Creator

Lee Falk

Biography

Lee Falk was an American writer, playwright, and theater director born in St. Louis, Missouri. After graduating from the University of Illinois, he worked as a copywriter at a St. Louis advertising agency, where he met artist Phil Davis.

In 1934 Falk and Davis sold Mandrake the Magician to King Features Syndicate, making it one of the earliest adventure comic strips. Two years later Falk created The Phantom, which debuted on February 17, 1936. The Phantom's skin-tight costume, inspired by depictions of Robin Hood, predated and influenced the superhero costume conventions that followed. At their peak, the two strips attracted over 100 million daily readers.

Falk wrote both strips continuously from their inception until the final days of his life. Outside of comics, he ran five theaters over the course of his career, produced roughly 300 plays, and directed about 100 of them.

Creator Details

Name

Lee Falk

Issues

3,632

Series

139

Awards

Eisner Awards - Hall of Fame - Voter's Choices (2013), Inkpot Award (1989), Premios Haxtur (Haxtur Awards) - Author That We Loved (1989), Adamson Awards - Adamson Gold (1986), National Cartoonists Society’s Reuben Award - Silver T-Square Extraordinary Service Award (1986), Yellow Kid Award - Comic Illustrators and Authors (1984), Adamson Awards - Best International Comic-Strip [or Comic Book] Cartoonist (1977), Yellow Kid Award - Comic Illustrators and Authors (1971)

Gender

Male

Birth Date

April 28, 1911

Death Date

March 13, 1999

Birth Place

St. Louis, Missouri

Country

United States