Comic strips Illustration Obituary

Frank Renlie – RIP

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D. D. Degg February 8, 2024 1 minute 1 comment

Cartoonist, illustrator, and painter Frank Renlie has passed away.

From the obituary:

Frank Renlie graduated from the Burnley School of Professional Art (currently known as The Art Institute of Seattle). His early work was particularly inspired by his instructors William Cumming and James Edward Peck.

Following graduation he began a forty-year career as a freelance illustrator. Renlie was active with the Society of Illustrators in New York, and his illustrations were featured in many publications and venues throughout the United States, France and Germany.

While working as a professional illustrator, he also entered his paintings in juried shows throughout the Northwest.

Once retired from illustration Frank became a full time painter.

Frank’s newspaper comic career began by taking over the art (with Walt Price) from Dale Goss on the Sunday Tom Trick puzzle and activity page on October 31, 1965.

Within a year Frank was drawing the feature on his own. He continued the feature with Mary E. Goss until the page ended on October 25, 1970 (below).

Frank is next seen illustrating Paul B. Lowney’s Gleeb panels from 1980 to 1981/82 and 1984 to 1986.

Frank initials the panels “F.R.” It is not clear if these are original drawing or if they are excerpted from Paul B. Lowney’s Gleeb series of books from the 1970s.

Paul Lowney’s Wikipedia page says there was a syndicated Toads panel in 1997 which if it was a newspaper feature (I haven’t found it) may be outtakes of Lowney and Renlie’s Toads book.

By the late 1990s Frank was illustrating for Associated Press, The Baltimore Sun, and other newspapers.

hat tip to Lenona who has more links to Frank’s work, including his website and illustration source.