Bill Lignante

Q: When did Bill Lignante die?

Bill Lignante died on February 27, 2018.

Q: How old was Bill Lignante when they died?

Bill Lignante was 91 years old at the time of death.

Q: When was Bill Lignante born?

Bill Lignante was born on March 20, 1925 in Brooklyn.

William Gaetano Lignante (March 20, 1925 – February 27, 2018) was an American artist notable for his varied career as a comic book illustrator, comic strip artist, animator and courtroom sketch artist.

Early life and career

Born in Brooklyn, New York in March 1925, Lignante was in the Navy and studied art at Pratt Institute. He first drew The Phantom when he completed a strip left unfinished after the death of Wilson McCoy in 1961. He then drew the Sunday strip from August, 1961 to May 1962. He did The Phantom comic book (interior art) for Gold Key Comics, from issue 1–18; continuing the book for King Comics, through issue 28 and he also contributed to Charlton Comics, when they published Phantom issues 30-74 (although Jim Aparo did most art, as Lignante was in courtrooms by then). He had a 16-year career as an animator (layout artist) for Hanna-Barbera.

Courtroom sketch artist

Of his many illustration assignments, Lignante wrote, "None of these compare to the instant art of the courtroom. No roughs, research, conferences, assistants, editors and no time. What you see, you draw, so that the world can see it too." In the 26 years he spent as a courtroom artist for ABC Network News, he illustrated 60 trials, including those of Sirhan Sirhan, Charles Manson and Patty Hearst.

Personal life

Living in Carlsbad, California with his wife, former actress Alma Carroll, Lignante often traveled during three decades to deliver his "Trials of a Courtroom Artist" lecture. His daughter Russelle, her husband Robert and their children are Long Island residents.

Lignante died on February 27, 2018, at the age of 92.

About Bill Lignante

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Full Biography

Early life and career

Courtroom sketch artist

Personal life

Test Your Knowledge – Trivia Challenge

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1.In what city was William Gaetano Lignante born?

2.What military branch did William Gaetano Lignante serve in?

3.At which institution did William Gaetano Lignante study art?

4.Which comic strip did William Gaetano Lignante begin drawing after the death of Wilson McCoy?

5.For how many years did William Gaetano Lignante work as an animator for Hanna-Barbera?

6.Which publishing company did William Gaetano Lignante illustrate the first 18 issues of The Phantom comic book for?

7.What was the professional role of Alma Carroll, the wife of William Gaetano Lignante?

8.For which network did William Gaetano Lignante work as a courtroom sketch artist?

9.Approximately how many trials did William Gaetano Lignante illustrate during his time as a courtroom artist?

10.Which of these individuals was one of the subjects William Gaetano Lignante illustrated in court?

11.What was the title of the lecture William Gaetano Lignante delivered for three decades?

12.At what age did William Gaetano Lignante pass away?

13.Where does the family of William Gaetano Lignante's daughter, Russelle, reside?

14.Which comic book artist did most of the art for Charlton Comics' issues of The Phantom while William Gaetano Lignante was in courtrooms?

15.What specific aspect of courtroom illustration did William Gaetano Lignante value compared to other work?

16.During which months did William Gaetano Lignante draw The Phantom Sunday strip in 1961 and 1962?

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