Alvin Hollingsworth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alvin Hollingsworth
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Alvin Hollingsworth
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| Born | February 25, 1928 |
| Died | July 14, 2000 (aged 72) |
| Education | New York City High School of Music and Arts; City College of New York |
| Occupation | Comic-book artist, painter, art professor |
| Known for | One of comics' first African-American artists, co-organizer of The Spiral (artist participants in 1963 March on Washington) |
Alvin C. Hollingsworth (born February 25, 1928 – died July 14, 2000) was a talented American painter. He was also known as Alvin Holly. He was one of the first African-American artists to work in comic books.
Contents
Alvin Hollingsworth: Artist and Pioneer
Early Life and Comic Books
Drawing from a Young Age
Alvin Carl Hollingsworth was born in Harlem, New York City, New York. His parents were from the West Indies. Alvin started drawing when he was only four years old. By the time he was 12, he was already helping out as an art assistant. He worked on Cat-Man Comics for Holyoke Publishing. He went to The High School of Music & Art. There, he was classmates with Joe Kubert, who also became a famous comic book artist and editor.
Working in Comics
Around 1941, Alvin began drawing for crime comics. It was not common for comic artists to get credit back then. So, it's hard to know all his early work. His first confirmed comic book art was a four-page war story. It was called "Robot Plane" in Contact Comics #5 (March 1945). He drew and inked this story himself.
In the 1950s, Alvin Hollingsworth drew for many publishers. He worked on different types of comics. These included romance comics like Youthful Romances. He also drew for horror comics such as Dark Mysteries and Beware. He even drew for Atlas Comics.
Alvin Hollingsworth also worked on newspaper comic strips. These included Kandy (1954-1955) and Scorchy Smith (1953-1954). He also worked on Marlin Keel (1953-1954) with George Shedd.
A Career in Fine Art
Teaching and Painting
Alvin Hollingsworth graduated from City College of New York. He studied fine arts. In the 1960s, he taught illustration. He taught at the High School of Art & Design in Manhattan.
Later, he left comic books to focus on being a fine art painter. From 1980 until 1998, he was an art professor. He taught at Hostos Community College in New York.
Art for Change: The Spiral Group
As a painter, Alvin Hollingsworth often painted about important social issues. He focused on civil rights for women and African Americans. He also painted about jazz music and dance. He once painted an African Jesus Christ. He told Ebony magazine in 1971 that he felt Christ was a Black man. He said it was a symbol for modern prophets. He saw leaders like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King as such prophets.
In 1963, Hollingsworth and other African-American artists formed a group called Spiral. They wanted to help the Civil Rights Movement through art. They held art exhibitions to support the cause.
Alvin Hollingsworth's art can be seen in many places. These include the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. His work is also at the Brooklyn Museum. The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts+Culture in Charlotte, North Carolina, also has his art.
Personal Life
Alvin Hollingsworth was married to Marjorie. They had several children: Kim, Raymond, Stephen, Kevin, Monique, Denise, and Jeanette. He lived in New York's Westchester County when he passed away at age 72.
