Джон Диксон (карикатурист)

Джон Диксон (20 февраля 1929 - 7 мая 2015) был австралийским художником и писателем комиксов, наиболее известным своим созданием комиксов « Воздушный ястреб и летающие доктора» (которое действовало с 1959 по 1986 год).

Биография [ править ]

Джон Дангар Диксон родился в Ньюкасле 20 февраля 1929 года в семье директора школы. После завершения своего образования в средней школе Cook Hill он стал стажером витрины в компании softgoods. Затем он заинтересовался искусством и получил должность рекламного агента в той же компании. Диксон переехала в Сидней в 1945 году. После выполнения различных рекламных работ Диксону посоветовали обратиться к профессии комикса. Он прислушался к совету, написал и нарисовал свой первый рассказ из комиксов под названием «Небесные пираты» и показал его сиднейскому издателю Генри Джону Эдвардсу. Эдвардс купил историю Диксона, которая появилась во флагманском комиксе Эдвардса «Действие», и предложил Диксону контракт на полный рабочий день на производство комиксов.

Будучи пожизненным энтузиастом авиации, первым комиксом Диксон стал Тим Валор , чьим главным героем был летчик, ищущий приключений, который принимал участие в приключениях в стиле научной фантастики. Впоследствии Диксон сменил направление, превратив Вэлора в агента Международной организации безопасности, сражающегося с саботажниками и суперзлодеями. Во время Корейской войны Доблесть и его закадычный друг Хэппи попали на военную службу на американских истребителях Sabre. Тим Вэлор was incredibly popular and appeared in three separate series (a total of 150 issues) for close to a decade. The first series ran for 38 issues, featured 6d and 8d cover prices and was published under the H. John Edwards imprint. The second series actually began with issue No. 10 and lasted 41 issues. Cover prices went from 8d to 9d and it was published under Edwards' Action Comics imprint. The final series, titled Tim Valour – Commander of the Flying Tigerhawks, began with issue No. 11 and featured 9d and 1/- (one shilling) cover prices. Two Tim Valour Specials were also published in the 1950s.

Dixon's next title was The Crimson Comet,^[1] loosely based on the US comic book superhero, Red Raven. One of Australia's few true superhero comics, The Crimson Comet was a private investigator, Ralph Rivers, who stripped off his trenchcoat to reveal his bright red costume and huge wings grafted to his back.^[2] First appearing in 1949, The Crimson Comet fought criminal masterminds and spies before Dixon passed the comic on to Albert de Vine, returning to the series in the early 1950s. The first Crimson Comet series ran for 73 issues, with cover prices ranging between 6d-9d, and was published under the H. John Edwards imprint. The second series, believed to begin with issue No. 14, ran for 18 issues and carried 9d and 1/- cover prices. This series was published under Edwards' Action Comics label.

Dixon also illustrated several issues of Biggles, the Australian-made comic book adaptation of Captain W.E. Johns' famed aviator. Published by Action Comics between 1953 and 1957, Dixon's work appeared in issues #61–75. Dixon was also in demand with other Australian publishers. Young's Merchandising commissioned him to create a science fiction superhero comic called Captain Strato in 1958, which lasted just three issues.

В следующем году он создал военный приключенческий сериал «Призрачный коммандос» для журнала Horwitz Publications . Диксон написал и нарисовал первые три выпуска, прежде чем передать титул давнему художнику Хорвица Морису Брэмли .

Компания Frew Publications имела лицензию на публикацию нарисованных на местном уровне версий покойного американского супергероя Кэтмена . После того, как первая серия, проиллюстрированная Джеффом Уилкинсоном, появилась в Super Yank Comics между 1951–52, Фрю нанял Диксон для создания нового сольного комикса про Кэтмена . Диксон выпустил 12 выпусков Catman в период с 1957 по 1959 год ^{[3] [4],} которые позже были перепечатаны Photo Type Press между 1960 и 1966 годами.

He left comics to concentrate on his comic strip, Air Hawk and the Flying Doctor, which premiered in Perth's Weekend Mail on 30 May 1959 and was subsequently published by other Australian Sunday newspapers, Sydney Sun Herald (14 June 1959), The Sunday Mail (Brisbane) and the Sunday Mail. In May 1963, Air Hawk also became a daily strip (unlike most US adventure strips, the Sunday and daily continuity on Air Hawk were separate stories with Dixon writing them both). By 1967 the strip was appearing not only in every Australian state, but also in Britain, New Zealand and South Africa. Dixon continued the strip until 1986, and throughout the years he has worked with assistants including Mike Tabrett, Hart Amos, Paul Power and Keith Chatto.

In 1985 and 1986 he won the Stanley Award, for 'Best Adventure/Illustrated Strip' for his Air Hawk strip, and again in 1992 for his US comics work.^[5]

In 1986 he moved to Washington, D.C. in the United States, where he worked as art-director of a magazine, Defense and Foreign Affairs, for five years. When the magazine ceased production he moved to California, returning to comics for a short while, working on various titles (Bloodshot, Eternal Warrior, H.A.R.D. Corps, Shadowman and Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom^[6]) for US publisher Valiant Comics, then as an independent illustrator for New York's Voyager Communications and as a storyboard artist for film and videogames.

He drew sixteen stories of Agent Corrigan that were published in a Swedish comic book from 1997 to 2003.

In 2012 he was diagnosed as suffering from Lewy Body Dementia, a type of dementia closely associated with Parkinson's disease.

In 2014 he was honoured with a Platinum Ledger Award for Lifetime Achievement in Australian Comics.

On 18 April 2015 Dixon suffered a major stroke at his home in California^[7] and on 7 May he died, surrounded by family. He was survived by his wife Sue and children, Andrew and Jaydi, Cindy and Anne, and sister Sheila.^[8]

External links[edit]

• Toby Burrows, Grant Stone (1994). Comics in Australia and New Zealand: The Collections, the Collectors, the Creators. Haworth Press. ISBN 1-56024-664-2.
• John Ryan (1979). Panel By Panel: an Illustrated History of Australian Comics. Cassell. ISBN 0-7269-7376-9.
• Obituary - Comicoz

References[edit]