, Civil War Artist (1974), and additionally wrote, illustrated and published historical booklets on Forts Henry
, Niagara and Ticonderoga
; the Alamo
; Antietam; "The Star Spangled Banner"; the Gettysburg Address
, and other topics. He drew covers and interior art for magazines including Historical Times, True Frontier, The West and Yank, and designed historical medals and figurines for the Danbury Mint
. He was living in Harrisburg
, Pennsylvania
, at the time of his death at age 80.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comic book artist
Comic book creator
A comic book creator is someone who creates a comic book or graphic novel.The production of a comic book by one of the major comic book companies in the U.S...
and commercial illustrator best known as the primary Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
cover-artist of the 1940s, whose work helped shape the defining look of the iconic 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 —...
character
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
, and for his more than two decades as artist of the DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
feature "Tomahawk
Tomahawk (comics)
Tomahawk is a comic book character whose adventures were published by DC Comics during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s as a backup feature in Star Spangled Comics and World's Finest Comics and in his own eponymous series...
". His cover of Superman #14 (Feb. 1942) is one of comics' most famous.
Early career
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, and began his career while still in high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, influenced by the works of such artists as Howard Pyle
Howard Pyle
Howard Pyle was an American illustrator and author, primarily of books for young people. A native of Wilmington, Delaware, he spent the last year of his life in Florence, Italy.__FORCETOC__...
, W. H. D. Koerner, Frederick Gruger, and N.C. Wyeth. He later studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.
At 20, he broke into National Comics
National Comics
National Comics may refer to:* National Comics: An early name for the comic book publisher known later as DC Comics.* National Comics : a 1940's comic book series published by Quality Comics....
, the future DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, with illustrations for two-page text features in Detective Comics
Detective Comics
Detective Comics is an American comic book series published monthly by DC Comics since 1937, best known for introducing the iconic superhero Batman in Detective Comics #27 . It is, along with Action Comics, the book that launched with the debut of Superman, one of the medium's signature series, and...
#45 and More Fun Comics
More Fun Comics
More Fun Comics, originally titled New Fun: The Big Comic Magazine a.k.a. New Fun Comics, was a 1935-1947 American comic book anthology that introduced several major superhero characters and was the first American comic-book series to feature solely original material rather than reprints of...
#61 (both Nov. 1940). He penciled and inked
Inker
The inker is one of the two line artists in a traditional comic book or graphic novel. After a pencilled drawing is given to the inker, the inker uses black ink to produce refined outlines over the pencil lines...
his first feature with the six-page Radio Squad story "Murder in the Street", by writer Jerry Siegel
Jerry Siegel
Jerome "Jerry" Siegel , who also used pseudonyms including Joe Carter, Jerry Ess, and Herbert S...
, in More Fun Comics #62 (Dec. 1940). He continued with that detective feature in most issues through #72 (Oct. 1941).
Ray debuted as the Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
cover artist with the one-shot promotional giveaway Superman's Christmas Adventure (1940). Shortly afterward, he drew Superman alongside fellow 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 —...
es Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
and Robin
Robin (comics)
Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
on the cover of the anthology World's Best Comics
World's Finest Comics
World's Finest Comics was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986. The series was initially titled World's Best Comics for its first issue; issue #2 switched to the more familiar name...
#1 (undated; released early 1941), and almost simultaneously took over the cover-art duties for DC's two Superman starring titles, beginning with Superman #9 (April 1941) and Action Comics
Action Comics
Action Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
#34 (March 1941). His redesign of the "S" symbol on Superman's costume became one of the defining features of the character's look during the 1930s to 1940s period fans and historians call the Golden Age of Comic Books
Golden Age of Comic Books
The Golden Age of Comic Books was a period in the history of American comic books, generally thought of as lasting from the late 1930s until the late 1940s or early 1950s...
. Ray drew only one Superman story, the 12-page "I Sustain the Wings", in Superman #25 (Dec. 1943), written by Mort Weisinger
Mort Weisinger
Mortimer Weisinger was an American magazine and comic book editor best known for editing DC Comics' Superman during the mid-1950s to 1960s, in the Silver Age of comic books...
while he and Ray were doing their World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
military service. It was reprinted as the lead feature in DC 100 Page Super Spectacular
DC 100 Page Super Spectacular
The DC 100 Page Super Spectacular was a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1971 through 1975, featuring only reprints initially and later including new stories. The "100 Page" count included both sides of the front and back covers as pages. Each numbered issue appearing under this...
#DC-18 (July 1973). His cover of Superman #14 (Feb. 1942) is one of comics' most famous.
World's Finest Comics
World's Finest Comics was an American comic book series published by DC Comics from 1941 to 1986. The series was initially titled World's Best Comics for its first issue; issue #2 switched to the more familiar name...
.
Ray wrote and drew the jungle
Jungle
A Jungle is an area of land in the tropics overgrown with dense vegetation.The word jungle originates from the Sanskrit word jangala which referred to uncultivated land. Although the Sanskrit word refers to "dry land", it has been suggested that an Anglo-Indian interpretation led to its...
-adventure
Adventure
An adventure is defined as an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome. The term is often used to refer to activities with some potential for physical danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing and or participating in extreme sports...
feature "Congo Bill" in DC's Action Comics
Action Comics
Action Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
, beginning with # 39 (Aug. 1941), as well as the Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
-era feature "Tomahawk
Tomahawk (comics)
Tomahawk is a comic book character whose adventures were published by DC Comics during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s as a backup feature in Star Spangled Comics and World's Finest Comics and in his own eponymous series...
", starting with Star Spangled Comics #72 (Sept. 1947). Ray also drew the feature in the solo series Tomahawk that began running simultaneously in late 1950. As well, for a time in 1946, he briefly drew the Sunday edition of the Batman newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
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....
distributed by the McClure Syndicate
McClure Syndicate
McClure Syndicate , the first American newspaper syndicate, introduced many American and British writers to the masses. Launched in 1884 by publisher Samuel S. McClure, it was the first successful company of its kind...
.
Later career
Ray continued drawing Tomahawk tales for more than two decades, through at least Tomahawk #119 (Dec. 1968), with incidental work appearing in some issues afterward. In 1969, he also began drawing and occasionally scripting anthological war-comics stories in DC's G.I. CombatG.I. Combat
G.I. Combat is a long-running comic book series published first by Quality Comics and later by National Periodical Publications, which was the primary company of those that evolved to become DC Comics.-Publication history:...
, Our Fighting Forces
Our Fighting Forces
Our Fighting Forces is a DC Comics war-anthology comic book series that ran for 181 issues from 1954-1978.Writer-editor Robert Kanigher and writer-artist Jack Kirby were among the comics creators whose work appeared in the title...
, and Our Army at War
Our Army at War
Our Army at War was the title for a comic book published by DC Comics that featured war themed stories and was the first appearance for popular heroes such like Sgt. Rock and Enemy Ace. The series started in August 1952 and ended in February 1977....
. Ray's last known comics work was the eight-page anthological story "The Lost Battle", written by Bob Haney
Bob Haney
Robert G. "Bob" Haney was a US comic book writer, best known for his work for DC Comics. He co-created the Teen Titans as well as characters such as Metamorpho, Eclipso, Cain, and the Super-Sons.- Early life and career :...
, in Tomahawk #139 (April 1972).
Ray, an authority on military uniforms of the Revolutionary War and a consultant to the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
, also wrote books on American history, including Oh, Say, Can You See (1970), and Alfred R. Waud, Civil War Artist (1974), and additionally wrote, illustrated and published historical booklets on Forts Henry
Fort Henry
Fort Henry is the name of:*Fort Henry , a 1646 fort near present-day Petersburg, Virginia*Fort Henry , a 1774 fort near present–day Wheeling, West Virginia...
, Niagara and Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga, formerly Fort Carillon, is a large 18th-century fort built by the Canadians and the French at a narrows near the south end of Lake Champlain in upstate New York in the United States...
; the Alamo
Alamo
The Battle of the Alamo was a battle fought during the Texas Revolution.Alamo may also refer to:-Places:*Alamo Mission in San Antonio, Texas*Alamo, California*Alamo, Georgia*Alamo Township, Michigan*Alamo, Nevada*Alamo, New Mexico...
; Antietam; "The Star Spangled Banner"; the Gettysburg Address
Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address is a speech by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln and is one of the most well-known speeches in United States history. It was delivered by Lincoln during the American Civil War, on the afternoon of Thursday, November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery...
, and other topics. He drew covers and interior art for magazines including Historical Times, True Frontier, The West and Yank, and designed historical medals and figurines for the Danbury Mint
Danbury Mint
The Danbury Mint, is a division of MBI, Inc. that markets a variety of collectibles. Danbury Mint historically marketed high quality medals and ingots produced by others exclusively for them. The company also sold numerous other collectible offering including plates, bells, sculptures, etc...
. He was living in Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, at the time of his death at age 80.