Hal Foster

From Free net encyclopedia

Harold ("Hal") Rudolf Foster (August 18, 1892 in Halifax, Nova Scotia – July 25, 1982) created the comic strip Prince Valiant. He was a student at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. After jobs as an illustrator, he became involved with Tarzan, an adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs's novels. His impact on the comic was huge and is of great importance in the history of the field for his painstakingly realistic and exact drawings. After a while, he grew tired of adaptation and wished for something he had truly created himself.

William Randolph Hearst long wanted Foster to do a comic for his papers. Hearst was so impressed with Foster's pitch for Prince Valiant, he promised Foster the ownership of the strip if he would start the series, a very rare offer in those days.

Hal Foster was recognized for his work with the National Cartoonist Society Reuben Award in 1957, their Story Comic Strip Award in 1964, their Special Features Award in 1966 and 1967, all for Prince Valiant, their Elzie Segar Award in 1978, and their Gold Key Award (their Hall of Fame) in 1977.

In 2005 Hal Foster was inducted into the Joe Shuster Canadian Comic Book Creator Hall of Fame for his contributions to comic books. The award was accepted on behalf of the family by an emotional Dave Sim, a longtime fan of Mr. Foster's work.

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