John Lent – RIP
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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.
Dr. John A. Lent passed away today [May 16] from injuries he suffered from a fall at home several days ago…
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.
Xu Ying, John’s widow, and others remember:
I never thought that I would marry an American guy. John and I have such different backgrounds. He was born in East Millsboro, Pennsylvania, and I was born in Beijing, the capital of socialist China. He was 23 years older than me. When we first met in Beijing at an international conference in 1996, he was the only white man who sat at the table with all Asian guests every meal…
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.”
The International Journal of Comic Art blog has, and will have, more tributes to Dr. Lent including the InterGalactic Journal of Comic Art (IGJOCA) Prospectus: John A. Lent 90th Birthyear Fanzine put together to honor John Lent for his upcoming 90th birthday.
feature image by Matt Wuerker
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