John Cullen Murphy
| John Cullen Murphy | |
|---|---|
J. Cullen Murphy at his drawing table, early 1950s
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| Born |
May 3, 1919 New York City |
| Died | July 2, 2004 (aged 85) Cos Cob, Connecticut |
| Nationality | American |
| Notable work | Prince Valiant, Big Ben Bolt |
| Spouse(s) | Joan Byrne |
| Awards | National Cartoonists Society's Story Comic Strip Award, Elzie Segar Award |
John Cullen Murphy (May 3, 1919 – July 2, 2004) was an American illustrator best known for his three decades of work on the Prince Valiant comic strip.
Born in New York City, Murphy spent his childhood in Chicago and in New Rochelle, New York, where his family moved in 1930.
He started art classes at the age of 9, but aspired to be a baseball player. He received supervision from artists like George Bridgman, Norman Rockwell, Charles Chapman and Franklin Booth. He was playing baseball one afternoon when he got attention of Norman Rockwell, his New Rochelle neighbor and asked the 15-year-old if he would like to pose for some magazine ads. Rockwell discovered John's keen interest in art after doing few illustrations with him. Rockwell's Starstruck, showing a forlorn Murphy gazing at pictures of movie starlets, was the September 22, 1934 cover of The Saturday Evening Post. The experience inspired the young Murphy to become an illustrator. Rockwell became one of his good friends and mentors. Murphy started his career early, selling his first illustrations while he was still in high school. After high school, he studied in New York City at the Phoenix Art Institute and the Art Students League, where he was taught by the anatomist George Bridgman. He further pursued his art career drawing spot illustrations for the Chicago Tribune while serving in W.W.II as well as painting portraits of well-known military personnel including General Douglas MacArthur.
Murphy entered the U.S. Army in 1940, joining the 7th Regiment. He became an anti-aircraft officer during World War II, rising to the rank of major. He spent several years in the Pacific, beginning in Australia and ending in Tokyo. He was an aide to General William F. Marquat, who was on General Douglas MacArthur's staff. During the war, Murphy continued to illustrate, sending work to the Chicago Tribune and painting numerous portraits of military figures.
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