{"title":"Raymond, Alexander G.","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlexander Gillespie ‘Alex’ Raymond (1909–1956)\u003c\/strong\u003e was an American illustrator and newspaper cartoonist best known for creating the science-fiction adventure strip \u003cem\u003eFlash Gordon\u003c\/em\u003e. His detailed figures, dramatic lighting and carefully composed action scenes helped establish a distinctive visual style for American adventure comics.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRaymond 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 \u003cem\u003eTillie the Toiler\u003c\/em\u003e. He joined King Features Syndicate and developed his skills in the demanding medium of serialised newspaper illustration.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn 1934 he launched \u003cem\u003eFlash Gordon\u003c\/em\u003e, which followed a hero travelling to the planet Mongo, alongside \u003cem\u003eJungle Jim\u003c\/em\u003e, an adventure strip set in the tropics. He also worked on the detective strip \u003cem\u003eSecret Agent X-9\u003c\/em\u003e, initially written by Dashiell Hammett. These series gave Raymond opportunities to combine cinematic staging, elaborate costumes, futuristic architecture and precisely drawn human figures.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDuring the Second World War, Raymond served in the United States Marine Corps. Returning to civilian life, he created \u003cem\u003eRip Kirby\u003c\/em\u003e in 1946, a detective strip whose more restrained contemporary setting showed a different side of his draughtsmanship. His work also appeared in magazines, including \u003cem\u003eCollier’s\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eCosmopolitan\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRaymond 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 \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/emuseum.delart.org\/people\/1711\/alexander-gillespie-raymond\"\u003eDelaware Art Museum\u003c\/a\u003e and the \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.rit.edu\/artoncampus\/alex-raymond\"\u003eRochester Institute of Technology\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0776\/7965\/7290\/collections\/Raymond_Alexander_G_1909-1956.jpg?v=1794238361","url":"https:\/\/www.publicdomainimagelibrary.com\/collections\/raymond-alexander-g.oembed","provider":"Public Domain Image Library","version":"1.0","type":"link"}