André LeBlanc
January 16, 1921 - December 21, 1998
We have in many issues of this newsletter detailed his work as an assistant to Sy Barry on the Phantom newspaper strip, highlighted by the interview in FOTP issue # 18. At the time of that interview, André was already battling the cancer that finally overtook him, but it never, ever bested him. André was intelligent, vibrant, talented, kind, and generous. I have never met a nicer man and he will be greatly missed by everyone who had the good fortune to meet him. I am not exaggerating when I say knowing him made all of his acquaintances’ lives a little richer. I was blessed having him as both a mentor and a friend. Whether or not you believe André may now be in a better place, I can definitely assure you that this plane is a better place because he was here.
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Joe Orlando
April 4, 1927 - December 23, 1998
Joe Orlando was known to Phantom fans as the artist of DC Comics four-issue Phantom mini-series released in 1989, but he also made anonymous contributions to Phantom history by ghosting some other Phantom art. I never met Joe, but he invited me to have lunch with him during our phone conversations. I regret not having taken him up on it... I always felt there would be time later.
When I spoke with him, he was the associate publisher
of MAD but still he took time to talk with me. Joe was a nice man. His more
than 30 years with DC found him in numerous roles, from editor to the company's
vice-president to editorial director. He was a colleague of André
LeBlanc's at the School of Visual Arts in New York. His loss was a great
one for family, friends, and fans.
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George Wilson
August 2, 1921 - December 7, 1998
Although he only produced 30 illustrations featuring the Phantom, George Wilson's work is some of the best ever on the subject. George's beautiful oil paintings graced the covers of all 15 of the Avon Phantom paperbacks and 14 of the Gold Key Phantom comics. Those images have been reused for collector cards, toy packages, Yugoslavian hardbacks, and television specials.
George was a quiet, modest man who purposely avoided
publicity. Some may have thought George reclusive - he lived alone, never
went to comic shows, or made public appearances - but we found him to be
warm, friendly, helpful, kind, generous, and outgoing. His very last painting
was of the Phantom, created for Friends of the Phantom.