Robert Nixon(7 July 1939 – 22 October 2002) was an artist who worked on severalBritish comics.[1]
| Robert Nixon | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 July 1939 South Bank, Middlesbrough,North Yorkshire,U.K. |
| Died | 22 October 2002(aged 63) |
| Nationality | British |
| Area(s) | Cartoonist,Artist |
| web | |
Biography
editEarly life and education
editNixon was born inSouth Bank, Middlesbrough,inNorth Yorkshireon 7 July 1939. He was the fifth of six children born to Arthur Nixon and Phylis Thompson. Robert's mother Phylis worked as a housewife while his father worked locally as a steelworker.
As a child, Nixon spent much of his time drawing and sketching, and his artistic skills were recognised when he was seven years old by teachers at Cromwell Road School which he attended in South Bank. During his early years as an artist, and supported by teachers at the Central Secondary Modern School (Victoria Street, Southbank), Nixon won several art competitions and a scholarship toMiddlesbrough Art Collegein 1955 when he was sixteen. Although his time at art college was cut short by the death of his father, Nixon gained employment locally as a lithographic artist and left in 1965 to pursue his career as a full-time cartoonist, initially forDC ThomsonofDundee.
During this transition, Nixon met and married Rita Kelly and after living in Middlesbrough for several years they moved toGuisborough,North Yorkshire, where they raised their four children Paul, Tony, Wendy and Catherine.
Career
editInThe Beano,he started out drawingLittle Plumin the early 1960s afterLeo BaxendaleleftDC Thomson.He later took overRoger the DodgerfromKen ReidandLord SnootyfromDudley D. Watkins,and revivedGrandpa,another Ken Reid creation, in the early 1970s in the same comic, as well asCaptain CutlerandHis Butler and Esky MoinSparky.He left DC Thomson shortly afterwards, and started to work atIPCMagazines (Fleetway), drawing such characters asKid Kong,Frankie Stein(not to be confused with theMonster Highcharacter of the same name) andGums.
Nixon drewThe 12½p Buytonic BoyforKrazy,although Brian Walker frequently deputised when Nixon was on leave. The strip first appeared in issue 1, dated 16 October 1976.
Nixon returned to DC Thomson in 1984 after being asked to by newBeanoeditor Euan Kerr, and began drawingRoger the Dodgeragain, as well as creatingIvy the Terriblein 1985. Later his friendTrevor Metcalfedrew this strip.
Nixon's strips are still being reprinted inThe Beano,appearing regularly as recently as 2011.
He would go on to drawBeryl the PerilinThe TopperandKorky the CatinThe Dandylater on in the decade, and continue drawing them throughout the 1990s.
Death
editOn 22 October 2002, Nixon died from a heart attack, aged 63.[2]
References
edit- ^Gravett, Paul.Obituary,The Guardian(November 7, 2002).
- ^"Bob Nixon Robert Nixon, cartoonist".The Scotsman.25 November 2002.Retrieved11 April2021.
External links
edit- Robert Nixonat Toonhound
- Peter Gray's Robert Nixon's comic fansiteat theWayback Machine(archived October 27, 2009)
 | This profile of a British comics creator, writer, or artist is astub.You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |