Robbins, Frank, 1917-....

Frank Robbins (1917-1994) was an American cartoonist, illustrator and painter.

Born in Boston in 1917, Robbins' artistic talents came to the fore early in life. By the time he was in his mid-teens, he had already received numerous recognitions, including a Rockefeller grant and scholarships to the Boston Museum and the National Academy of Design in New York. His early professional endeavors included working as an assistant to Edward Trumbull on his NBC building murals, and cranking-out promotional materials for RKO pictures. In 1939, he was hired by the Associated Press to take over the existing Scorchy Smith aviation adventure strip. His work on the strip was much noted and became the impetus for the launch of his own aviation adventure, Johnny Hazard, by King Features Syndicate.

Johnny Hazard first appeared in June of 1944. Initially a pilot with the Army Air Corps during World War II, Johnny quickly followed Steve Canyon, Scorchy and others into post-War freelance adventure work. Robbins' stories were usually global in scope, and like many other strips in the genre, grew increasingly focused over the years on Cold War themes. Johnny Hazard ran until 1977.

In additional to his prominent comic strip work, Frank Robbins was an active magazine illustrator, placing work in many of the major venues including Life, the Saturday Evening Post and Look magazine. Robbins also lent his hand to the comic book trade, working variously over the years on such titles as Batman, The Flash, Captain America and Ghost Rider . Robbins abandoned illustration and cartoon work in 1977, moving to Mexico to dedicate himself to painting fulltime. Robbins exhibited his paintings throughout his career, and his work has appeared in many prominent museums and galleries, including the Corcoran Gallery, the Whitney Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Walker Art Center. Frank Robbins died in 1994.

From the guide to the Frank Robbins Cartoons, 1963-1966., (Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries)