Comic Strip Credits of Eisner 2026 Hall of Fame Inductees
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This Summer at the San Diego Comic Con 23 individuals will be inducted into The Will Eisner Hall of Fame. 19 have already been chosen by the judges for inclusion:
These inductees include 8 deceased comics pioneers and 11 living persons. The deceased choices are Edwina Dumm, Oliver Harrington, Don Heck, Abe Kanegson, Paul S. Newman, Héctor Germán Oesterheld, Tom Palmer Sr., and Jimmy Swinnerton. The living choices are Bob Bolling, Gerry Conway, Denys Cowan, Mike Friedrich, Lee Marrs, Go Nagai, Bud Plant, Mike Royer, Dave Sim, Carol Tyler, and Rick Veitch.
At least half of those have worked on newspaper comic strips. Some far more than others.
Bob Bolling
The beloved creator/writer/artist of Little Archie had worked on comic strips before joining the Archie Comics group. Bob Bolling‘s newspaper comic career was as an art assistant to cartoonist George Shedd when Shedd was assisting on Al Capp’s Li’l Abner in 1952 (yes, Bob was an art assistant to an art assistant). When George Shedd decided to try his hand on his own Marlin Keel comic strip Bob followed.
Gerry Conway
Writer Gerry Conway wrote for two comic strips. Scripting The World’s Greatest Superheroes Present Superman in 1981 and Star Trek in 1983.
Edwina Dumm
Edwina Dumm had a long career as a newspaper and magazine comic strip creator and as an editorial cartoonist specializing in women’s suffrage. Among her comic strips are Human Interest Stories, Meandering of Minnie, Sinbad (Life magazine), Cap Stubbs and Tippie, and Alec the Great.
Ollie Harrington
Ollie Harrington was another comic panel creator and editorial cartoonist. His specialty in the latter was as a defender of the disenfranchised. His newspaper strips and panels included Jive Gray and Dark Laughter starring Bootsie.
Don Heck
Don Heck spent decades drawing comic books for a variety of publishers. From the late 1960s to the mid 1970s (sources don’t agree) he joined the Sy Barry Assistant Club on The Phantom. He also, it is said, helped Milton Caniff on the Steve Canyon comic strip sometime during the 1960s.
Abe Kanegson
Abe Kanegson did yeoman work as the post-war letterer for Will Eisner’s The Spirit.
Lee Marrs
Lee Mars is known to have assisted Tex Blaisdell with the art on Prince Valiant from 1967-1968 and Little Orphan Annie sometime during the 1969-74 years. Contributed gags to Hi and Lois in 1969.
Paul S. Newman
Paul Newman was one of the most prolific comic book writers. He also wrote comic strips: Tom Corbett, Space Cadet (1951-1953), Smokey the Bear (1957-1960), The Lone Ranger (1967-1971), and Robin Malone (1967).
Mike Royer
Mike Royer entered both professional comic books and comic fanzines in the 1960s and before man set foot on the moon he was art assisting Russ Manning’s comic book and comic strip work. The comic strip was Edgar Rice Burrough’s Tarzan. He took a break from Manning to ink Jack Kirby DC comic books and other assignments. Mike returned to Tarzan in the late 1970s and stayed until the end of Manning’s run in 1979, co-signing the last six months (some credit him with complete art on the last two (June 17, above, and June 24, 1979). During that time Mike also assisted Manning with the first four months of the Star Wars comic strip (began March 1979).
Royer inked Jack Kirby on Walt Disney’s Treasury of Classic Tales adaptation of The Black Hole.
Mike’s Inducks bibliography has him drawing a few Mickey Mouse Sunday pages in 1980 (above) and inking more in 1981. Around that time he also inked a few Disney Christmas Strips – Madam Mim’s Christmas Grudge (1979), Santa’s Magical Christmas Helpers (1980), and Cruella’s Very Furry Christmas (1985).
James Swinnerton
James Swinnerton was one of the godfathers of the modern Sunday color comics supplement and comic strips. Allan Holtz has an entire column listing Swinnerton comic strips from the early days among the more famous of the dozens are Little Bears, Little Tigers. Mount Ararat, Laughing Sam, Mister Jack, Little Jimmy, and Rocky Mason.
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