Howard Purcell
Encyclopedia
Howard Purcell was an American
comic-book artist
and writer
active from the 1940s Golden Age of comics through the 1960s Silver Age.
A longtime penciler and cover artist for DC Comics
, one of the field's two largest firms, he co-created the Golden Age characters Sargon the Sorcerer
and the Gay Ghost
(renamed in the 1970s the Grim Ghost) for All-American Publications
, one of the companies, with National Comics and Detective Comics, that merged to form DC. Purcell also drew the famous cover of Green Lantern
#1 (Fall 1941).
, as well as illustrators Harvey Dunn
and Dean Cornwall, took art classes at the Art Students League of New York
. He worked as an animator
in New York City studios before breaking into comic books, where his earliest known credit is National's Adventure Comics
#53 (Aug. 1940), for which he wrote and drew the six-page feature "Mark Lansing". The titular adventurer's exploits with subterranean races and other science fiction
y conceits ran through issue #62. By that time Purcell had drawn the cover of All-American's All Star Comics
#2 (Fall 1940) — reprinted as the cover of DC Comics' quirkily numbered, 2006 hardcover collection All Star Archives #0 — as well as the feature "Lando, Man of Magic" in World's Best Comics
#1 (Spring 1941), and both the Green Lantern cover of, and the humorous adventure feature "Red, White and Blue" in, All-American Comics
#25 (April 1941).
Purcell and writer John Wentworth created Sargon the Sorcerer
in the following month's issue. A minor character in what would become the DC universe
, Sargon was John Sargent, whose exposure to the "Ruby of Life" during infancy granted him magical
powers that he used in adulthood to fight crime, keeping his supernatural abilities camouflaged in his guise as a stage magician. Purcell and Wentworth continued with the character through All-American Comics #50 (June 1943).
With writer Gardner Fox
, Purcell created the Gay Ghost
in All-American's Sensation Comics
#1 (Jan. 1942). The character, renamed the Grim Ghost in the 1970s, was similar to National Comics' the Spectre
in that he was a ghost (of Keith Everet, the fictional 18th-century Earl of Strethmere) who inhabited the body of a modern man, Charles Collins, to fight injustice — although unlike the genuinely grim Spectre, he did so with cheery (i.e., gay) swashbuckling.
For rival Timely Comics
, the 1940s forerunner of Marvel Comics
, Purcell drew the only appearance of the superhero Young Avenger, in USA Comics #1 (Aug. 1941), under the pseudonym
Michael Robard.
, and, with writer Bob Haney
, creating the supernatural character the Enchantress
in Strange Adventures
#187 (April 1966). Purcell did a smattering for Marvel Comics
, including two "Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
" stories, over Jack Kirby
layouts, in Strange Tales
#143-144 (April–May 1966); a Black Knight solo feature in Marvel Super-Heroes
#17 (Nov. 1968); and two 10-page, semi-anthological backup stories featuring the Watcher
, in Silver Surfer
#4-5 (Feb. & April 1969).
Purcell's last known work was a story each in the DC supernatural anthology Weird Mystery Tales #1-3 (Aug.-Dec. 1972), plus the cover of #2.
By at least 1968, Purcell was additionally a teacher at a high school in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
and at the Luzerne County Community College
in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania
, and was chairman of that college's Commercial Art
department.
Purcell died in April 1981 in Shavertown, Pennsylvania
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
comic-book artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
active from the 1940s Golden Age of comics through the 1960s Silver Age.
A longtime penciler and cover artist for 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...
, one of the field's two largest firms, he co-created the Golden Age characters Sargon the Sorcerer
Sargon the Sorcerer
Sargon the Sorcerer is a fictional character, a second string mystic, superhero and sorcerer appearing in DC Comics during the Golden Age. The original Sargon first appeared in All-American Comics # 26, , and was created by John B. Wentworth and Howard Purcell...
and the Gay Ghost
Gay Ghost
The Gay Ghost is a fictional superhero in the DC Comics universe, whose first appearance was in Sensation Comics #1 , published by one DC's predecessor companies, All-American Publications...
(renamed in the 1970s the Grim Ghost) for All-American Publications
All-American Publications
All-American Publications is one of three American comic book companies that combined to form the modern-day DC Comics, one of the world's two largest comics publishers...
, one of the companies, with National Comics and Detective Comics, that merged to form DC. Purcell also drew the famous cover of Green Lantern
Alan Scott
Alan Scott is a fictional character, a superhero in the and the first superhero to bear the name Green Lantern.-Publication history:The original Green Lantern was created by young struggling artist Martin Nodell, who was inspired by the sight of a New York Subway employee waving a red lantern to...
#1 (Fall 1941).
Biography
Early life and career
Howard Purcell, whose early influences included the adventure comic-strip artists Hal Foster and Alex RaymondAlex Raymond
Alexander Gillespie "Alex" Raymond was an American cartoonist, best known for creating Flash Gordon for King Features in 1934...
, as well as illustrators Harvey Dunn
Harvey Dunn
Harvey Thomas Dunn was an American painter. He is best known for his prairie-intimate masterpiece, The Prairie is My Garden. In this painting, a mother and her son and daughter are out gathering flowers from the quintessential prairie of the Great Plains.-Early life:Dunn was born on a homestead...
and Dean Cornwall, took art classes at the Art Students League of New York
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...
. He worked as an animator
Animator
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images that give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence; the images are called frames and key frames. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an...
in New York City studios before breaking into comic books, where his earliest known credit is National's Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics
Adventure Comics was a comic book series published by DC Comics from 1935 to 1983 and then revamped from 2009 to 2011. In its first era, the series ran for 503 issues , making it the fifth-longest-running DC series, behind Detective Comics, Action Comics, Superman, and Batman...
#53 (Aug. 1940), for which he wrote and drew the six-page feature "Mark Lansing". The titular adventurer's exploits with subterranean races and other science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
y conceits ran through issue #62. By that time Purcell had drawn the cover of All-American's All Star Comics
All Star Comics
All Star Comics is a 1940s comic book series from All-American Publications, one of the early companies that merged with National Periodical Publications to form the modern-day DC Comics. With the exception of the first two issues, All Star Comics primarily told stories about the adventures of the...
#2 (Fall 1940) — reprinted as the cover of DC Comics' quirkily numbered, 2006 hardcover collection All Star Archives #0 — as well as the feature "Lando, Man of Magic" in 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 (Spring 1941), and both the Green Lantern cover of, and the humorous adventure feature "Red, White and Blue" in, All-American Comics
All-American Comics
All-American Comics was the flagship title of comic book publisher All-American Publications, one of the forerunners of DC Comics. It ran for 102 issues from April 1939 to October 1948, at which time it was renamed All-American Western. In 1952, the title was changed again to All-American Men of...
#25 (April 1941).
Purcell and writer John Wentworth created Sargon the Sorcerer
Sargon the Sorcerer
Sargon the Sorcerer is a fictional character, a second string mystic, superhero and sorcerer appearing in DC Comics during the Golden Age. The original Sargon first appeared in All-American Comics # 26, , and was created by John B. Wentworth and Howard Purcell...
in the following month's issue. A minor character in what would become the DC universe
DC Universe
The DC Universe is the shared universe where most of the comic stories published by DC Comics take place. The fictional characters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are well-known superheroes from this universe. Note that in context, "DC Universe" is usually used to refer to the main DC continuity...
, Sargon was John Sargent, whose exposure to the "Ruby of Life" during infancy granted him magical
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
powers that he used in adulthood to fight crime, keeping his supernatural abilities camouflaged in his guise as a stage magician. Purcell and Wentworth continued with the character through All-American Comics #50 (June 1943).
With writer Gardner Fox
Gardner Fox
Gardner Francis Cooper Fox was an American writer best known for creating numerous comic book characters for DC Comics. Comic-book historians estimate that he wrote over 4,000 comics stories....
, Purcell created the Gay Ghost
Gay Ghost
The Gay Ghost is a fictional superhero in the DC Comics universe, whose first appearance was in Sensation Comics #1 , published by one DC's predecessor companies, All-American Publications...
in All-American's Sensation Comics
Sensation Comics
Sensation Comics is the title of a comic book series published by DC Comics that ran for 109 issues between 1942 and 1952. For most of its run, the lead feature was Wonder Woman. Other series that appeared were the Black Pirate, the Gay Ghost, Mr...
#1 (Jan. 1942). The character, renamed the Grim Ghost in the 1970s, was similar to National Comics' the Spectre
Spectre (comics)
The Spectre is a fictional character and superhero who has appeared in numerous comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in a next issue ad in More Fun Comics #51 and received his first story the following month, #52...
in that he was a ghost (of Keith Everet, the fictional 18th-century Earl of Strethmere) who inhabited the body of a modern man, Charles Collins, to fight injustice — although unlike the genuinely grim Spectre, he did so with cheery (i.e., gay) swashbuckling.
For rival Timely Comics
Timely Comics
Timely Comics, an imprint of Timely Publications, was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics....
, the 1940s forerunner of 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...
, Purcell drew the only appearance of the superhero Young Avenger, in USA Comics #1 (Aug. 1941), under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Michael Robard.
Later life and career
Purcell's 1960s work included doing cover art for the DC series Sea DevilsSea Devils (comics)
The Sea Devils are a team of characters in comics published by DC Comics. They are a team of conventional adventurers, in undersea adventures. They were created by writer Robert Kanigher and artist Russ Heath ....
, and, with writer 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 :...
, creating the supernatural character the Enchantress
Enchantress (DC Comics)
The Enchantress is a DC Comics character who has been both a superheroine and supervillainess. She first appeared in National Comics flagship science fiction anthology title Strange Adventures #187 , and was created by writer Bob Haney and artist Howard Purcell.More recently she is usually called...
in Strange Adventures
Strange Adventures
Strange Adventures was the title of several American comic books published by DC Comics, most notably a long-running science fiction anthology that began in 1950.-Original series:...
#187 (April 1966). Purcell did a smattering for 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...
, including two "Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. can refer to:*Nick Fury, the character*Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., four Marvel comic book series, featuring the eponymous character, that started in 1968, 1983, 1989 and 2000*Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D...
" stories, over Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby
Jack Kirby , born Jacob Kurtzberg, was an American comic book artist, writer and editor regarded by historians and fans as one of the major innovators and most influential creators in the comic book medium....
layouts, in Strange Tales
Strange Tales
Strange Tales is the name of several comic book anthology series published by Marvel Comics. It introduced the features "Doctor Strange" and "Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.", and was a showcase for the science fiction/suspense stories of artists Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, and for the...
#143-144 (April–May 1966); a Black Knight solo feature in Marvel Super-Heroes
Marvel Super-Heroes (comics)
Marvel Super-Heroes is the name of several comic book series and specials published by Marvel Comics.-Marvel Super-Heroes Special:The first was the one-shot Marvel Super-Heroes Special #1 , reprinting Daredevil #1 and The Avengers #2 Marvel Super-Heroes is the name of several comic book series and...
#17 (Nov. 1968); and two 10-page, semi-anthological backup stories featuring the Watcher
Watcher (comics)
The Watchers are a fictional race of extraterrestrials that appear in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the first Watcher - named Uatu - appears in Fantastic Four #13 .-Fictional history:...
, in Silver Surfer
Silver Surfer
The Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
#4-5 (Feb. & April 1969).
Purcell's last known work was a story each in the DC supernatural anthology Weird Mystery Tales #1-3 (Aug.-Dec. 1972), plus the cover of #2.
By at least 1968, Purcell was additionally a teacher at a high school in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...
and at the Luzerne County Community College
Luzerne County Community College
Luzerne County Community College, also known as LCCC, is a 2-year community college located in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania. LCCC offers over 100 academic, technical, and career programs. It has an open admissions policy for most programs and has over 25,000 graduates...
in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania
Nanticoke, Pennsylvania
Nanticoke is a city in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 10,465 at the 2010 census.-History:The name Nanticoke was derived from Nantego, the Indian tidewater people who moved here when their Maryland lands were spoiled for hunting by the colonial settlement in...
, and was chairman of that college's Commercial Art
Commercial art
Commercial art is historically a subsector of creative services, referring to art created for commercial purposes, primarily advertising. The term has become increasingly anachronistic in favor of more contemporary terms such as graphic design and advertising art.Commercial art traditionally...
department.
Purcell died in April 1981 in Shavertown, Pennsylvania
Shavertown, Pennsylvania
Shavertown is an unincorporated community in Kingston and Jackson Townships, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, United States. It lies approximately west of the city of Wilkes-Barre and southwest of Scranton.-Vice-presidential visit:...
.