Robert C. Harvey (May 31, 1937 – July 7, 2022) was an American author, critic and cartoonist. He wrote a number of books on the history and theory of cartooning, with special focus on the
comic strip. He also worked as a freelance cartoonist.
Early life
Harvey described himself as having drawn
cartoons
A cartoon is a type of visual art that is typically drawn, frequently animated, in an unrealistic or semi-realistic style. The specific meaning has evolved over time, but the modern usage usually refers to either: an image or series of images ...
since age 7.
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WebCitation archive
on March 4, 2009. He received a B.A. at the
University of Colorado
The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University o ...
, where he submitted cartoons to the campus humor magazine, ''The Flatiron''.
Upon graduation in 1959, Harvey attempted to earn a living as a freelance cartoonist in New York, but was interrupted in his attempt by service in the U.S. Navy, 1960–1963. There he served as paymaster aboard the
USS ''Saratoga''.
Career
Upon his discharge, he became a high-school
English teacher for five years (1964–1969) before spending 30 years as a convention manager for the National Council of Teachers of English.
He received a Master's Degree in English at
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, th ...
in 1968, and a Ph.D. in English literature from the
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Univers ...
in 1978. While at NCTE, he freelanced cartoons to magazines, 1978–1982.
In 1973, Harvey began writing about comics and cartooning for ''
The Menomonee Falls Gazette''.
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ob March 4, 2009. In 1976, Harvey's columns began appearing in ''
The Comics Journal
''The Comics Journal'', often abbreviated ''TCJ'', is an American magazine of news and criticism pertaining to comic books, comic strips and graphic novels. Known for its lengthy interviews with comic creators, pointed editorials and scathing r ...
'', where he had a regular column. The 1990s saw publication of
Fantagraphics Books' ''Cartoons of the Roaring Twenties'' in two volumes, collected and edited by Harvey. Harvey was also a contributor to
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
' ''American National Biography'', providing biographies of a couple dozen cartoonists. In 1994, Harvey's first work of
comics scholarship ''The Art of the Funnies'' was published by the
University Press of Mississippi
The University Press of Mississippi, founded in 1970, is a publisher that is sponsored by the eight state universities in Mississippi.
Universities
*Alcorn State University
*Delta State University
* Jackson State University
*Mississippi State U ...
with ''The Art of the Comic Book'' following in 1996. He served as an associate editor for the journal ''Inks: Cartoon and Comic Art Studies'', taking responsibility for submissions related to the comic strip. In 1998, Harvey was guest curator for the ''Children of the Yellow Kid'' exhibition at the Frye Museum in Seattle, for which he also provided the catalogue.
Harvey wrote or collected and edited thirteen books on comics and cartooning, including his ''
Milton Caniff
Milton Arthur Paul Caniff (; February 28, 1907 – April 3, 1988) was an American cartoonist famous for the ''Terry and the Pirates'' and ''Steve Canyon'' comic strips.
Biography
Caniff was born in Hillsboro, Ohio. He was an Eagle Scout and a r ...
: Conversations'' (2002) from the University Press of Mississippi, followed by a full biography of Caniff, ''Meanwhile... A Biography of Milton Caniff, Creator of
Terry and the Pirates and
Steve Canyon'' (2007) published by Fantagraphics. His most recent book is ''Insider Histories of Cartooning: Rediscovering Forgotten Famous Comics and Their Creators'' (2014) from UPM. A complete list of his books appears at his website. Harvey also interviewed cartoonists for the long-running quarterly magazine ''Cartoonist PROfiles'',
and he contributed a column for a brief time to the ''
Comics Buyer's Guide
''Comics Buyer's Guide'' (''CBG''; ), established in 1971, was the longest-running English-language periodical reporting on the American comic book industry. It awarded its annual Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Awards from 1983 to circa 2010. The publ ...
''.
Harvey was a member of the
National Cartoonists Society (NCS) as well as an associate member of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists (AAEC).
He received the following awards: All-Navy Cartoonist, 1960; the AAEC Ink Bottle Award "in recognition of dedicated service to the Association and distinguished efforts to promote the art of editorial cartooning," 2013; the
San Diego Comic-Con International
San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is c ...
's
Inkpot Award
The Inkpot Award is an honor bestowed annually since 1974 by Comic-Con International. It is given to professionals in the fields of comic books, comic strips, animation, science fiction, and related areas of popular culture, at CCI's annual conv ...
"for achievement in comic arts," 2018.
Personal life
Harvey married his wife Linda née Kubicek in 1971. They had twin daughters, Julia (Jill) and Katherine (Kit), born in May 1975.
In late June 2022, Harvey fell and unknowingly broke six ribs. He was later hospitalized, and, on July 7, 2022, he died from complications of the fall at age 85.
References
External links
R. C. Harvey official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harvey, R. C.
1937 births
2022 deaths
American cartoonists
Comics critics
University of Colorado Boulder alumni
United States Navy sailors
Accidental deaths from falls
New York University alumni
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumni
Terry and the Pirates