Henry Formhals
Encyclopedia
Henry Martin Formhals was an American cartoonist best known for his work on the comic strip
Freckles and His Friends
.
Born in Los Angeles
, Formhals was a carrier for the Pasadena Star-News
, and he graduated from Pasadena High School
. He studied art at the Stickney Art School in Los Angeles and was employed for several years as a commercial artist before he began working on comic strips.
Formhals was an assistant on Merrill Blosser
's Freckles and His Friends beginning in 1935. After Formhals became Blosser's assistant, a more realistic style surfaced as Freckles grew older and the strip became more narrative. Eventually, Blosser drew the Sunday strip
s and Formhals, beginning in 1938, took over the daily strip
s.
, Formhals was a zone air raid warden in Altadena, and he drew Civilian Defense information into the Sunday strips. His poster for the Altadena Hospitality House, posted all over Southern California, invited servicemen to drop in when they were in that area.
In 1966, Blosser retired, and Formhals then worked alone on Freckles and His Friends from 1966 to 1971. The last daily signed by Blosser was on February 12, 1966. Daily strips between February 14 and March 19 have Formhals' signature covered with opaque white. The March 21, 1966 daily strip is the first to carry Formhals' signature. He continued to work on it until the end of its run on August 28. 1971.
Formhals also worked on the Joe Jinks comic strip (1946-1953), and he assisted Charlie Plumb on Ella Cinders
.
He died in Los Angeles in 1981.
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....
Freckles and His Friends
Freckles and His Friends
Freckles and his Friends was a popular American comic strip set in the peaceful small town of Shadyside where young Freckles McGoosey and his friends live...
.
Born in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, Formhals was a carrier for the Pasadena Star-News
Pasadena Star-News
The Pasadena Star-News is the local daily newspaper for Pasadena, California. The Star-News is a member of the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, since 1996. It is also part of the San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group, along with the San Gabriel Valley Tribune and the Whittier Daily News.Ridder Newspapers...
, and he graduated from Pasadena High School
Pasadena High School (Pasadena, California)
-History:The school was first established as a district school in 1884 and became Pasadena High School in 1891. In 1928, the school merged into Pasadena Junior College and operated as a four-year school, grades 11, 12, 13 and 14. Pasadena realigned its 6-4-4 school system in 1954 with Pasadena High...
. He studied art at the Stickney Art School in Los Angeles and was employed for several years as a commercial artist before he began working on comic strips.
Formhals was an assistant on Merrill Blosser
Merrill Blosser
Merrill Blosser was the creator of the comic strip Freckles and His Friends, which had a long run . Although his strip was set in the small town of Shadyside, it was obviously based on Blosser's hometown of Nappanee, Indiana, since Blosser often referenced real Nappanee locations, such as...
's Freckles and His Friends beginning in 1935. After Formhals became Blosser's assistant, a more realistic style surfaced as Freckles grew older and the strip became more narrative. Eventually, Blosser drew the Sunday strip
Sunday strip
A Sunday strip is a newspaper comic strip format, where comic strips are printed in the Sunday newspaper, usually in a special section called the Sunday comics, and virtually always in color. Some readers called these sections the Sunday funnies...
s and Formhals, beginning in 1938, took over the daily strip
Daily 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....
s.
World War II
During World War IIWorld 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...
, Formhals was a zone air raid warden in Altadena, and he drew Civilian Defense information into the Sunday strips. His poster for the Altadena Hospitality House, posted all over Southern California, invited servicemen to drop in when they were in that area.
In 1966, Blosser retired, and Formhals then worked alone on Freckles and His Friends from 1966 to 1971. The last daily signed by Blosser was on February 12, 1966. Daily strips between February 14 and March 19 have Formhals' signature covered with opaque white. The March 21, 1966 daily strip is the first to carry Formhals' signature. He continued to work on it until the end of its run on August 28. 1971.
Formhals also worked on the Joe Jinks comic strip (1946-1953), and he assisted Charlie Plumb on Ella Cinders
Ella Cinders
Ella Cinders was a syndicated comic strip created by writer Bill Conselman and artist Charles Plumb. Distributed by United Feature Syndicate, the daily version was launched June 1, 1925, and a Sunday page followed two years later...
.
He died in Los Angeles in 1981.