Ray Billingsley facts for kids

Raymond Curtis Billingsley (born July 25, 1957) is a famous African American cartoonist. He is most known for creating the popular comic strip Curtis. This comic strip appears in over 250 newspapers across the United States! It is shared by King Features Syndicate.

Growing Up and Discovering Art

Raymond Billingsley was born in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He spent his early childhood there. Later, his family moved to Harlem, a neighborhood in New York City.

Raymond became interested in drawing because of his older brother. His brother studied fine arts. Raymond wanted to draw just like him! This friendly competition helped him discover his love for cartooning.

Becoming a Cartoonist

Raymond Billingsley started drawing cartoons when he was young. He contributed early drawings to Kids magazine. This unique magazine was "by kids for kids." It was published from 1970 to 1975.

After high school, Raymond went to the School of Visual Arts. He earned a four-year scholarship to study there. In 1979, he started an internship at Walt Disney Studios.

Early Comic Strips

From 1979 to 1982, Billingsley drew a comic strip called Lookin' Fine. This strip featured all Black characters in their 20s. However, Raymond did not have much creative freedom with the strip. He decided to leave after two years.

By 1988, he was working as a freelance artist. He created television commercials and posters. He also did animation and worked for magazines like Ebony. In October of that year, King Features Syndicate introduced his new comic strip, Curtis.

Inspiration for Curtis

Billingsley gives credit to other cartoonists who helped him. He says Morrie Turner, who created Wee Pals, opened doors for Curtis. Wee Pals was the first American comic strip with characters of different backgrounds.

He also credits Will Eisner, who created The Spirit. Raymond said Eisner always encouraged him to try new things. He learned to push his artistic limits.

Awards and Recognition

Raymond Billingsley has received many awards for his work. In 2000, he received the President's Award. This was at a conference for lung associations in Toronto, Canada. He also got the Humanitarian Award in 1999 from the American Lung Association.

In 2014, he was given the Inkpot Award. His biggest honor came in 2020. He won the Reuben Award for Cartoonist of the Year. This award is given by the National Cartoonists Society. It put him in the company of famous cartoonists like Charles Schulz and Garry Trudeau. Raymond Billingsley is the first Black creator to receive this special award.