''Big Ben Bolt'' is a comic strip that was syndicated from February 20, 1950 to April 15, 1978. It was drawn by

John Cullen Murphy John Cullen Murphy (May 3, 1919 – July 2, 2004) was an American illustrator best known for his three decades of work on the ''Prince Valiant'' comic strip. Early life and education Born in New York City, Murphy spent his childhood in Chicago a ...

, written by Elliot Caplin, and distributed by King Features Syndicate. The strip followed the adventures of boxer and journalist Ben Bolt.

Publication history

In 1950, writer Elliot Caplin (brother of ''

Li'l Abner ''Li'l Abner'' is a satirical American comic strip that appeared in many newspapers in the United States, Canada and Europe. It featured a fictional clan of hillbilly, hillbillies in the impoverished mountain village of Dogpatch, USA. Written a ...

'' cartoonist Al Capp) suggested that Murphy illustrate a boxing comic strip he had in mind. Comics historian

Don Markstein Don Markstein's Toonopedia (subtitled A Vast Repository of Toonological Knowledge) is an online encyclopedia of print cartoons, comic strips and animation, initiated February 13, 2001. Donald D. Markstein, the sole writer and editor of Toonopedi ...

wrote: Murphy was the artist of ''Big Ben Bolt'' from 1950 to 1977. He occasionally used assistants, including

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 ...

(''Flash Gordon''), Alex Kotzky (''Apartment 3-G''),

Neal Adams Neal Adams (June 15, 1941 – April 28, 2022) was an American comic book artist. He was the co-founder of the graphic design studio Continuity Associates, and was a creators-rights advocate who helped secure a pension and recognition for Sup ...

(''Deadman''), John Celardo (''Tarzan'') and Stan Drake (''The Heart of Juliet Jones''). In 1971, Murphy took over ''

Prince Valiant ''Prince Valiant in the Days of King Arthur'', often simply called ''Prince Valiant'', is an American comic strip created by Hal Foster in 1937. It is an epic adventure that has told a continuous story during its entire history, and the full stretc ...

'', and Carlos Garzon became a regular inker. Eventually Murphy left the strip, and

Joe Kubert Joseph Kubert (; September 18, 1926 – August 12, 2012) was a Polish-born American comic book artist, art teacher, and founder of The Kubert School. He is best known for his work on the DC Comics characters Sgt. Rock and Hawkman. He is also kno ...

stepped in to draw ''Big Ben Bolt'', followed by

Gray Morrow Dwight Graydon "Gray" Morrow (March 7, 1934 – November 6, 2001).e., the Gilberton Company, publisher of the ''Classics Illustrated'' comic-book series of literary adaptations], and I was given a script. One thing led to another and I was soo ...

who eventually signed the strip starting August 1, 1977. He was followed by

. Big Ben Bolt ended on April 15, 1978. King Features' email service,

DailyINK DailyINK was an online service created by King Features Syndicate to email many classic and current comic strips directly to subscribers for an annual fee of $19.99. King Features described it as "the all-inclusive subscription service for the true ...

, began carrying ''Big Ben Bolt'' in June 2010.

Characters and story

As Markstein writes,

Awards

Murphy received the National Cartoonists Society's Award for Story Comic Strip for 1971 for his work on ''Big Ben Bolt'' and ''

''.

Publication history

Characters and story

Awards

References

Further reading