Murphy Anderson: In Memory

   Very sad to note today the passing of one of the titans of the Silver Age (and beyond): Murphy Anderson, who rose to fame as an artist and inker on such titles as Hawkman, the Atomic Knights, Superman and virtually every title in DC's line.

   As I've mentioned before, he was one of the best (and probably THE best) of the Silver Age DC artists (and the best inker, too). 

   I met him a couple of times over the years, and he was always kind and generous with his time - you had the sense that he was a big comics fan, too!

   I interviewed him briefly in Chicago in the late '80s and saw him on panels over the years at other cons. I once asked a group he was with at one panel - Roy Thomas, Julius Schwartz and Murphy - what their favorite work / project had been. Julie said, "Well, most of us don't have a single favorite." Roy said, "I do: Conan." Murphy said, "The Buck Rogers comic strip." Julie seemed a bit miffed, but the audience laughed.

   I also got a chance to talk to Murphy one-on-one at a con several years back. I got him to autograph an issue of Strange Adventures he had drawn, and I asked him about the last panel on the last page - it included his signature and the notation "-30-" - something all old-school journalists know. I asked if that was the origin, and he smiled and said, "Yes, it's a throwback to my old days in journalism class." (In the pre-computer days, typing "-30-" on a script signified the end of a story.) 

   He was a charming, kind man - a true gentleman. I loved his work and admired him greatly.