Alexander Gillespie ‘Alex’ Raymond (1909–1956) was an American illustrator and newspaper cartoonist best known for creating the science-fiction adventure strip Flash Gordon. His detailed figures, dramatic lighting and carefully composed action scenes helped establish a distinctive visual style for American adventure comics.
Raymond was born in New Rochelle, New York, on 2 October 1909. After studying art in New York, he worked as an assistant on newspaper comic strips, including Tillie the Toiler. He joined King Features Syndicate and developed his skills in the demanding medium of serialised newspaper illustration.
In 1934 he launched Flash Gordon, which followed a hero travelling to the planet Mongo, alongside Jungle Jim, an adventure strip set in the tropics. He also worked on the detective strip Secret Agent X-9, initially written by Dashiell Hammett. These series gave Raymond opportunities to combine cinematic staging, elaborate costumes, futuristic architecture and precisely drawn human figures.
During the Second World War, Raymond served in the United States Marine Corps. Returning to civilian life, he created Rip Kirby in 1946, a detective strip whose more restrained contemporary setting showed a different side of his draughtsmanship. His work also appeared in magazines, including Collier’s and Cosmopolitan.
Raymond died in a car accident on 6 September 1956, aged 46. His illustrations influenced later newspaper cartoonists and comic-book artists. His career is documented by the Delaware Art Museum and the Rochester Institute of Technology.
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