John Cullen Murphy

• Name — John Cullen Murphy • Born — 3 May 1919 • Birthplace — New York City, New York, U.S. • Died — 2 July 2004 • Place of death — Cos Cob, Connecticut, U.S. • Notable Works — Prince Valiant, Big Ben Bolt • Spouse — Joan Byrne • Awards — National Cartoonists Society's Story Comic Strip Award, Elzie Segar Award • Children — 8 • Known for — Illustration, comics

Born in New York City, Murphy spent his childhood in Chicago and in New Rochelle, New York, where his family moved in 1930. He started art classes at the age of 9, but aspired to be a baseball player. He received supervision from artists like George Bridgman, Norman Rockwell, Charles Chapman and Franklin Booth. He was playing baseball one afternoon when he got attention of Norman Rockwell, his New Rochelle neighbor, who asked the 15-year-old if he would like to pose for some magazine ads. Rockwell's Starstruck, showing a forlorn Murphy gazing at pictures of movie starlets, was the September 22, 1934 cover of The Saturday Evening Post. The experience inspired the young Murphy to become an illustrator. Rockwell became one of his good friends and mentors. Murphy started his career early, selling his first illustrations while he was still in high school. After high school, he studied in New York City at the Phoenix Art Institute and the Art Students League, where he was taught by the anatomist George Bridgman.

Murphy entered the U.S. Army in 1940, joining the 7th Regiment. He became an anti-aircraft officer during World War II, rising to the rank of major. He spent several years in the Pacific, beginning in Australia and ending in Tokyo. He was an aide to General William F. Marquat, who was on General Douglas MacArthur's staff. During the war, Murphy continued to illustrate, sending work to the Chicago Tribune and painting numerous portraits of military figures, including MacArthur.

Murphy's art often depicted sports subjects. His boxing material unexpectedly led him into the comic strip field, something he had never previously considered. In 1950, writer Elliot Caplin (brother of cartoonist Al Capp) of King Features Syndicate asked Murphy to illustrate a boxing comic strip he was planning to write. Murphy accepted his invitation. The resulting daily comic strip, Big Ben Bolt, was launched in 1950 and ran until 1978.

Murphy began his collaboration on Prince Valiant (the saga of a young Norse prince who becomes a knight of King Arthur's round table at Camelot) with creator Hal Foster in 1970 when Foster decided to lessen his workload at age 78. From the fall of 1970 until early 1980 Foster sent Murphy pencilled layouts, notes, and initially scripts. With Foster's retirement in 1979, Murphy's son Cullen took over the writing. Cullen Murphy began contributing stories to Foster while studying at Amherst College. Bill Crouch also contributed six story lines over the next four years. Murphy continued to draw Prince Valiant with his son scripting and his daughter doing the lettering and coloring until his retirement in March 2004, when he turned the strip over to his chosen successor, illustrator Gary Gianni. Murphy died four months later in Cos Cob, Connecticut.

In 1951, Murphy married Joan Byrne, also from New Rochelle. They had eight children. His son, Cullen Murphy (John Cullen Murphy, Jr.), is a writer and magazine editor.

Murphy never copied Foster's style, preferring a harder pen line instead of the softer brush look, giving the strip a more angular feel. Frank Bolle helped Murphy in layouts and research but Murphy's detailed pen work could still be seen in all the finished pages.