William Henderson Graham (July 1, 1935 – April 4, 1997) Note: Graham's date of death was given as 1999 in "Biographies: Billy Graham", ''Marvel Masterworks: The Black Panther Volume 1'' (Marvel Worldwide : New York, 2010), was an

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

comics artist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary a ...

best known for his work on the

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

series ''

Luke Cage, Hero for Hire People *Luke (given name), a masculine given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Luke (surname) (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Luke the Evangelist, author of the Gospel of Luke. Also known as ...

'' and the ''

Jungle Action ''Jungle Action'' is the name of two American comic book series published by Marvel Comics and its 1950s precursor, Atlas Comics. The Marvel version contained the first series starring the Black Panther, the first black superhero in mainstream com ...

'' feature " Black Panther".

Early career

A graduate of New York City's Music & Art High School, Billy Graham was influenced artistically by the work of

Al Williamson Alfonso Williamson (March 21, 1931 – June 12, 2010) was an American cartoonist, comic book artist and illustrator specializing in adventure, Western, science fiction and fantasy. Born in New York City, he spent much of his early childhood in ...

Frank Frazetta Frank Frazetta (born Frank Frazzetta ; February 9, 1928 – May 10, 2010) was an American fantasy and science fiction artist, noted for comic books, paperback book covers, paintings, posters, LP record album covers, and other media. He i ...

, Burne Hogarth, and

George Tuska George Tuska (; April 26, 1916 – October 16, 2009),George Tuska
at the

. One of his earliest comics projects was illustrating writer

Don Glut Donald F. Glut (; born February 19, 1944) is an American writer, motion picture film director, and screenwriter. He is best known for writing The Empire Strikes Back (novel), the novelization of the second ''Star Wars'' film, ''The Empire Strikes ...

's "Death Boat!" in ''

Vampirella Vampirella () is a fictional vampire superheroine created by Forrest J Ackerman and comic book artist Trina Robbins in Warren Publishing's black-and-white horror comics magazine ''Vampirella'' #1 (Sept. 1969), a sister publication of '' Cre ...

'' #1 (Sept. 1969), one of

Warren Publishing Warren Publishing was an American magazine company founded by James Warren, who published his first magazines in 1957 and continued in the business for decades. Magazines published by Warren include '' After Hours'', '' Creepy'', '' Eerie'', '' F ...

's influential black-and-white

horror-comics Horror comics are comic books, graphic novels, black-and-white comics magazines, and manga focusing on horror fiction. In the US market, horror comic books reached a peak in the late 1940s through the mid-1950s, when concern over content and the ...

magazines. Graham would

pencil A pencil () is a writing or drawing implement with a solid pigment core in a protective casing that reduces the risk of core breakage, and keeps it from marking the user's hand. Pencils create marks by physical abrasion, leaving a trail ...

and self-

ink Ink is a gel, sol, or solution that contains at least one colorant, such as a dye or pigment, and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing or writing with a pen, brush, reed pen, or quill. Thicker ...

a story in nearly each of the first dozen issues of ''Vampirella'', and an additional tale in issue #32 (April 1970) of its brethren publication ''

Creepy Creepiness is the state of being wikt:creepy, creepy, or causing an unpleasant feeling of fear or wikt:unease, unease. A person who exhibits creepy behaviour is called a creep. Certain traits or hobbies may make people seem creepy to others. The ...

''. Publisher James Warren recalled in 1999 that he promoted Graham to art director shortly after recruiting him as an artist: In a 2005 interview, Warren mentions tweaking a ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' reporter who asked about his decision to hire an

art director, a rarity in comics at the time: "'What!?' mock-screamed Warren. 'Is Billy black? I didn't know that. Get him in here! Billy, are you black? You're fired!'" Graham eventually left Warren and joined the creative team that launched Marvel's ''

'', inking the premiere issue (June 1972) over pencilers

John Romita Sr. John V. Romita (; born January 24, 1930) is an American comic book artist best known for his work on Marvel Comics' ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' and for co-creating characters including the Punisher and Wolverine. He was inducted into the Will Eis ...

and

George Tuska George Tuska (; April 26, 1916 – October 16, 2009),George Tuska
at the

. He either inked or himself penciled every issue of the book's 16–issue run under its original title, and the first as the retitled ''Luke Cage, Power Man'' (Feb. 1974). One reviewer of the reprint collection '' Essential Luke Cage, Power Man'' wrote, "The majority of the art is by George Tuska, initially inked by Billy Graham (with several solo pieces by Graham

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

give an intriguing record of his progression as an artist: His initial work has a rough, half-finished look to it, but his later issues are clean and beautifully detailed)....

Steve Englehart Steve Englehart (; born April 22, 1947) is an American writer of comic books and novels. He is best known for his work at Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s and 1980s. His pseudonyms have included John Harkness and Cliff Garnett. Early lif ...

, who wrote issues #5–16, said Graham "helped me plot, so that by the end it was pretty much a co-production." Graham is formally credited as co-writer of issues #14-15, though as Englehart's writing collaborator for those issues,

Tony Isabella Tony Isabella (born December 22, 1951) is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, artist and critic, known as the creator and writer of Marvel Comics' Black Goliath; DC Comics' first major African-American superhero, Black Lightning; and as ...

, recalled, "Billy Graham is credited as the co-scripter of my first issue 15and, try as I might, I simply do not recall getting anything other than the usual penciled pages to script. I skimmed a little of that issue and, making no judgment as to whether this is a good or bad thing, the writing does strike me as all mine." Graham collaborated with writer

Don McGregor Donald Francis McGregor (born June 15, 1945) is an American comic book writer best known for his work for Marvel Comics; he is the author of one of the first graphic novels. Early life Don McGregor was born in Providence, Rhode Island, where he ...

on the critically lauded " Black Panther" series that ran in ''

'' #6–24 (Sept. 1973–Nov. 1976), becoming the series' regular penciler with issue #11 (Sept. 1974) and leaving after penciling the first five pages of issue #22 (July 1976).

Bob Almond Bob Almond (born January 4, 1967 in Seoul, South Korea)''Comics Buyer's Guide'' #1650; February 2009; Page 107 is an American comic book inker whose credits include the Marvel Comics publications '' Warlock and the Infinity Watch'', '' Black Pant ...

, inker for much of the run of ''The Black Panther'' vol. 3, dedicated his work in Graham in an introductory note to issue #17 (April 2000). The

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

ous Buzz Maverik wrote in ''

Ain't It Cool News Ain't It Cool News (AICN) is an entertainment news website founded by Harry Knowles and run by his sister Dannie Knowles since September 2017, dedicated to news, rumors, and reviews of upcoming and current films, television, and comic book pro ...

'', "I know the 'Jungle Action''artist, Billy Graham, was black. His cool Marvel Bullpen name was 'The Irreverent' Billy Graham. For me, even though I later learned that Jack Kirby created the Panther, Graham will always be the definitive Panther artist. His art, even more than McGregor's writing, made T'Challa one of what I call the 'grown men' of the Marvel Universe, the others being Daredevil and Iron Man. Those three seemed like the kind of adult I aspired to be, with cool jobs, cool hobbies (superheroing), and cool chicks." In 2010,

Comics Bulletin Comics Bulletin was a daily website covering the American comic-book industry. History Silver Bullet Comicbooks The site was founded in January 2000 as Silver Bullet Comicbooks by its New Zealand-based publisher/editor Jason Brice. During this ...

ranked McGregor and Graham's run on ''Jungle Action'' third on its list of the "Top 10 1970s Marvels". Graham illustrated issues #3–9 of McGregor's 1980s

Eclipse Comics Eclipse Comics was an American comic book publisher, one of several independent publishers during the 1980s and early 1990s. In 1978, it published the first graphic novel intended for the newly created comic book specialty store market. It was ...

series ''

Sabre A sabre ( French: �sabʁ or saber in American English) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the early modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such as th ...

'', a spin-off of one of the first

graphic novels A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

. He also illustrated a story each by McGregor in Marvel's black-and-white horror-comics magazine '' Monsters Unleashed'' #11 (April 1975); an issue of the 1980s anthology '' Eclipse Monthly''; and two issues of the black-and-white ''

Eclipse Magazine ''Eclipse, The Magazine'' (or simply ''Eclipse'') was a black-and-white comics anthology magazine published by Eclipse Comics from 1981 to 1983. The magazine introduced several new characters and series — including Coyote, Ms. Tree, and Masked ...

''. He was both writer and artist of the six-page story "The Hitchhiker" in ''Eclipse Magazine'' #5 (March 1982). He additionally illustrated the Marvel story "More Than Blood", scripted by

science-fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

author

George Alec Effinger George Alec Effinger (January 10, 1947 – April 27, 2002) was an American science fiction author, born in Cleveland, Ohio. Writing career Effinger was a part of the Clarion class of 1970 and had three stories in the first Clarion anthology ...

, in ''

Journey into Mystery ''Journey into Mystery'' is an American comic book series initially published by Atlas Comics, then by its successor, Marvel Comics. Initially a horror comics anthology, it changed to giant-monster and science fiction stories in the late 1950s. ...

'' vol. 2, #2 (Dec. 1972); and two " Gabriel: Devil-Hunter" stories by

Doug Moench Douglas Moench (; born February 23, 1948) is an American comic book writer notable for his ''Batman'' work and as the creator of Moon Knight, Deathlok, Black Mask, '' Electric Warrior'' and '' Six from Sirius''. He is also known for his critica ...

in the black-and-white magazine ''Haunt of Horror'' #2–3 (July–Aug. 1974), as well as a Moench story in the black-and-white ''

Vampire Tales ''Vampire Tales'' was an American black-and-white horror comics magazine published by Magazine Management, a corporate sibling of Marvel Comics. The series ran 11 issues and one annual publication from 1973 to 1975, and featuring vampires as both ...

'' #7 (Oct. 1974). Graham's last comics work was co-penciling, with Steven Geiger, ''

Power Man and Iron Fist ''Power Man and Iron Fist'' (originally ''Luke Cage, Hero for Hire'' then ''Luke Cage, Power Man'') was an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics, featuring the superheroes Power Man and Iron Fist. Publication history ''He ...

'' (the again-retitled ''Luke Cage'' series) #114 (Feb. 1985), written by Jim Owsley, who would later write the Black Panther under his pen name, Christopher Priest.

Actor and playwright

Graham appeared as an

extra Extra or Xtra may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Film * ''The Extra'' (1962 film), a Mexican film * ''The Extra'' (2005 film), an Australian film Literature * ''Extra'' (newspaper), a Brazilian newspaper * ''Extra!'', an American me ...

TV commercial A television advertisement (also called a television commercial, TV commercial, commercial, spot, television spot, TV spot, advert, television advert, TV advert, television ad, TV ad or simply an ad) is a span of television programming produce ...

s for products including beer and chewing gum, and played the artist father of one of the lead characters in McGregor's unreleased, low-budget film adaptation of his '' Detectives Inc.'' graphic novels. Graham wrote several plays and received awards for his set design work as well.

Bibliography

Eclipse Comics

* ''

'' #2, 4–5 (1981–1982) * '' Eclipse Monthly'' #8 (1984) * ''

'' #3–9 (1982–1984)

Marvel Comics

* '' Haunt of Horror'' #2–3 (1974) * '' Hero for Hire'' #1–16 (1972–1973) * ''

'' vol. 2 #2 (1972) * ''

'' #10–22 ( Black Panther) (1974–1976) * '' Monsters Unleashed'' #11 (1975) * ''Power Man'' #17 (1974) * ''

'' #114 (1985) * ''

'' #7 (1974)

Warren Publishing

* ''

'' #32 (1970) * ''

Eerie ''Eerie'' was an American magazine of horror comics introduced in 1966 by Warren Publishing. Like '' Mad'', it was a black-and-white magazine intended for newsstand distribution and did not submit its stories to the comic book industry's volunta ...

'' #28, 31 (1970–1971) * ''

'' #1–3, 5, 7–8, 10, 12 (1969–1971)

References

External links

Billy Graham
at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators * *

at Don Markstein's Toonopedia
Archived
October 25, 2011 https://www.facebook.com/artistbillygraham https://www.facebook.com/ashantiprincessmovie www.ashantiprincessmovie.com