Bob Oksner

Infobox Comics creator


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birthname =
birthdate = October 14 1916
location = Paterson, New Jersey
deathdate = February 18 2007
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nationality = American
area = Penciller; Inker
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Bob Oksner (October 14 1916, Paterson, New Jersey - February 18 2007) was an American comics artist known for both adventure comic strips and for superhero and humor comic books, primarily at DC Comics.

Biography

Oksner's early work includes creating the second version of Marvel Boy in 1943 for Timely Comics, the 1930s-'40s predecessor of Marvel Comics. He went on to write and draw the syndicated newspaper comic strip "Miss Cairo Jones" (1945-1947), after which DC editor Sheldon Mayer hired him as an artist on comics adapted from other media. There, he moved from adventure strips to teen-oriented strips. Oksner's work in this field included "Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis" and its successor, "Adventures of Jerry Lewis"; "Adventures of Bob Hope"; "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis"; "Sgt. Bilko"; "Pat Boone"; and "Welcome Back, Kotter"; and, for the King Features syndicate, the newspaper comic-strip spin-off of the 1950s TV sitcom "I Love Lucy". Other work includes drawing the original humor comics "Angel and the Ape" and "Stanley and His Monster".

When the demand for that type of humor comics fell off by the 1970s, Oksner began drawing such DC superhero series as "Superman","Supergirl", "Wonder Woman", "Shazam!", "Black Orchid", "Lois Lane", "Ambush Bug", and others. He retired from comics in 1986.

Oksner's other work in comic strips included succeeding Gus Edson as writer of artist-creator Irwin Hasen's "Dondi" for a time beginning in 1965; and drawing and co-creating "Soozi" (1967), with Don Weldon. He retired from comics in 1986.

Awards

Oksner won the National Cartoonists Society Award for the Comic Book Division in 1960 and 1961, and in 1970 the Shazam Award for Best Pencil Artist (Humor Division) for his work on "Adventure Comics" and other DC titles.

References

* [http://www.lambiek.net/artists/o/oksner_bob.htm Bob Oksner at Lambiek.net] accessed June 28, 2006
* [http://www.newsfromme.com/archives/2007_02_18.html#012954 POV Online: News from Me (column, Feb. 18, 2007): "Bob Oksner, R.I.P.", by Mark Evanier]
* [http://www.povonline.com/cols/COL313.htm POV Online: News from Me (column, Oct. 27, 2000), by Mark Evanier] (Irwin Hasen interview)
* [http://www.acomics.com/best1.htm Atlas Comics (retailer) Presents the Top 100 Artists of American Comic Books: #98 — Bob Oksner] accessed June 28, 2006
* [http://www.toonopedia.com/cairo-j.htm Don Markstein's Toonpedia entry on "Miss Cairo Jones"] accessed June 28, 2006
* [http://www.comicbookresources.com/columns/oddball/index.cgi?date=2002-05-24 "Comic Book Resources": Oddball Comics (column): "The Adventures Of Jerry Lewis" #84 (Oct. 1964)]
* [http://www.supermanartists.comics.org/superart/BronzeAge.htm Who Drew Superman in the Bronze Age?]
* [http://hometown.aol.com/comicsproj/creditsSZ.html The Comic Strip Project: "Snoozi"]