Official Press Release
Glenn Wood brother of cartoonist Wally Wood and J. David Spurlock
compiler of the Wally Wood Sketchbook, announce that a scholarship
fund has been set up in Wally Wood's name at the School of Visual
Arts in Manhattan.
"This fund is intended to perpetuate Wally's profound and long-
lasting influence on the comic-book art medium as well as the field
of commercial illustration," said Wally's brother Glenn, a retired
engineer living in Connecticut.
WALLACE (Wally) WOOD was one of the most important comic book
creators of the '50s & '60s and continued to produce inspired work
until his death in 1981. He was born June 17, 1927 and later studied
at the Minneapolis School of Art, and at the Cartoonists and
Illustrators School (now known as the School of Visual Arts).
Wood entered the comics field as a letterer, inker and background
artist on Will Eisner's the Spirit in 1949. He went on to illustrate
crime, romance, science fiction and horror stories for many of the
top comics and pulp magazine publishers.
In 1950, Wood's talents blossomed at William Gaines' EC Publications,
and it was here that he became Mad magazine's first star cartoonist.
Wood's work for Tales From the Crypt and Weird Science comic books
also led to him being considered one of the greatest science fiction
artists of all time. He assisted Dan Barry on the Flash Gordon daily
strip, and George Wunder on Terry & the Pirates. Wally also worked
with Jack Kirby on the Sky Masters strip and DC Comics' Challengers
of the Unknown.
In 1965, Wally Wood revolutionized Daredevil for Marvel Comics before
going on to create the beloved T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents for Tower.
An award-winning member of the National Cartoonist's Society, Wood
was instrumental in the creation of the Mars Attacks property for the
Topps company. Mars Attacks started as a revolutionary series of
Bubble Gum Cards and went on to be developed as toys and a major
motion picture. Wood pioneered adult comics and self-publishing with
Sally Forth, Cannon, Vampirella, Witzend and his Wizard King graphic
novels.
Originally founded in the late '40s by Silas Rhodes and Burne Hogarth
as the Cartoonists and Illustrators School, the School of Visual Arts
has grown to be one of the foremost art colleges in the world. SVA
alumni include Al Williamson, Roy Krenkel, Angelo Torres, Barron
Storey, MAD magazine editor, Nick Meglin, Flash co-creator and DC
publisher, Carmine Infantino and of course, Wally Wood. The college
has had a distinctive teaching history. The list of prestigious
artists who have taught at SVA include Burne Hogarth, Milton Glaser,
art spiegleman, Will Eisner, Barron Storey, Harvey Kurtzman, Marshall
Arisman, Carmine Infantino, J. David Spurlock, Angelo Torres, Joe
Orlando, Nick Meglin, Robert Weaver, Klause Janson and Walt Simonson.
Glenn Wood explained, "I was thrilled when Vanguard released the
Wally Wood Sketchbook and was discussing other options to further
Wally's legacy with J. David Spurlock. When I mentioned the
possibility of a scholarship fund, David reminded me, how many of
Wally's friends and colleagues had attended and taught at SVA. David
convinced me that the School of Visual Arts was the perfect college
for the Wally Wood Scholarship Fund."
Your support of this effort to show appreciation for Wood's important
legacy to the comic book artform is now being sought. Wally Wood fans
can join early donators Glenn Wood, Vanguard Publisher J. David
Spurlock and long-time Wood associate and Witzend publisher Bill
Pearson in this tribute to one of the all-time comic art greats.
All tax deductible checks should be made payable to the:
WALLY WOOD SCHOLARSHIP FUND and sent to:
Visual Arts Foundation
15 Gramercy Park South
New York, New York 10003