Frank Robbins

Q: When did Frank Robbins die?

Frank Robbins died on November 28, 1994.

Q: How old was Frank Robbins when they died?

Frank Robbins was 77 years old at the time of death.

Q: What was Frank Robbins's cause of death?

The cause of death of Frank Robbins was heart attack.

Q: When was Frank Robbins born?

Frank Robbins was born on September 9, 1917.

Franklin Robbins (September 9, 1917 – November 28, 1994) was an American comic book and comic strip artist and writer, as well as a prominent painter whose work appeared in museums including the Whitney Museum of American Art, where one of his paintings was featured in the 1955 Whitney Annual Exhibition of American Painting.

Early life

Born in Boston, Robbins was in his teens when he received a Rockefeller grant and scholarships to the Boston Museum and the National Academy of Design in New York. Robbins was married to his wife, Bertha in 1945; they had two children, Michael and Laurie Robbins.

Career

Robbins' early career included work as an assistant to Edward Trumbull on his NBC building murals, and creating promotional materials for RKO Pictures.

Comic strips

Between February and April 1939, Frank Robbins illustrated the western comic strip Lightnin’ and Lone Rider for the Associated Features Syndicate, owned by Robert W. Farrell, the strip had been initiated by Jack Kirby and written by Farrell, later reprinted in Eastern Color Printing's Famous Funnies. That same year, the Associated Press hired Robbins to take over the aviation strip Scorchy Smith which he drew until 1944. Robbins created his Johnny Hazard strip in 1944 and worked on it for more than three decades until it ended in 1977. Robbins' Johnny Hazard comic book was published by Standard Comics from August 1948 to May 1949. The Sunday strips were reprinted in a full-color volume published by the Pacific Comics Club. Other reprints were published by Pioneer Comics and Dragon Lady Press.

Comic books

In 1968, Robbins began working as a writer for DC Comics. His first story for that publisher appeared in Superman's Girl Friend, Lois Lane #83 (May 1968). He became the writer of Superboy as of issue #149 (July 1968) and began writing Batman and Detective Comics the following month. Robbins and artist Irv Novick crafted the story which revealed the last name of Batman's butler Alfred Pennyworth in Batman #216 (Nov. 1969). It was later revealed that Robbins had simply used the name created by former DC editor Whitney Ellsworth for the Batman syndicated comic strip. The Robbins and Novick team was instrumental in returning Batman to the character's gothic roots as in the story "One Bullet Too Many".

Working with editor Julius Schwartz and artists Neal Adams and Irv Novick, he would revitalize the character with a series of noteworthy stories reestablishing Batman's dark, brooding nature. He introduced Jason Bard as a supporting character in Detective Comics #392 (Oct. 1969) and later wrote a series of backup stories featuring the character. Man-Bat was co-created by Robbins and Neal Adams in Detective Comics #400 (June 1970). Robbins and Novick created the Ten-Eyed Man in Batman #226 (Nov. 1970) and the Spook in Detective Comics #434 (April 1973). Robbins helped launch the Plop! title and briefly drew DC's licensed version of The Shadow before moving to Marvel Comics. There he launched the Invaders series with writer Roy Thomas in 1975 and co-created the characters Union Jack, Spitfire, and the Kid Commandos. Other Marvel work included Captain America and Ghost Rider as well as the licensed characters Human Fly and Man from Atlantis. His final new comics work was published in the black-and-white magazine The Tomb of Dracula vol. 2 #2 (Dec. 1979).

Later life and death

Robbins moved to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, and spent his final years focusing on painting. He died of a heart attack on November 28, 1994.

Legacy

The Frank Robbins collection at Syracuse University has 1,090 original Johnny Hazard strips, consisting of 934 daily strips and 156 Sunday strips. Comic creators who cite his influence include Chris Samnee.

About Frank Robbins

How well do you know Frank Robbins?

Full Biography

Early life

Career

Comic strips

Comic books

Later life and death

Legacy

Test Your Knowledge – Trivia Challenge

Books & Media

Sources

1.Frank Robbins served as an assistant to which person on NBC building murals?

2.Which character did Frank Robbins co-create with Roy Thomas in 1975?

3.In which year was one of Frank Robbins' paintings featured in the Whitney Annual Exhibition of American Painting?

4.Which comic strip was originally initiated by Jack Kirby and written by Robert W. Farrell?

5.Who does the biography explicitly mention as a comic creator influenced by Frank Robbins?

6.Which character's last name was revealed by Frank Robbins and Irv Novick in Batman #216?

7.In which city was Frank Robbins born?

8.What is the name of Frank Robbins' wife?

9.In what year did Frank Robbins die?

10.Which aviation comic strip did Frank Robbins draw until 1944?

11.Who was the co-creator of the character Man-Bat along with Frank Robbins?

12.Frank Robbins spent his final years focusing on painting in which location?

13.Which comic strip did Frank Robbins create in 1944?

14.What was the title of the first story Frank Robbins wrote for DC Comics?

15.Which organization provided Frank Robbins with a grant in his teens?

People who died on November 28

Kuai Dafu

Moshe Yegar

Daniel Woodrell

Mario de la Torre Hernández

Related People

John Killacky

Miquel Navarro

Ved Rahi

Marcia Ann Gillespie

Isaac Tédambé

Tony Berlant

Muhammad al Ali

Elke Sommer

Spotted an error?