Born in Stockton CA, Oct 23, 1920, to
Roberta Pandolfini Montana, an ex-Ziegfield
girl, and Ray Montana, leading banjo performer
on the Keith Vaudeville circuit. Little Bobby
learned slapstick and stand up comedy which he later
incorporated into his ARCHIE humor. The family summered in
Meredith NH, where his father raised vegetables and ran a
restaurant in town. Bobby went from table to table drawing
caricatures of the customers. He knew he wanted to be a
cartoonist at the age of seven.
When Bob was 13, his father died of a heart
attack. His mother remarried and the family
moved to Haverhill MA, where Bob attended
three years of highschool. He graduated from
Manchester Central, Manchester NH, in 1940. Much of his
high school days were portrayed in his cartoon strip. He
always said these were the best days of his life.
1937 and 1938, when Bob was 17 and 18, he
kept diaries of daily events and major
news-breakers. With notes and drawings that
show the life of a young man who wants to
be an artist.
He spent time in Boston, where his mother ran
a restaurant with her second husband. On the
weekends he worked in Boston drawing and
painting W.W.II and Red Cross posters. Bob
now had a baby sister, Georgie, whom he adored. He and his
older sister Ruth were also very close. These were good
times, frozen forever in Bob's portraiture of life at �Riverdale
High�.
After High school, Bob, with the help of a
wealthy benefactor, went to Pheonix Art
Institute in NYC. From there he entered the
work field of the free lance illustrator, drawing
for different comic houses and illustrating covers for comic
books such as Bat Man. John Goldwater, the president of the
comic house MLJ, asked Bob to work up the story line and
characters for ARCHIE, which was first published in the back
of a December 1941 PEP COMICS book, No. 22. Bob was just
21, and his puckish red headed 40's version of Tom Sawyer,
was such a hit that MLJ commissioned Bob to draw a whole
ARCHIE No.1, released in November 1942.
Bob served his country from 1942 to 1946, in
the US Army Signal Corps at Fort Mammoth,
NJ. Bob worked in... where else... the art
department, drawing coded maps for use
behind the lines in Europe. It was here in 1944, he met Peggy
Wherett, a 19 year old secretary for the Army. Peggy hailed
from Asbury Park, NJ. A one time model, she was Veronica to
his Archie. They were married in 1946, and they moved to
NYC.
After W.W.II, Bob returned to MLJ to resume
full command of the ARCHIE strip which
appeared daily in newspapers around the
world until his death in 1975. Meanwhile, MLJ
changed their name to Archie Comics Publications, and
developed Archie into a comic book, selling 2 million comic
books a month. "Archie is one of the classic icons" says Brian
Walker, curator of the Museum of Cartoon Art, in Rye, NY.
In 1948, Bob and Peggy moved back to his
summer haunts of Meredith, NH. They bought
an old New England farmhouse where they
raised four children, horses, sheep, chickens
and organic vegetables. Bob loved to be outdoors after his
many hours over the drawing board. He enjoyed sailing his
Friendship sloop, the "White Eagle" on Lake Winnipesaukee,
and ski touring through the back woods around his home.
Every so often he and Peg would pack up the family and go
to live abroad. Rome, Mexico, England; all became home for a
year or two.
During the '50's and '60's, Bob went overseas
several times with the USO. During the
Vietnam war, he went to Japan, where he
used cartoon characters and his humor to
cheer the vets in the hospitals. He participated in several
charitable organizations and would often give talks for civic
associations. Bob was a quiet man, not one to give many
interviews. He preferred anonymity to fame. Archie was the
famous one, and Bob was happy to remain in the background
doing the things he loved, sailing, farming, traveling and
being with his family.
Dan DeCarlo defined the look of the prototypical American teenagers Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead and their friends at Riverdale High after taking over as chief artist at the comic book company in 1975, when the characters' creator, Bob Montana, died. The Archie cast was a combination of real people Mr. Montana remembered from his high school years in Haverhill, Mass., and the idealized small-town America of the Andy Hardy movies. Mr. DeCarlo brought his own distinctive, clean-lined cartoon style, which was soon adopted as the house style for the characters, especially the leggy females with wide eyes and snub noses.
Mr. DeCarlo was renowned for his curvaceous depiction of the female form, so-called "good girl" art, which had its origins in the pinup style of World War II. "He was always interested in drawing shapely girls," wife, Josie said.
In 1946 he worked for Timely Comics (later Marvel Comics) on cheesecake titles like "Millie the Model" and "My Friend Irma," and free- lanced for The Saturday Evening Post, Argosy and Humorama.
"It was the time of Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield, so he was drawing that voluptuous type of woman," Mrs. DeCarlo said. "When he went to Archie, he was drawing teenagers, so he changed his style a bit," she said. "But he always had curve."
Mr. DeCarlo gave the blond Betty Cooper her distinctive ponytail and kept up with what teenagers were wearing, from miniskirts and Nehru jackets in the 1960's to baby T-shirts and cargo pants in the 90's.
Mr. DeCarlo was born in New Rochelle and attended New Rochelle High School and the Art Students League for three years before he was drafted into the Army in 1941; he worked as a draftsman and had a sideline, painting company mascots on the noses of airplanes.
He met his wife, Josie Dumont, a French citizen, in Belgium shortly after the Battle of the Bulge. His French was minimal. "We communicated with drawing," Mrs. DeCarlo said. "He would draw things for me to make me understand what he had in mind. He was really so amusing. Instead of just using words he would use cartoons to express himself. Right away we knew that we were meant for each other."
The ever-stylish Josie DeCarlo was the inspiration for the leader of the Pussycats. "We went on a Caribbean cruise, and I had a costume for the cruise, and that's the way it started," Mrs. DeCarlo said about her cat suit, immortalized by the animated cartoon's bubble-gum theme song, "Josie and the Pussycats/ Long tails and ears for hats."
"The hairdo came after," Mrs. DeCarlo said. "One day I came in with a new hairdo with a little bow in my hair, and he said, `That's it!' "
The exact circumstances of Josie's creation became the subject of a lawsuit involving Mr. DeCarlo and Archie Comics shortly before the cartoon was made into a feature film this year. Mr. DeCarlo said that he created the character on his own in the late 1950's and tried to sell it as a syndicated comic strip called "Here's Josie." At least one syndicate turned him down, he said. "You know, I threw that letter away," he once said. "If I still had that letter, there wouldn't have been any case. I would have been a shoo-in."
The position of Archie Comics was that Mr. DeCarlo created the character for them as "work for hire," so the rights belonged to the company. The fallout was rancorous even by the standards of such suits over intellectual property rights: Archie fired Mr. DeCarlo in May 2000 after 43 years of work.
"They could have worked it out," Mrs. DeCarlo said. "My husband was not asking for millions of dollars. They paid him well, but Dan felt that it was not enough. He was looking for them to realize that he was getting on in years and that he deserved to get something back."
He was listed as a creator in the end credits of "Josie and the Pussycats," which did poorly at the box office. He did receive a bonus and credit as co-creator of Sabrina the teenage witch, which became a popular live-action television show.
The couple's twin sons, Dan Jr. and Jim, both deceased, also worked on their father's comics as inkers.
Despite his falling out with the company, he loved Archie and his pals. "Those characters that he drew for Archie were always the subject for our conversation at the dinner table," Mrs. DeCarlo said. "We always wanted to know, what are they going to do tomorrow, what are you drawing, how are they going to dress? Everybody would voice his opinion. They were like part of our family."
DeCarlo passed away of a heart attack on December 19, 2001 at the age of 82.
Stan Goldberg has been a comic book artist for 45 years, having started his career (at age 16) in 1949 as a staff artist for Timely (which is now Marvel), where he was in charge of the color department. In 1958 he went freelance but continued to color all Marvel comics until 1970. As �Stan G� he was responsible for the color costumes for all classic Marvel super heroes and- villains of the 1960�s.
During the period from 1949 to the late 1960�s Stan also illustrated horror stories, drew gag cartoons for men�s magazines, created a classic pop art billboard (�No Cal Soda�), and drew such titles for Marvel as Patsy Walker, My Girl Patsy, all the Millie the Model books, and several funny animal books. From 1968 to 1970 he also drew all the teen titles for DC Comics: Debbie, Scooter, and Binky.
Since 1968 Stan has been drawing a number of titles for Archie, and in 1975-1980 he also drew the Sunday Archie comic strip. Most recently he drew the parts for the Archie Meets the Punisher crossover between Archie and Marvel.
Stan�s other freelance work over the past 15 years has included penciling Captain carrot for DC, drawing childrens story and activity books for various publishers, illustrating various greeting cards, and doing magazine illustrations for National Lampoon, Child, Redbook, Seventeen. Ms., Working Woman and many others.
Of his years at Marvel, he recalls, �Those early days were exciting times. Little did we know we were producing heroes and villains that would become the superstars of the industry. I look back on that time and find myself very fortunate to have been involved.�
Today, Stan Goldberg is currently working on many projects. He continues to illustrate the Archie comic book and other freelance work.
Craig Boldman finds inspiration for his writing by strolling through the mall and browsing offbeat catalogues.
His job? Writing the Archie comic strip for newspapers, and contributing an occasional piece to the Archie comic books.
"I carry a notebook around constantly and jot ideas as I think of them," Boldman said. "I don't stick around the house to write, though. Instead, I wander around town."
So, where is this inspirational place Boldman calls home? Hamilton, Ohio, located between Cincinnati and Dayton.
Boldman, 45, obviously isn't the first writer of this 60 year old comic strip. "The original writer and artist was Bob Montana," Boldman said. "His style was great, and his gags made me laugh out loud."
After Montana died in 1975, other writers filled in over the years. None, however, lasted very long.
Then, fate stepped in. In 1985, Boldman wrote a fan letter to a Jughead comic book artist. "His stuff was 20 percent funnier than anybody else's work," Boldman said.
The artist wrote back, offering advice and a page of his original art. "He encouraged me to break into the comics," Boldman said. "So, I submitted a few comics over the years, but never got a nibble."
Eventually, Boldman's work caught the attention of the Archie editor, Victor Gorelick. By 1993, Boldman was the official Archie comic.
Ironically, although Boldman's formal training was as an artist, he doesn't do the actual writing for the strip. "Writing the strip is a pleasure, though, and it's fun to see the finished art by Henry Scarpelli," he said. Boldman thinks he got the writing job because of his affinity for the characters. He sees red haired, freckled Archie Andrews as an "everyman character, with action revolving around him."
"Archie is an average teenager, surrounded by more extreme personalities," Boldman said. "He's a little awkward and accident prone, though, and he isn't the luckiest guy in the world. Trouble follows him, and he's often a victim of circumstance."
Boldman offers insight into the age-old raven haired Veronica/blond Betty debate. "No guy I've talked to prefers Veronica over Betty, although the Archie character does," he said.
Veronica has a certain allure, but she's spoiled," Boldman explains. "Betty is much nicer, well centered and level headed."
"Betty doesn't get enough respect," Boldman adds. "One would hope, if Archie had sense, that he'd eventually fall in love with her."
Who is Boldman's favorite character? "Definitely Jughead," he said. "He's the ultimate non-conformist."
Boldman said he can always introduce a new wrinkle to Jughead, as long as he keeps the voracious appetite and skinny physique intact.
"He's the only male character not under the spell of females," he said. "He sees how other males suffer because of their infatuations."
And Reggie? "He's not an evil guy, but he likes to do evil pranks, as recreation or a hobby," Boldman said. "Though he constantly plays rotten tricks, his friends are resigned to him. Weird friends are better than no friends, I guess."
"I use Reggie to stir up trouble," said Boldman. "I use Jughead for unorthodox, way-out-there type gags."
Boldman targets a general audience for his writing, instead of aiming specifically at the teen market. "We want both adults and teenagers to read the comic, although we realize the kids in the comic are several steps removed from actual teens."
"Riverdale High is an idealized school, one you wish you'd gone to," he said. "The point of Archie is pure entertainment, not breaking new ground or tackling serious teen subjects."
His strip is a "gag a day comic," rather than a long running plot. The longest running story Boldman created lasted about two weeks.
"In it, Archie ran for class president, which corresponded to a national election," Boldman said.
Archie comics are often set in the Choklit Shoppe, their official hangout, run by Pop Tate. Other common settings are the school or the homes of Archie or Veronica. "Veronica's wealthy father has changed several times over the years, according to Boldman. "Whenever a new writer worked on the strip, he's create a different first name for him. Finally, they settled on Hiram."
Although reading comics is fun, writing them is hard work. Archie comics run seven days a week, with Boldman writing one Monday through Saturday comic per day. "The Sunday comics are larger, though, and often require tinkering."
The Archie editor then sends Boldman a proof of the strip. "That's the only time I see my work," he said. My newspaper doesn't carry the comic strip!"
Boldman isn't sure how many newspapers carry his work. "Today isn't an optimum climate for older comic strips, except Charlie Brown, Blondie and a few others. When newspapers choose a comic strip to carry, they think of newer creations, instead of older ones It is a real struggle."
Boldman has worked as a cartoonist/humorous illustrator for over twenty years. He never makes a distinction between writing and drawing, however, seeing them as two parts of one process.
"I see myself as someone who tells stories by pictures, words, or a combination of the two," he said.
Boldman also wrote stories for the Superman comic books for over a year, calling that a real thrill. "I tried to recreate the innocent feelings the series had in the 50s and 60s," he said.
After that job ended, he created his own comic trip called Mr. Fixitt. This science fiction/adventure strip was set on an earth where time and space had run amok. "The planet was a crazy-quilt of time zones, and the geography was all mixed up too," Boldman said.
Mr. Fixitt was a lowly mechanic, with the intuitive ability to fix anything." Another character named Admiral Bird knew the secret of the strange time phenomenon, so he started grooming Mr. Fixitt to fix the planet.
"It was a lighthearted feature, published sporadically," Boldman said. We'll do it again."
Boldman has written short fiction for magazines. He has also created thousands of greeting cards, freelancing for Hallmark, American and Recycled. He signed a contract with the Gibson Greeting Card Company, writing humorous material for them.
Boldman uses the same method for creating cards as he does for the comic strip. "I wander around town, observing, waiting for funny ideas to strike," Boldman said. "I'm amazed that I can continue to write cards, though. How many ways can you say "Happy Birthday?"
Anyone interested in freelancing for card companies should put fifteen to twenty ideas on index cards, according to Boldman. "send them to companies, addressed to the freelance editor," he said. "The important factor is consistency, because anyone can send one funny idea."
Editors want people who can send good ideas every week. "Become such a fixture that editors look for your work, " he added. "They should wonder if you're down with the flu or something if your envelope doesn't show up."
What advice does Boldman have for aspiring cartoonists? "Train yourself to look for humor in any situation," he said. "Try to be original, or at least put your own distinctive spin on a gag."
"To break in, be relentless. Develop a thick skin against rejection," he added. "I don't need to tell writers about that, though!"
Boldman also reads other comics. "Certain artists and writers have struck me as consistently good and consistently funny," he said. "There are genuine laughs in those comics, although you have to sift through mediocre stuff first."
Boldman haunts news stands and book stores for publications that use his type of work, and then he goes after them.
"Writers Digest publishes a humor market guide," Boldman said. "However, I don't use guides with any regularity, so I'm not the guy to recommend one."
He breaks through writer's block by imagining how his characters spend their day. "I start from the moment they roll out of bed and I think of new angles along the way," he said. "The Archie strip is rooted in everyday humor, so I can twist any little incident into a gag."
Drought days are the worst part of writing the strip, according to Boldman. "Those days I can't think of a gag, and feel like I never will again. It produces anxiety, which makes it harder to snap out of it. It always passes eventually, though."
Boldman operates by instinct most of the time. After over twenty years, he still isn't sure how he gets his job done. "It seems miraculous to me," he said. "I've never dared to analyze the process too closely, for fear I'll mess it up."
Watch for Boldman's work in newspapers and book stores. And, if you're ever in Hamilton, Ohio, watch out for Boldman wandering through the mall.