John Lent – RIP

D. D. Degg Published: May 18, 2026 Updated: May 18, 2026 1 minute 0 comments

Comics scholar and researcher John Lent has passed away.

John Anthony Lent

September 8, 1936 – May 16, 2026

From The International Comics Art Forum:

Dr. John A. Lent is one of the leading proponents of the international study of comics, and of comics research within academia. Having lectured and taught on comics and mass communications all over the world, Dr. Lent is recognized as an authority and vital resource in comics studies; he has had an incalculable impact on the lives of students, fellow scholars, and comics creators worldwide.

From Mike Rhode:

Dr. John A. Lent passed away today at 2:30 pm from injuries he suffered from a fall at home several days ago. His living will expressed his desire not to have extraordinary measures taken to keep him alive, so he was removed from life support on Thursday. John never regained consciousness after the fall, but his family was with him at the hospital today. John was a few months shy of his 90th birthday, and remained productive up until his accident. He had two more books essentially finished and the upcoming issue of IJOCA largely completed.

John A. Lent was the founder and editor of The International Journal of Comic Art, a “scholarly and readable research on any aspect of comic art, defined as animation, comic books, newspaper and magazine strips, caricature, gag and political cartoons, humorous art, and humor or cartoon magazines.”

While some have their heads and hands full trying to cover one aspect of one country’s comic art John covered and trumpeted all the comic disciplines around the globe.

Prabook lists Dr. Lent’s impressive credentials as an educator:

Director public relations, instructor English West Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Montgomery, 1960-1962, assistant professor, 1965-1966. Newhouse research assistant and assistant to director communications research Syracuse (New York ) University, 1962-1964. Lecturer De La Salle College, Manila, 1964-1965.

Assistant professor journalism University Wisconsin, Eau Claire, 1966-1967. Assistant professor journalism, head teachers’ journalism sequence Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia, 1967-1969. Visiting associate professor University Wyoming, Laramie, 1969—1970.

Assistant editor International Communications Bulletin, Iowa City, 1970—1972. Coordinator mass communications University Sains Malaysia, Penang, 1972—1974. Associate professor communications Temple University, Philadelphia, 1974—1976, professor communications journalism, 1976—1995, professor communications broadcasting, telecommunications and mass media, since 1995, Benedum visiting distinguished professor, 1987.

Amazon has a page showing only a few of John Lent’s 90 books.

The Marquis Who’s Who® entry for John A. Lent, PhD has “a timeline of professional milestones.”