Murphy Anderson was born on July 9, 1926,[1] inAsheville, North Carolina, and while in grade school moved with his family toGreensboro, North Carolina.[2] After graduating high school in 1943, he briefly attended theUniversity of North Carolina before moving to New York City seeking work in the comics industry, and was hired by Jack Byrne as a staff artist at the pulp magazine publisherFiction House,[2] first drawing illustrations for their magazines and later for their comic book line.[3] His first confirmed credit is the two-and-two-thirds-page nonfiction aviation featurette "Jet Propulsion" inWings Comics #48 (cover-dated Aug. 1944), and his first fiction feature was an eight-page "Suicide Smith and the Air Commanders" story inWings Comics #50 (Oct. 1944). By the following month he was the regular artist on thePlanet Comics features "Life on Other Worlds" and "Star Pirate".[4] Anderson continued doing comics work, as well as illustrations for science-fictionpulp magazines, during his stateside postings while serving in theUnited States Navy from 1944 to 1945.[2]
"Star Pirate" splash page,Planet Comics #50 (Sept. 1947), penciled and inked by Anderson
Anderson succeeded artist and co-creatorCarmine Infantino on the superhero feature "Captain Comet" beginning with the story "The Girl from the Diamond Planet" inStrange Adventures #12 (cover-dated Sept. 1951).[4] Years later, Anderson and writerJohn Broome created the feature "Atomic Knights" inStrange Adventures #117 (June 1960),[6] which Anderson later described as his favorite assignment.[7] Anderson and writerGardner Fox launched theHawkman series in May 1964[8] and introduced theZatanna character in issue #4 (Nov. 1964).[9] Comics historianLes Daniels noted that "Hawkman really took off when artist Murphy Anderson took over... Anderson came into his own with his elegantly ornamental version of the Winged Wonder."[10] TheSpectre was revived by Fox and Anderson inShowcase #60 (Feb. 1966)[11] and was given his own series in December 1967.[12] In the 1960s Anderson proposed that comics pages be drawn at 10x15 inches rather than the prevailing standard of 12x18 inches, which allowed two pages to be photographed at the same time, and this subsequently became the industry standard.[13]
Anderson designed the costume ofAdam Strange.[14] With his frequent collaborator, pencilerCurt Swan, the pair's artwork onSuperman andAction Comics in the 1970s came to be called "Swanderson" by fans.[15][16] He often hid his initials somewhere within the stories he inked.[17] In the early 1970s, DC assigned Anderson, among other artists, to redraw the heads ofJack Kirby's renditions of Superman andJimmy Olsen, fearing Kirby's versions were too different from the established images of the characters.[18] In 1972, he drewWonder Woman for the cover of the first issue ofMs. Magazine.[19] In 1973, he established Murphy Anderson Visual Concepts, which provided color separations and lettering for comic books.[20]
Beginning in 1967, Anderson also contributed for many years toPS Magazine, the preventive maintenance comics magazine of theU.S. Army, working under a childhood favorite artist, Will Eisner.[21][3]
Anderson and his wife of 67 years, Helen, had two daughters, Sophie and Mary, and a son, Murphy III.[22] Anderson died inSomerset, New Jersey on October 22, 2015, at the age of 89, of heart failure.[22]
The Flash #110–111, 114–115, 117–119, 121, 148–150, 152 (inks over Carmine Infantino); #195 (inks over Gil Kane), #200–204, 206–208 (inks over Irv Novick) (1959–71)
^In this issue, Anderson inked the Superman lead story (penciled by Curt Swan) as well as provided full art for a "The Fabulous World of Krypton" backup story.
^McAvennie, Michael (2010). "1960s". In Dolan, Hannah (ed.).DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. London, United Kingdom:Dorling Kindersley. p. 100.ISBN978-0-7566-6742-9.The Rise of the Atomic Knights, ushered in by scribe John Broome and illustrator Murphy Anderson, transported fans to a post-World War III Earth ravaged by atomic radiation.
^Levitz, Paul (2010). "The Silver Age 1956–1970".75 Years of DC Comics The Art of Modern Mythmaking. Cologne, Germany:Taschen. p. 282.ISBN9783836519816.The Atomic Knights were developed by John Broome and artist Murphy Anderson, both of whom considered it their favorite assignment.
^Amash, Jim (2004). "Foreword".The Adam Strange ArchivesVolume 1. DC Comics. pp. 5–8.ISBN978-1401201487.
^Zeno, Eddy. (2002). "Swanderson and Beyond".Curt Swan A Life in Comics.Vanguard Productions. p. 33.ISBN978-1887591393.The term 'Swanderson' aptly described the seamless melding of Curt's pencils with Murphy Anderson's inks.
^Evanier, Mark (August 22, 2003)."Jack Kirby's Superman". News From ME.Archived from the original on March 8, 2012. RetrievedApril 22, 2012.Jack [Kirby] drew Superman and Jimmy Olsen his way, and Murphy Anderson did the adjustments. Sometimes, Anderson would re-pencil and then [Vince] Colletta would ink the entire page. More often, Colletta would ink the pages and leave the Olsen and Superman drawings for Anderson to finish.
^Hahn, Joel (ed.)."1962 Alley Awards". Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac.Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. RetrievedOctober 24, 2015.
^Hahn, Joel (ed.)."1963 Alley Awards". Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac.Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. RetrievedOctober 24, 2015.
^Hahn, Joel (ed.)."1964 Alley Awards". Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac.Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. RetrievedOctober 24, 2015.
^Hahn, Joel (ed.)."1965 Alley Awards". Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac.Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. RetrievedOctober 24, 2015.
^Hahn, Joel (ed.)."Inkpot Award Winners". Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac.Archived from the original on July 9, 2012.
^Hahn, Joel (ed.)."Harvey Award Winners Summary". Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac.Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. RetrievedAugust 22, 2015.
