Murphy Anderson was born on July 9, 1926,[1] in Asheville, North Carolina, and while in grade school moved with his family to Greensboro, North Carolina.[2] After graduating high school in 1943, he briefly attended the University of North Carolina before moving to New York City seeking work in the comics industry, and was hired by Jack Byrne as a staff artist at the comic-book publisher Fiction House.[2] His first confirmed credit is the two-and-two-thirds-page nonfiction aviation featurette "Jet Propulsion" in Wings Comics #48 (cover-dated Aug. 1944), and his first fiction feature was an eight-page "Suicide Smith and the Air Commanders" story in Wings Comics #50 (Oct. 1944). By the following month he was the regular artist on the Planet Comics features "Life on Other Worlds" and "Star Pirate".[3] Anderson continued doing comics work, as well as illustrations for science-fiction pulp magazines, during his stateside postings while serving in the United States Navy from 1944 to 1945.[2]
"Star Pirate" splash page, Planet Comics #50 (Sept. 1947), penciled and inked by Anderson
Anderson succeeded artist and co-creator Carmine Infantino on the superhero feature "Captain Comet" beginning with the story "The Girl from the Diamond Planet" in Strange Adventures #12 (cover-dated Sept. 1951).[3] Years later, Anderson and writer John Broome created the feature "Atomic Knights" in Strange Adventures #117 (June 1960),[5] which Anderson later described as his favorite assignment.[6] Anderson and writer Gardner Fox launched the Hawkman series in May 1964[7] and introduced the Zatanna character in issue #4 (Nov. 1964).[8] Comics historian Les Daniels noted that "Hawkman really took off when artist Murphy Anderson took over...Anderson came into his own with his elegantly ornamental version of the Winged Wonder."[9] The Spectre was revived by Fox and Anderson in Showcase #60 (Feb. 1966)[10] and was given his own series in December 1967.[11] In the 1960s Anderson proposed that comics pages be drawn at 10x15 inches rather than the prevailing standard of 12x18 inches, which allowed two pages to be photographed at the same time, and this subsequently became the industry standard.[12]
Anderson designed the costume of Adam Strange.[13] With his frequent collaborator, penciler Curt Swan, the pair's artwork on Superman and Action Comics in the 1970s came to be called "Swanderson" by fans.[14][15] He often hid his initials somewhere within the stories he inked.[16] In the early 1970s, DC assigned Anderson, among other artists, to redraw the heads of Jack Kirby's renditions of Superman and Jimmy Olsen, fearing Kirby's versions were too different from the established images of the characters.[17] In 1972, he drew Wonder Woman for the cover of the first issue of Ms. Magazine.[18] In 1973, he established Murphy Anderson Visual Concepts, which provided color separations and lettering for comic books.[19]
Anderson also contributed for many years to PS, the preventive maintenance comics magazine of the U.S. Army.[20]
Anderson and his wife of 67 years, Helen, had two daughters, Sophie and Mary, and a son, Murphy III.[21] Anderson died in Somerset, New Jersey on October 22, 2015, at the age of 89, of heart failure.[21]
The Flash #110–111, 114–115, 117–119, 121, 148–150, 152 (inks over Carmine Infantino); #195 (inks over Gil Kane), #200–204, 206–208 (inks over Irv Novick) (1959–71)
Superboy #167–172, 175–184, 186–195, 197 (inks over Bob Brown) (1970–73)
Superman #233–238, 241–244, 246–251, 253–270, 411, Annual #10 (inks over Curt Swan); #233 ("Fabulous World of Krypton");[note 1] #270 ("Private Life of Clark Kent"; full art) (1970–85)
Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen (full art) #129–130, 132; (Superman and Jimmy Olsen heads re-drawn over Jack Kirby layouts) #136–139, 141–145, 148 (1969–72)
In this issue, Anderson inked the Superman lead story (penciled by Curt Swan) as well as provided full art for a "The Fabulous World of Krypton" backup story.
McAvennie, Michael; Dolan, Hannah, eds. (2010). "1960s". DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle. London, United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. p.100. ISBN978-0-7566-6742-9. The Rise of the Atomic Knights, ushered in by scribe John Broome and illustrator Murphy Anderson, transported fans to a post-World War III Earth ravaged by atomic radiation.
Levitz, Paul (2010). "The Silver Age 1956–1970". 75 Years of DC Comics The Art of Modern Mythmaking. Cologne, Germany: Taschen. p.282. ISBN9783836519816. The Atomic Knights were developed by John Broome and artist Murphy Anderson, both of whom considered it their favorite assignment.
Zeno, Eddy. (2002). "Swanderson and Beyond". Curt Swan A Life in Comics. Vanguard Productions. p.33. ISBN978-1887591393. The term 'Swanderson' aptly described the seamless melding of Curt's pencils with Murphy Anderson's inks.
Evanier, Mark (August 22, 2003). "Jack Kirby's Superman". News From ME. Archived from the original on March 8, 2012. Retrieved April 22, 2012. Jack [Kirby] drew Superman and Jimmy Olsen his way, and Murphy Anderson did the adjustments. Sometimes, Anderson would re-pencil and then [Vince] Colletta would ink the entire page. More often, Colletta would ink the pages and leave the Olsen and Superman drawings for Anderson to finish.
Hahn, Joel (ed.). "1962 Alley Awards". Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac. Archived from the original on September 10, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
Hahn, Joel (ed.). "1963 Alley Awards". Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
Hahn, Joel (ed.). "1964 Alley Awards". Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
Hahn, Joel (ed.). "1965 Alley Awards". Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
Hahn, Joel (ed.). "Harvey Award Winners Summary". Hahn Library Comic Book Awards Almanac. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
