Wilson McCoy

Robert Wilson McCoy (April 6, 1902 – July 20, 1961) was an American illustrator and painter best known as the second artist on the (still running) The Phantom comic strip. He always went by his middle name and signed The Phantom as Wilson McCoy, but his other artwork was signed R. Wilson McCoy.

Wilson McCoy
BornRobert Wilson McCoy
April 6, 1902
Troy, Missouri
DiedJuly 20, 1961
Barrington, Illinois
NationalityAmerican
Area(s)cartoonist, illustrator, painter
Pseudonym(s)R. Wilson McCoy
Notable works
The Phantom

Biography

Wilson McCoy was born April 6, 1902 in Troy, Missouri, the sixth of seven children born to Edward Fernand (a salesman by profession) and Theodosia Turnbull McCoy. Before the age of seven, he was determined to become an artist. His father died when he was eleven years old leaving his mother with seven children and no money. She opened a boarding house with borrowed funds and young Wilson got a job in a drugstore, working 8 hours a day after school and twelve hours on Saturdays and Sundays for 3$ a week which went into the family treasury. After two years of high school, he went to work as an errand boy for a St Louis Advertising firm (D'Arcy Advertising Co.)[1], and practiced drawing during errands. Ultimately he was taken on the firms art staff, and after fours years he had saved enough money to attend Washington University's art school before branching out professionally.[2] McCoy studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the American Academy and Washington University's School of Fine Arts,St Louis where he later served on the faculty. He met Dorothy Rainwater at the same university whom he later married.

He was a member of the National cartoonist Society Foundation NCSF.[3]

In 1931, he miraculously escaped death in an auto accident where a reckless driver hit his car, causing it to rest on McCoy’s chest, crushing both his lungs. Making history as the first man to survive such an injury,[4] His son Robert (Bob McCoy) was born in 1927 and his daughter Carol was born on the 17th of November 1933.

In 1930 the McCoy family lived at 7603 Forsythe before moving to 100 N Bemiston av. When their daughter, Carol, was born on 17 November 1933 they lived at 6748 Crest Avenue. By 1940 they had moved to 7035 Ethel Avenue.

Later, McCoy's Barrington home, located on Donlea Rd, Barrington, Illinois,[5] was used as a model for Diana Palmer's house in the comic strip. McCoy used the study to draw the Phantom strips. Wilson was also a volunteer fire marshall in Barrington, IL.

He was survived by his wife Dorothy and two children, Robert Wilson Jr. (Bob) and Carol.[6] Son Robert Wilson McCoy Jr[7] was the proprietor of the "Museum Of Questionable Devices" in Minneapolis and a frequent guest at talk shows such as Late Night with David Letterman[8]. He passed away in 2010 at the age of 83.

Commercial Artist

His first commercial art job of creating posters for the Radio Deith Orpheum Company lasted 3 years after which he spent 5 years designing billboards for the General Outdoor Advertising Company. He made paintings for Liberty magazine covers, calendars, prints, pin-ups and advertisements for major companies such as Shell Oil, Tums, Dr. Pepper, U.S. Rubber...

Looking at St. Louis city directories from the 30's, we find that McCoy is associated with several studios:[9]

1930: McCoy & Quest (2313 Washington Avenue), with Charles Francis Quest.

1933: Windsor Studio (2670 Washington Blvd), with William E Heede, Martin C Kaiser, Robert McRoy, Everett Hayden Parks, Elise B Parks, Lester Harry "Tex" Willman and Co Windsor.

1936: Associated Artists of St Louis (2670 Washington Blvd), with William H Cramer, Ralph Wesley Guze, William E Heede, Martin C Kaiser, Marjorie M Lippman, Everett Hayden Parks, Elise B Parks, Lester Harry "Tex" Willman, John Hamilton Stevens and Fred Adolph Toerper.

1937: Advertiser’s Artists Co. (2670 Washington Blvd), with Kenneth Cowhey, Ralph Wesley Guze, Martin C Kaiser, Lester Harry "Tex" Willman, John Hamilton Stevens and Benjamin Stalker Read.

The Phantom

Wilson McCoy developed a unique, "Naive art" graphical style of drawing. He always drew with attention to details, and he used photographic references for every drawing, having his family and friends pose for him and act out the different situations happening in the stories he worked on.[10]

When his friend Ray Moore served in the military during WWII, McCoy took over the responsibilities of illustrating The Phantom. His wife Dorothy, also an artist, served as a penciller of the lettering and panels in Wilson's comic strips.[11][12]

In an interview with Ed Rhoades, Bob McCoy confided : "Initially, Wilson McCoy was paid $75 a week to sub for Moore, an arrangement that ticked him off" when he discovered how much more Moore was getting paid. But conditions improved, and the family moved to a prosperous Chicago suburb. Wilson McCoy built a studio. Robert regained a bedroom."

Speaking of cartooning Wilson McCoy said to the newspaper San Antonio Light (Sunday March 27, 1960) "King Features Syndicate which distributes The Phantom prefers the artists keep 6 weeks ahead of their weekly strips and three months ahead for Sunday material. He added : But few artists ever reach this goal especially if they are not also the author, Lee Falk writes the story of The Phantom as well as the story for Mandrake the Magician, girls at King features Syndicate do the coloring for the Sunday comics."

Wilson McCoy started signing the strips and was fully credited as the artist from the daily story "Queen Astra Of Trondelay" (1946).

Certain art critics have termed Wilson McCoy's artistic style as Naive Art. Lee Falk was already known for the use of surrealism in Mandrake stories. McCoy incorporated certain metaphysical and surrealistic artistic elements to illustrate Phantom stories. He masterfully set the atmosphere, using "film noir" lighting, whenever required by the storyline. Aspects of American Realism may also be perceived due to the use of photographic references in his panels. In a Phantom exhibition held in Sweden, a parallel was drawn between Wilson McCoy and Edward Hopper (1882-1967). Hopper had also worked as a commercial advertising illustrator (ref. artwork for "American Locomotive Co".[13] 1944). Both worked in the realm of narrative art and were masters of dramatic lighting (& diagonal shadows).

McCoy ceased drawing the strip after he became ill in 1961. His last daily strip was dated 19th August 1961 and his last Sunday strip was dated 17th September 1961 and the following Sunday strip, dated 24th September 1961, was drawn by Carmine Infantino[14] The strip was continued by Bill Lignante for a short while, and then by Sy Barry.[15]

In 2016 a Wilson McCoy 1958 Phantom sunday art page was auctioned by Sotheby's Auction House - one of the world's biggest art auctioneers in its European "Bande Dessinée" Auction.

According to the late comics historian and collector Ethan Roberts, "McCoy was an adherent of a different school, the school of the poster artist...line work is typically thicker, more definitive, bolder than found in the illustrator's school. The overall composition is simplified to have an immediate eye-catching impact on the viewer... Depth of field is significantly reduced or lost all together, but understanding exactly whats going on is enhanced. Its easier and faster to comprehend the action from a greater distance. Less attention and concentration is required allowing the reader to move through the story more quickly, an advantage for the busy newspaper reader."[16]

The Sunday page artworks are characterized by the ligne claire style of drawing similar to that of Hergé's Tintin. The original inked line art has well defined contours and carry very little or no hatchings and shading (Zip-a-tones were not used on Sunday art either) thus allowing the colorist full flexibility to use bright, bold colors.

Wilson McCoy The World Traveller

Like Phantom creator Lee Falk, McCoy was a world traveler with an adventurous spirit, traveling to jungles, where he visited native tribes.[17]

McCoy travelled to the French Congo in 1961 on a sketching safari researching the Mbuti pygmies of the Ituri rainforest tribe for episodes of The Phantom. The Mbuti became inspiration for the Bandar tribe featured in the phantom stories. He stopped drawing became ill and was hospitalised in 1961. According to Sy Barry, "First of all when Wilson McCoy became ill and went into the hospital, he was too ill. He had some kind of infection that reoccurs, that he developed when he was in Africa and it seemed to return. Somehow it formed a blood clot and went to his heart and he died in the hospital."[18] In another interview published by Hermes Press in 2019, Sy Barry recalls "... he seemed to have an infection, a lingering dormant infection that he picked up in Africa and they had gone and treated him with antibiotics but every once in a while it would crop up a bit and affect his heart a bit little too. This time he had a heart seizure in the hospital after having been battling the disease and meanwhile they had called me in..." McCoy died after a heart attack in Barrington in 1961.

Letters to fans

McCoy actively interacted with his fans through letters. He set up a Phantom club in the 50's and sent out a sealed Certificate of membership to fans with the following mention : "Know All Men By These Presents : That in consideration of your valued friendship this certificate of membership in the Ancient and Mysterious Order of The Phantom is hereby awarded to ....., this day of.... with all rights and privileges, to Health, Wealth and Wisdom." signed by himself (Exalted Imperial Phantom Delieanator) & Dorothy (Witnessing and Recording Fatima)"

In a letter to a fan written in 1949 McCoy explained that " I have never had the syndicate return any of my originals to me, however, will make a sketch for your collection and mail with this letter..." In another letter to Joyce and Ken Browne signed “Dot, Carol, Bob, Wilson, and Brownie,” one page, 8.5 x 11, February 21, 1950. McCoy wrote : "About a year and a half ago, my wife, daughter, and I had dinner in Bangor on our way thru to Harborside where we spent about a week, and where I did some landscape painting. Main[e] is certainly a beautiful state. By the way, I should appreciate it if you would tear out the full sheet of the paper in which the Phantom appears and mail it to me, so that I may see the size and position. Best wishes also from the 'McCoy' family." In the upper portion of the page McCoy has added a brilliant ink sketch of the Phantom in front of his secret abode, the Skull cave, with McCoy adding his artist signature below, "Wilson McCoy, 2/21/50," and writing an inscription in a speech bubble above: "Best wishes to Joyce and Ken Browne, from the Phantom family—Diana–Mama–Uncle Dave–Devil–Hero–Guran–and the Phantom."

In a letter to Clarence Allen[19] in April 3 1953, McCoy wrote : "Congratulations on doing a bang up job with your new book. It is good that you have both the pro and con, contained in the same volume, since each is so convincing that if either were seen alone a reader would be inclined to believe it without dreaming that there could be another side of the story. Thanks for my copy. Sincerely, Wilson McCoy."

In 1954, sophomore students from the history section of Federal Way High School took issue with a panel in a Phantom comic strip which contained a depiction of Alexander the Great with white beard. McCoy wrote a letter of reply and said "You have got me backed into a corner and by superior numbers have brought me to my knees. Whenever i get into an untenable situation i call upon one of my very good friends to extricate me. Have turned your letter over to this friend for the answer." - this friend was none other than the Phantom who sent the following message via tom tom drums in a drawing : "Phantom to Federal Way, McCoy is correct Alex received a scare while still a baby turning his hair (and beard) white. Best regards to all, The Phantom."

Today, his letters are considered collector items and sold at auctions.

Wilson McCoy's Phantom in the world of Contemporary Art

Wilson McCoy inspired several artists to create works of art based on panels from his Phantom comic strips. Renowned artists such as Jan Håfström, Dick Frizzell, and Peter Kingston have repeatedly reinterpreted panels from McCoy's art for their own creations.

Works of art inspired by Wilson McCoy's Phantom & Mr Walker :

Dick Frizzell (New Zealand) : The Big Kiss, Another Big Kiss, Sleeping Woman, Who Will Save Her? (Phantom Triptych) oil on three canvas panels 2001, A Flying Oaf(gouach on paper 2002)...

Peter Kingston (Australia) : Running Mr. Walker...

Jan Håfström (Sweden) : Who is Mr Walker? (public installation-Stockholm - Järnvägsparken 2014), Mr Walker - Acrylic on board (2004), Mr Walker running Black/Blue, The Outsider Mr Walker (2007) acrylic on panel, Mr Walker alone (4 works), Walker with moon (2008), Walker Och Devil (2005, 2008), Angivaren II (The Informer II) 2004, The explanation (2001), Detektiven 2011, From Walker with Love (2003)...

On 24th Sept 2012 a Wilson McCoy inspired - Jan Håfström "Mr Walker" contemporary art postal stamp was released in Faroe Islands. The idea came from Niels Halm, director of the Nordic House in Tórshavn.

Dare Jennings, founder of the brands: Deus Ex Machina and Mambo Graphics cited Wilson McCoy as his favorite artist in his opening speech[20] at the Bunker Cartoon Gallery Phantom Art show in New South Wales, Australia. Mr. Jennings also produced Wilson McCoy Phantom design t-shirts via the Phantom textile printers (Chippendale, Australia) in the early 1980s.

Reprints

McCoy's Phantom stories are occasionally published in the Australian Frew Publications Phantom comic, and the Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish Phantom comic books, and also in hardcover editions.

In 1955, Phantom Artist Wilson R. McCoy was one of 95 comic artist's invited to attend US President's breakfast hosted by the 'National Cartoonists Society' in Washington. President Eisenhower, USA President from 1953-1961, attended the breakfast organised as a fundraiser for the 'US Savings Bond program'. Wilson McCoy's art was featured in "President Eisenhower's Cartoon Book" published in 1956 which was a tribute to the President.

In 1975 the publishing company Biblioteca Unviversale Rizzoli of Milan released a Wilson McCoy special in the series I Giganti del Fumetto with a 5 page foreword entitled "Un fantasma che cammina da quarant anni" ("A Ghost who walks since 40 years") written by Ferruccio Alessandri[21]

In the year 2000, Egmont publications from Sweden published a special edition called "Wilson McCoy - de opublicerade äventyren". It includes articles about McCoy, written by Ulf Granberg, Ed Rhoades and Pete Klaus, and also features an interview of McCoy's children Carol Dharamsey and Robert McCoy by Ed Rhoades.[22]

In 2005 the Italian publisher La Repubblica published a Wilson McCoy anthology called "L'Uomo mascherato – Il mito dell'Ombra che cammina"(Serie Oro 18) with an introductory essay by Luca Raffaelli[23]

American publisher Hermes Press published the Wilson McCoy daily continuities in their The Phantom Complete Dailies volumes 5-17 (2013 - 2019). The Wilson McCoy Sunday stories were published by Hermes Press in The Complete Sundays from Vol 2 - Vol 7 (2014 - 2020). Black and white press proofs of the continuities, that originate from King Features Syndicate, are archived at Michigan State University - Special collections[24] which is supervised by Randy Scott[25] [MSU Special Collections Librarian, Comic Art Bibliographer, and head curator of the MSU Comic Art Collection.]. King features syndicate donated another set of proofs to Ohio State University. Wilson McCoy original art maybe viewed at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum.(Ohio State University Libraries)[26]

Exhibitions
Wilson McCoy art exhibition at Gallery Champaka in Brussels
  • "Wilson McCoys Fantomen" at the Borås Konstmuseum in Borås, Sweden (February 2017)[27]
  • "Wilson McCoy Godfather of Pop" Exhibition in Kiruna City Hall, Sweden (October – November 2017)[28][29]
  • Wilson McCoy original Phantom art strips were exhibited at the "Lee FALK" exhibition at Gallery Champaka, Brussels, Belgium (October 2019)

The two exhibitions in Sweden were curated by Martin Goldbeck-Lowe.[30]

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References
  1. https://adage.com/article/adage-encyclopedia/d-arcy-advertising/98612
  2. King features promotional biographical sketch of McCoy published on July 20, 1961.
  3. https://www.nationalcartoonists.com/in-memoriam/wilson-mccoy/
  4. ref. Newsletter : "Friends Of The Phantom, n°12, article by Ed Rhoades
  5. https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/254-Donlea-Rd_Barrington_IL_60010_M80498-60785
  6. WilsonMcCoy.com
  7. https://www.startribune.com/obituaries/detail/12564642/
  8. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bp1H_zh30I
  9. http://www.mandrakewiki.org/index.php?title=Wilson_McCoy
  10. ""Phantom" Cartoonist Uses Camera to Give Strip Life". Oxnard Press-Courier. Oxnard, CA. 13 September 1957.
  11. A short autobio on fan site
  12. "Phantom's Big Problem". San Antonio Light. San Antonio,Texas. 27 March 1960.
  13. https://linusfontrodona.com/2017/08/23/an-illustration-for-american-locomotive-by-e-hopper-1944/
  14. https://www.chroniclechamber.com/post/2018/09/24/the-limper-identifying-carmine-infantinos-input-to-the-phantom
  15. Lambiek Comiclopedia
  16. Hermes Press The Phantom complete newspaper dailies Vol 8
  17. "Son of the Phantom; Chased by rhinos, jailed in Cairo, and welcomed by pygmies, McCoy had daredevil adventures to rival those of his comic-strip-turned-movie hero, his son Robert McCoy remembers". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, MN. 27 June 1996.
  18. https://www.chroniclechamber.com/single-post/2017/01/27/An-Interview-with-Sy-Barry
  19. https://www.okhistory.org/historycenter/cartoonists/allen.html
  20. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a15OI8vgJZM
  21. http://www.phantomwiki.org/I_Giganti_del_Fumetto_6
  22. http://www.phantomwiki.org/Wilson_McCoy_-_de_opublicerade_%C3%A4ventyren
  23. http://www.phantomwiki.org/L%27uomo_mascherato_%E2%80%93_Il_mito_dell%27Ombra_che_cammina
  24. https://comics.lib.msu.edu/rri/prri/phanto.htm
  25. https://detroitbookfest.com/exclusive-interview-touring-the-worlds-largest-library-comic-book-collection-of-350000-items-michigan-state-university-with-head-honcho-randy-scott/
  26. https://osucartoons.pastperfectonline.com/vocabulary?keyword=McCoy%2C+R.+Wilson%2C+1902-1961&letter=M&searchtype=creator&showsearch=true
  27. http://www.wilsonmccoy.com/mccoyexhibit.htm
  28. https://kirunakonstgille.se/bilder-fran-wilson-mccoys-fantomen/
  29. https://sverigesradio.se/artikel/6798182
  30. https://www.chroniclechamber.com/post/2017/03/20/exclusive-interview-with-martin-dahlstr%C3%B6m-creator-of-the-mccoy-swedish-exhibition
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