Alberto's Page>GLEN CRAVATH

GLEN CRAVATH

30.01.2014 16:48

When Illustration Meets the Comics No. 2

GLEN CRAVATH

Glen C. Cravath nasce l’11 maggio 1897 a New Trier, Illinois. Sposa Irene Phoebe (nata in Canada nel 1895), che gli dà un figlio, Douglas Paul, il 18 novembre 1918 a Evanston, Illinois. Un altro figlio, Floyd, nasce nel 1921 a Queens, New York, dove i Cravath si sono trasferiti.

Cravath inizia come illustrator per il New York Journal negli anni Venti.

Nel 1928 comincia a lavorare da indipendente per gli studi cinematografici, soprattutto per RKO e Columbia. Tra il 1930 e il 1940 disegna adattamenti a fumetti con didascalie di film della RKO quali King Kong, Little Women e North West Mounted Police.

Nel 1934-35 Cravath illustra la tavola settimanale Ted Towers – Animal Master e il suo topper, Animal Land, for King Features Syndicate, ispirandosi a Bring ’Em Back Alive del cacciatore di belve Frank Buck. Buck probabilmente conosce Cravath solo professionalmente e comunque non lo menziona nella sua autobiografia, All in a Lifetime (1941).

Illustratore di libri e riviste, Cravath è primariamente un pittore di poster cinematografici. Di solito parte dal fotogramma di un film, usandolo come base per la sua composizione. Tra i film dei quali realizza I manifesti ci sono Bring ’em Back Alive (1932), King Kong (1933), The Reluctant Dragon di Walt Disney (1941), la serie di Jungle Jim con Johnny Weissmuller (1948-55) e The Petty Girl (1955).

Cravath muore nel gennaio 1964, lasciando la sua casa e la sua collezione al figlio Douglas, che la mantiene intatta fino alla sua morte, avvenuta nell’agosto 2002.

Frank Buck with Glen Cravath

Glen C. Cravath was born May 11, 1897 in New Trier, Illinois. He married Irene Phoebe (born 1895 in Canada), who bore him a child, Douglas Paul, on November 18, 1918 in Evanston, Illinois. Another son, Floyd, was born in 1921 in Queens, New York, where the Cravaths had moved.

Cravath started as an illustrator for the New York Journal in the 1920’s.

In 1928 he began freelancing for movie studios, primarily RKO and Columbia. From 1930-40 he drew comic-strip adaptations of such RKO movies as King Kong, Little Women, and North West Mounted Police.

During 1934-35 Cravath drew the Ted Towers – Animal Master Sunday page and its topper Animal Land for King Features Syndicate, inspired by Frank Buck’s Bring ’Em Back Alive. Buck probably only knew Cravath professionally and did not mention him in his autobiography, All in a Lifetime (1941).

A book and magazine illustrator, Cravath was primarily a prolific movie poster painter. Cravath would usually start with a movie still and use it as a model for his artwork. Among the movie posters he worked on were Bring ’em Back Alive (1932), King Kong (1933), Disney’s The Reluctant Dragon (1941), The Jungle Jim series starring Johnny Weissmuller (1948-55), and The Petty Girl (1955).

Cravath died in January 1964, leaving his house and collection to his son Douglas, who kept it intact until his own death in August 2002.

FUMETTI PER QUOTIDIANI / NEWSPAPER COMIC STRIPS

Editore/Publisher: KING FEATURES SYNDICATE, INC.

Animal Land – The Story of Tuan – Tavole settimanali / Sunday page Apr 21 1935-June 1 1935 [Topper: Ted Towers – Animal Master].

Ted Towers – Animal Master – Tavole settimanali / Sunday page Nov 25 1934-June 15 1935.

Editore/Publisher: RKO

King Kong – Strisce quotidiane promozionali / Promotional daily strip, 1933 (1 settimana / 1 week).

Little Women – Strisce quotidiane promozionali / Promotional daily strip, 1933 (1 settimana / 1 week).

North West Mounted Police – Strisce quotidiane promozionali / Promotional daily strip, 1940 (1 settimana / 1 week).

ILLUSTRAZIONI PER LIBRI E RIVISTE / BOOK AND MAGAZINE ILLUSTRATIONS

Editore/Publisher: DAVID LUCOM

The Case of the Walking Corpse (1945) – Copertina / Cover art.

Editore/Publisher: DELL PUBLISHING CO.

Western Romances – Copertina / Cover art 12/1931.

Editore/Publisher: GROSSET & DUNLAP

King Kong (1933) – Sovraccoperta / Dust Jacket art.

Editore/Publisher: OMNIBUS PUBLICATIONS

Night of Crime (1944) – Copertina / Cover art.

Editore/Publisher: WHITMAN

Frank Buck Presents Ted Towers – Animal Master (The Big Little Book #1175, 1935) – Ristampa tavole settimanali in bianco e nero, con vignette prive dei fumetti a fronte di pagine di testo narrativo / Sunday page reprint in black and white, with balloon-less panels facing pages with narrative text.