Lee Falk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lee Falk |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | Leon Harrison Gross April 28, 1911 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | March 13, 1999 (aged 87) New York City, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Area(s) | Writer and cartoonist |
|
Notable works
|
The Phantom, Mandrake the Magician |
| Awards | Adamson Award, Silver T-Square Award, Yellow Kid Award, The Roman Lifetime Achievement Award |
Lee Falk (born Leon Harrison Gross; April 28, 1911 – March 13, 1999) was an American writer and cartoonist. He is famous for creating two popular comic strips: Mandrake the Magician and The Phantom. At their most popular, these comic strips were read by over 100 million people every day! Lee Falk also wrote short stories and helped create novels about The Phantom.
Besides comics, Falk was also a playwright (someone who writes plays) and a theater director. He directed many actors, including famous ones like Marlon Brando and Paul Newman.
Early Life and Family
Lee Falk was born in St. Louis, Missouri. His mother was Eleanor Alina, a name he later used in his comic stories. His father, Benjamin Gross, died when Lee was young. His mother later married Albert Falk Epstein, who became a father figure to Lee and his brother, Leslie.
After college, Lee changed his last name to Falk, taking his stepfather's middle name. "Lee" had been his nickname since he was a child. His brother, Leslie, also changed his name to Falk.
Lee Falk was married three times. His last wife, Elizabeth Moxley, sometimes helped him with his scripts. She even finished his last Phantom stories after he passed away. Falk had three children: Valerie, Diane, and Conley. He died on March 13, 1999.
Creating Famous Comic Strips
Lee Falk had a lifelong interest in stage magicians. He said he drew the first Mandrake the Magician comic strips himself. When asked why Mandrake looked like him, he joked, "I was alone in a room with a mirror when I drew him!"
The Phantom was inspired by Falk's love for myths and legends. He enjoyed stories about heroes like King Arthur and characters like Tarzan. He was also interested in the Thuggee of India, which led him to create the Singh Brotherhood in his first Phantom comic.
Falk first thought of calling his character "The Gray Ghost." But he liked "The Phantom" better. He also said that Robin Hood, who often wore tights, inspired The Phantom's skin-tight costume. This costume style later influenced many other superheroes. Falk explained that the ancient Greek stone busts, which often had no eye pupils, inspired The Phantom's masked eyes. He felt this gave the character an interesting, almost inhuman look.
Theater Work
After comics, Lee Falk's biggest passion was the theater. During his life, he managed five different theaters. He produced about 300 plays and directed around 100 of them. Falk also wrote 12 plays himself, including two musicals. These musicals, Happy Dollar and Mandrake the Magician, were based on his own comic strip character.
Awards and Recognition
Lee Falk received many awards for his work in comics and theater. Some of these include:
- Yellow Kid Award (1971)
- Roman Lifetime Achievement Award
- Adamson Award for best foreign comics creator (Sweden, 1977)
- Golden Adamson (Sweden, 1986)
- National Cartoonists Society's Silver T-Square Award (1986)
- Inkpot Award (1989)
In May 1994, his hometown of St. Louis honored him with "Lee Falk Day." In 2013, he was added to the Will Eisner Hall of Fame, which recognizes top comic artists. On what would have been his 104th birthday, April 28, 2015, he was honored with a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
