Overview of the Collection |
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| Creator: | Flanders, Charles, 1907-1973 |
| Title: | Charles Flanders Papers |
| Inclusive Dates: | 1935-1967 |
| Quantity: | 3.0 linear ft. |
| Abstract: | 182 original daily and Sunday cartoons from the newspaper comic strip The Lone Ranger (1966), correspondence (1935-1967), original drawings and sketches, published material, and original typed continuity script from Fran Striker. |
| Language: | English |
| Repository: | Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Library 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 http://scrc.syr.edu |
Cartoonist Charles Flanders (1907-1973) began his career as a commercial artist in Buffalo, NY. He moved to New York City in 1928 where he worked for an advertising agency and then as a magazine illustrator before being hired by King Features Syndicate in 1930. For King Features, Flanders worked on several preexisting strips including Tim Tyler's Luck and Bringing Up Father. In the mid-1930s he created comic adaptations of Ivanhoe and Treasure Island for Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson's New Fun Comics as well as an original strip, Sandra of the Secret Service.
The last work that he did in his own style was a 1935 Sunday strip, Robin Hood. Following that, he and other King Features artists were encouraged to adopt the style of Alex Raymond, whose Flash Gordon, Jungle Jim, and Secret Agent X-9 were very popular. Flanders' emulation was good enough that he eventually was given responsibility for the X-9 strip (1935), followed by King of the Royal Mounted (1936) and The Lone Ranger (1939). Flanders drew the Lone Ranger until 1971, though in his later years he had increasing difficulty and Tom Gill, the artist for the comic book version, often filled in.
The Charles Flanders Papers contains the following types of materials:
Cartoons. There are 156 original daily cartoons and 26 original Sunday cartoons from the newspaper comic strip The Lone Ranger (1966). Daily cartoon: traces of graphite, zipatone, brush, pen and ink on illustration board, approx. 6 ¾ x 20 in. Sunday cartoon: traces of graphite, brush, pen and ink on illustration board, approx. 18 ¾ x 26 ½ in.
Correspondence. Approximately 20 pieces of incoming correspondence (1935-1967, undated)—primarily from readers, but also includes letters from cartoonist Jack Kent and comic book artist Joe Sinnott.
Drawings. 1 framed original portrait of an Indian chief in full headdress (1966). Untitled: graphite, pen and ink on paper, 12 ¾ x 14 ¾ in.
Published materials. 1 copy of The Big Book of Fun Comics No. 1 (National Allied Publications, 1935), containing published examples of Flanders' Ivanhoe and Sandra of the Secret Service; 1 copy of a comic fanzine titled Men of Mystery (Aug 1966) with feature article on The Lone Ranger; and 1 tear sheet from the comic Ivanhoe (1935). Tear sheet: 1 color page, approx. 9 ¼ x 12 ¼ in.
Scripts. 1 typed continuity script written by Lone Ranger creator Fran Striker (7 pages), and newspaper clip announcing Striker's death (1962).
Sketches. 8 original sketches related to The Lone Ranger, including character studies, sketches of trains and sketches of Native American houses, masks, customs and villages (undated). Sketch: pencil, crayon, pen and ink on paper, most approx. 8 x 11 in.
Daily and Sunday cartoons are arranged separately in chronological order. Other materials are foldered by type. Correspondence is also in chronological order.
There are no access restrictions on this material
Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.
The Big Book of Fun Comics (National Allied Publications, 1935) has been removed for separate cataloging. This item is noted in the inventory as "Transferred to Rare Books" and can be located via SUMMIT, our main catalog .
Special Collections Research Center has collections of over one hundred cartoonists. Please refer to the SCRC Subject Index for a complete listing.
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Charles Flanders Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Library
Gift of Charles Flanders, 1966-1967.
Created by: SBM
Date: Dec 1969
Revision history: 20 Mar 2007 - converted to EAD (MRC);
14 Apr 2009 - revised (MD)
| The Lone Ranger cartoons (182) | |||||||||||
| Click here for detailed inventory. | |||||||||||
| Daily cartoons (156) | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | 1966 Jan - 1966 Jul | ||||||||||
| Sunday cartoons (26) | |||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | 1966 Jan - 1966 Jul | ||||||||||
| Correspondence | |||||||||||
| Oversize 2 | Incoming correspondence 1935-1967, undated (approx. 20 letters) | ||||||||||
| Drawings (1) | |||||||||||
| Oversize 2 | Untitled [portrait of Indian chief in full headdress] 1966 | ||||||||||
| Published material | |||||||||||
| The Big Book of Fun Comics 1935 | |||||||||||
| This book has been transferred to Rare Books for separate cataloging. This item can be located via SUMMIT, our main catalog . | |||||||||||
| Oversize 2 | Ivanhoe [tear sheet] 1935 (1 page) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 2 | Men of Mystery no. 4 Aug 1966 | ||||||||||
| Scripts (1) | |||||||||||
| Oversize 2 | Typed continuity script by Fran Striker for The Lone Ranger 24 Sep 1962 - 29 Sep 1962 | ||||||||||
| hand written note from Flanders: "last continuity from Frank Striker...1962" | |||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Newspaper clipping of Fran Striker's death 1962 | ||||||||||
| Sketches (8) | |||||||||||
| Oversize 2 | Figures and scenes for The Lone Ranger | ||||||||||
