Harry V.R. Anderson

Harry Van-Dine Ryder Anderson (January 20, 1911 – September 12, 1972) was an American illustrator of comic books during the Golden Age of Comic Books as well as pulp magazines and trade journals.
==Biography==
Anderson was born in Seattle, Washington, United States, on January 20, 1911 to Edith M. (Osborne) and another Harry Van Dine Ryder Anderson, a Deputy U.S. Marshall, and bookkeeper in the Sheriff's Office. He began work as an illustrator in 1935 in New York City at the age of 24, creating pen and ink drawings for pulp magazines, trade journals, etc. At this time, he was free-lancing for the most part. He later specialized in comic books. Accounts included Whitman Publishing, Street & Smith, Fawcett Publications, Parents (magazine)|Parents Magazine and others. In 1939, he ghost-illustrated a nationally syndicated comic strip, “Robin Hood & Company” for the Toronto Telegram. He also worked through studios like Jack Binder (comics)|Binder, Chesler and Funnies Inc.. He illustrated Ace Periodicals features like “Dr. Nemesis”, “The Flag”, “Sky Smith” and “Typhoon Tyson” as well as “Sniffles and Mary Jane” for Dell Publishing, “Black Owl” for Feature Comics and many crime and western features for Hillman Periodicals.
He was an artist on Fawcett’s “Bulletman”, “Captain Midnight”, “Lance O’Casey” and “Nyoka”, among others. In the first half of the 1950s he worked on many mystery, romance and action titles for Atlas Comics,Orbit Comics and Quality Comics. He also illustrated Quality’s “T-Man”. After that he retired from comics.
Anderson also worked in advertising during this time as well as after the war in similar mediums including booklets for Swift Meat Packers (“March to Market”),Thom McAn Shoes,General Electric Company ("Adventures into the Past”), American Cancer Society, various books and magazines, as well as illustrated copy material for the campaign of Senator Jacob Javits of New York and Governor Chester Bowles of Connecticut. He also created a series of educational illustrations for conversion to film for Eastman Teaching Films, Inc.
From 1943-1944, Anderson served in the Transportation Corps. of the Army, working as an artist. He was honorably discharged in 1944.
After the war, from 1947 to 1951, Anderson served as the Art Director and Head Artist for an advertising agency, “Brevity, Inc.” in New York City. He received a national advertising association’s “Best in Industry” Award in 1949 for a series of booklets for personnel training for the Cities Service Oil Company.
In 1954, Anderson moved to California. After divorcing his wife, he brought along his 7-year old son, Loryn Ryder Anderson. Beginning in 1956, he began teaching art classes at the famed Palo Alto Art Center. He continued his work there for at least a decade. He worked many free-lance illustrating jobs including Sunset Magazine, Peninsula Lithograph and Hewlett-Packard in California. He is also credited with illustrating booklets titled “Bible Tales for Young People”; there are various numbered editions in circulation.
From 1960-1962, he worked at Schwabacher & Co. in San Francisco as a Municipal Financial Consultant, working primarily with municipalities on bond issuances.
In 1963 he was the Art Director for Behavioral Research Laboratories, a text book publisher in Palo Alto, CA. He also worked in association with Robert Blanchard, publisher of The Journal of Commercial Art Magazine. 
He was married again on July 15, 1966 to Oriana Hay McCain of Palo Alto, CA.
Anderson died of cancer on September 12, 1972 at the Veterans Hospital in Palo Alto, CA.
== References ==
==External links==
*Pulpartists - Biography of Anderson plus several samples of his work
*Lambieck Comiclopedia - Brief biography of Harry V.R. Anderson
*Marvel Fandom - Comic book covers created by Harry V.R. Anderson
*Comic Vine - Comic book covers created by Harry V.R. Anderson
*Heritage Auctions - Anderson's cover art sold at auction for $1,782.50 in 2002.
Category:1911 births
Category:American artists
Category:American illustrators
Category:American painters