Vernon Grant facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Vernon Grant |
|
|---|---|
Poster for exhibition of Vernon Grant's art.
|
|
| Born | Vernon Ethelbert Grant February 14, 1935 Cambridge, Massachusetts |
| Died | July 23, 2006 (aged 71) Cambridge, Massachusetts |
| Nationality | American |
| Area(s) | Cartoonist |
|
Notable works
|
The Love Rangers |
Vernon Ethelbert Grant (born February 14, 1935 – died July 23, 2006) was a talented cartoonist. He created graphic novels, which are like long comic books that tell a complete story. He was also famous for his small-sized comic book series, The Love Rangers. People often called him Vern Grant. Many believe he was the first to bring the look and ideas of Japanese manga into English cartoons.
Contents
About Vernon Grant
Vernon Grant started drawing cartoons to earn money when he was a child. He made birthday cards for people. After high school in Cambridge, Massachusetts, he studied art for a year in Boston. In 1958, at age 23, he joined the Army.
He served in the Army for over ten years. He was an officer and eventually became a Captain. He even went to Vietnam twice. While in Europe, he learned Japanese and French. He also trained to jump out of planes!
His Time in Japan
In Tokyo, Japan, Grant was a regular cartoonist for a newspaper called Stars and Stripes. He also drew for other English newspapers in Japan. This is where he became very interested in Japanese comics. He later said that seeing a French comic book in 1967 reminded him of his love for drawing.
After leaving the Army in Japan in 1968, he studied Japanese history and culture. He spent years learning about Japanese cartoonists and their different styles. In 1972, he saw his first "underground comic book," which really impressed him.
In 1972, Grant met Betsy Reese, who was also studying in Tokyo. They moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, the next year and got married in 1978. Betsy Grant is also an author.
The Love Rangers and Other Works
While living in Japan, Vernon Grant wrote and drew several graphic novels. These included a two-part story about the military called Point-Man Palmer. He also created A Monster is Loose in Tokyo (1972), which was about what life was like for a foreigner in Japan.
When he returned to Cambridge, he made a series of 15 "Computer Cartoons" postcards. These were sold at Boston's Computer Museum. He also created his most famous work, The Love Rangers.
The Story of The Love Rangers
The Love Rangers is a science-fiction comic book series. It's about a space crew that travels the universe. The crew is made up of different races and even includes robots. They live on a huge spaceship called "Home," which has 35,000 people on seven levels!
The ship is commanded by a male and female Shipmaster who share all duties equally. One important character is Princess Tomi. She leads her "Mice People" in a fight against the "Owls."
Vernon Grant designed many cool robots and devices for the ship. Some of these were similar to things the U.S. military developed years later! The main goal of the Love Rangers is to bring peace to difficult situations using "Love."
Their spaceship is powered by feelings of disagreement and hate from different parts of the universe. Sometimes, the Love Rangers have to use weapons. But they always try to use their "love gas" first. This gas helps change people's minds and encourages peace. For example, in the first book, the love gas helps a character named Count Ratalus stop wanting to fight. Instead, he learns to work peacefully with his enemies.
A Marathon Runner
Vernon Grant was also a dedicated marathon runner. He was well-known in the yearly Boston Marathon. He completed 33 marathons in total! His wife often ran races with him for many years.
He once said that many of his ideas for cartoons came to him while he was running. He would then write them down when he had a chance. Sadly, he had a heart attack while running in July 2006. He passed away two weeks later.
Exhibitions and Collections
Vernon Grant's artwork is part of the Comic Art Collection at Michigan State University.
In March 2007, his wife, Betsy Grant, organized an exhibition of his art. It was held at the Cambridge Public Library. She put on another show in April 2008, focusing on The Love Rangers. Vernon Grant's work and an interview with Betsy Grant were also featured on a local TV show.
See also
- List of cartoonists
- List of illustrators
- List of science fiction visual artists
