Keith Chatto
Encyclopedia
Ronald Keith Chatto was an Australian comic book artist and writer. Chatto was the first Australian artist to illustrate a full-length comic episode of The Phantom
.
in 1924, the son of an accountancy clerk. Chatto was educated at Kogarah Primary School, Canterbury High School and Sydney Grammar School
. His father an accountant for Smith's Weekly showed his son's sketches to the art staff at the magazine, where he was invited by Jim Russell to attend weekly art classes. On leaving school Chatto worked in the art department of Greater Union Theatres
before joining the RAAF, where he served first as a trainee telegraphist and later as a draughtsman.
Following his demobilisation in 1946 he had his first comic strip published, Destiny Scott, in the Sydney Morning Herald. Also, in 1947, Chatto became resident or staff artist for The Australian Sunbather, a nudist magazine, published by Ashworth Publications. When Destiny Scott ended he contributed to the All-Australian Comics group on Bunny Allen, The Glamour Girl and The Buccaneer.In 1949 Chatto created The Lone Wolf for Atlas Publications and in 1954 created Steven Carlisle for Larry Cleland Publishing Company. Chatto became disillusioned and switched to other forms of illustration including record sleeves and covers for pulp novels, which he churned out at the rate of up to six a week by the mid-1950s. He also worked on The Twilight Ranger and El Lobo at Cleveland Press. With the advent of television Chatto became a freelance cinecameraman and film producer. He continued to work in the comics field on a part-time basis drawing comic book covers for Page Publications and a series of Skippy
comics in 1967. Unfortunately the comic book was produced after the television series had peaked in popularity. In mid 1977 he began drawing the Sunday version of Air Hawk and the Flying Doctors
, having previously ghosted the strip for a short period in 1972.
Chatto was the first Australian artist to illustrate a full-length Phantom
story (Frew Publications
), Rumble in the Jungle, which was followed by two more stories, Return of the Singh Brotherhood and The Kings Cross Connection.
Chatto died of cancer on 22 October 1992 at the age of 67.
The Phantom
The Phantom is an American adventure comic strip created by Lee Falk, also creator of Mandrake the Magician. A popular feature adapted into many media, including television, film and video games, it stars a costumed crimefighter operating from the fictional African country Bengalla.The Phantom is...
.
Biography
Keith Chatto was born at Kogarah, New South WalesKogarah, New South Wales
Kogarah is a suburb of southern Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Kogarah is located 14 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is considered to be the centre of the St George area...
in 1924, the son of an accountancy clerk. Chatto was educated at Kogarah Primary School, Canterbury High School and Sydney Grammar School
Sydney Grammar School
Sydney Grammar School is an independent, non-denominational, selective, day school for boys, located in Darlinghurst, Edgecliff and St Ives, all suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
. His father an accountant for Smith's Weekly showed his son's sketches to the art staff at the magazine, where he was invited by Jim Russell to attend weekly art classes. On leaving school Chatto worked in the art department of Greater Union Theatres
Greater Union
Greater Union, Birch Carroll and Coyle, Event Cinemas, Skycity Cinemas and Damodar Village Cinemas together form a chain of cinema multiplexes across Australia, New Zealand and Fiji...
before joining the RAAF, where he served first as a trainee telegraphist and later as a draughtsman.
Following his demobilisation in 1946 he had his first comic strip published, Destiny Scott, in the Sydney Morning Herald. Also, in 1947, Chatto became resident or staff artist for The Australian Sunbather, a nudist magazine, published by Ashworth Publications. When Destiny Scott ended he contributed to the All-Australian Comics group on Bunny Allen, The Glamour Girl and The Buccaneer.In 1949 Chatto created The Lone Wolf for Atlas Publications and in 1954 created Steven Carlisle for Larry Cleland Publishing Company. Chatto became disillusioned and switched to other forms of illustration including record sleeves and covers for pulp novels, which he churned out at the rate of up to six a week by the mid-1950s. He also worked on The Twilight Ranger and El Lobo at Cleveland Press. With the advent of television Chatto became a freelance cinecameraman and film producer. He continued to work in the comics field on a part-time basis drawing comic book covers for Page Publications and a series of Skippy
Skippy the Bush Kangaroo
Skippy the Bush Kangaroo is an Australian television series for children created by John McCallum, produced from 1966–1968, telling the adventures of a young boy and his intelligent pet kangaroo, in the Waratah National Park in Duffys Forest, near Sydney, New South Wales.Ninety-one 30-minute...
comics in 1967. Unfortunately the comic book was produced after the television series had peaked in popularity. In mid 1977 he began drawing the Sunday version of Air Hawk and the Flying Doctors
Air Hawk and the Flying Doctors
Air Hawk and the Flying Doctor was an Australian comic strip created by John Dixon. The strip began publication on 30 May 1959, premiering in the Saturday issue of Perth's Weekend Mail. It was subsequently published by other Australian Sunday newspapers, Sydney Sun Herald , the The Sunday Mail and...
, having previously ghosted the strip for a short period in 1972.
Chatto was the first Australian artist to illustrate a full-length Phantom
The Phantom
The Phantom is an American adventure comic strip created by Lee Falk, also creator of Mandrake the Magician. A popular feature adapted into many media, including television, film and video games, it stars a costumed crimefighter operating from the fictional African country Bengalla.The Phantom is...
story (Frew Publications
Frew Publications
Frew Publications is an Australian comic book publisher, known for its long-running reprint series of Lee Falk's The Phantom. Frew formerly published other comics, including Falk's earlier creation Mandrake the Magician...
), Rumble in the Jungle, which was followed by two more stories, Return of the Singh Brotherhood and The Kings Cross Connection.
Chatto died of cancer on 22 October 1992 at the age of 67.