John Dixon (cartoonist) facts for kids

John Dixon (born February 20, 1929 – died May 7, 2015) was a talented Australian artist and writer. He was famous for creating comic books and comic strips. His most well-known work was the comic strip Air Hawk and the Flying Doctors. This popular strip ran for many years, from 1959 to 1986.

About John Dixon

Early Life and First Comics

John Dangar Dixon was born in Newcastle, Australia, on February 20, 1929. His father was a school principal. After finishing school, John first worked as a window dresser. Later, he became an advertising agent because he loved art.

In 1945, John moved to Sydney. After trying different advertising jobs, he was told to try making comics. He listened to this advice. He wrote and drew his first comic book story, called The Sky Pirates.

He showed his story to a publisher named Henry John Edwards. Edwards liked it and bought it. The Sky Pirates appeared in Edwards' main comic book, Action. John then got a full-time job creating comics for Edwards.

Creating Popular Comic Heroes

John Dixon loved airplanes his whole life. His first comic book was Tim Valour. The main character, Tim Valour, was an adventurous pilot. He went on exciting science-fiction journeys.

Later, John changed Tim Valour's role. Tim became an agent for the International Security Organisation. He fought against bad guys and super-villains. During the Korean War, Tim and his friend Happy flew American jet fighters.

Tim Valour was very popular. It appeared in three different series, with 150 issues in total. This comic ran for almost ten years.

John's next comic was The Crimson Comet. This character was one of Australia's few true superheroes. The Crimson Comet was a private investigator named Ralph Rivers. He could take off his coat to show a bright red costume with huge wings.

The Crimson Comet first appeared in 1949. He fought against criminal masterminds and spies. John worked on this comic for many years.

Other Comic Works

John Dixon also drew for other popular comics. He illustrated several issues of Biggles. This was an Australian comic book based on Captain W.E. Johns' famous aviator stories. John's drawings appeared in Biggles comics between 1953 and 1957.

Other publishers also wanted John's talent. In 1958, he created a science fiction superhero comic called Captain Strato. This comic ran for three issues. The next year, he created a wartime adventure series called The Phantom Commando.

John also worked on the Catman comic book. He produced 12 issues of Catman between 1957 and 1959. These comics were later reprinted for new readers.

Air Hawk and Later Career

John Dixon eventually left comic books to focus on his comic strip. This strip was called Air Hawk and the Flying Doctor. It first appeared in a Perth newspaper on May 30, 1959. Soon, other Australian newspapers also published it.

In 1963, Air Hawk also became a daily strip. By 1967, the strip was popular not only in Australia but also in Britain, New Zealand, and South Africa. John continued to draw Air Hawk until 1986. He sometimes worked with other artists like Mike Tabrett and Keith Chatto.

John won the Stanley Award twice for his Air Hawk strip. He won in 1985 and 1986 for 'Best Adventure/Illustrated Strip'. He won again in 1992 for his work on US comics.

In 1986, John moved to Washington, D.C. in the United States. There, he worked as an art director for a magazine. After five years, he returned to drawing comics. He worked on several titles for US publishers, including Bloodshot and Eternal Warrior. He also worked as an illustrator and drew storyboards for films and video games.

From 1997 to 2003, he drew 16 stories for a Swedish comic book called Agent Corrigan.

Awards and Final Years

In 2012, John was diagnosed with a type of memory illness called Lewy Body Dementia.

In 2014, he received a special award called the Platinum Ledger Award. This award honored his lifetime achievements in Australian comics.

On April 18, 2015, John Dixon had a major stroke at his home in California. He passed away on May 7, 2015, surrounded by his family. He is remembered by his wife Sue, his children Andrew, Jaydi, Cindy, and Anne, and his sister Sheila.