Ron Turner (artist)

Infobox Comics creator
name = Ron Turner


imagesize =
caption =
birthname =
birthdate = 1922
location =
deathdate = December 19, 1998
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nationality = British
area = Artist
alias =
notable works = "Rick Random"
awards =
website =

Ron Turner (1922 – December 19, 1998) was a British illustrator and comic book artist.

Biography

Early life and career

Ron Turner became interested in science fiction at an early age, with numerous works across several media: the novels of H.G. Wells, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and Jules Verne; films and film serials such as Metropolis, Things to Come, and Flash Gordon; and Alex Raymond's comic strips. He developed a keen interest in American science-fiction pulp magazines, such as Amazing Stories and Astounding Stories (now known as Analog Science Fiction), and Turner first began to develop his talent by attempting to copy the often spectacular cover illustrations.

In 1936, at age 14, Turner first got work as an apprentice in Odhams, a London art studio and publishing house. By 1938, Turner was providing illustrations for the British magazine "Modern Wonder". In 1940, Turner's professional art career was interrupted by World War II, and he was drafted into the British army. He returned to professional illustration in the late 1940s, getting a job drawing comic strips for Scion Ltd.'s "Big" series, mostly centered around the crew of the "Atomic Mole", a subterranean craft, who would explore the habitable spaces beneath the Earth's crust.

Odhams eventually began publishing a line of paperback fiction, for which Turner drew numerous covers, notably the "Vargo Statten" series by John Russell Fearn. Turner's art raised his profile in the illustration world enough that other publishers began sending assignments his way as well. In 1953, Turner left Odhams to try his hand at freelancing and attempt to produce a regular comic strip in the mode of British cartoonist Frank Hampson, an idol of Turner's.

olo comics work

In late 1953 he spoke to the publisher of "Tit-Bits Science Fiction Novels" (for which Turner was providing cover illustration) about the possibility of producing his own comic series. The publisher agreed, and began "Tit-Bits Science Fiction Comics", a 64-page monthly comic book written, drawn, and lettered by Turner. It quickly became apparent that the workload was too onerous for just one man, and Turner reluctantly brought in other artists in order to meet his deadlines. Nevertheless, the publication was canceled after just seven issues.

Just after the demise of "Tit-Bits Comics" (or just before; the chronology is unclear) Turner began to write, draw and letter the "Space Ace" strip for the "Lone Star" comic, which required only four pages per month. In 1954, he also started drawing for Amalgamated Press's "Super-Detective Library" comic, which had recently started running a science-fiction strip called "Rick Random: Space Detective". Editor Ted Holmes commissioned Turner to provide art for the strip, leaving the chores of script-writing, lettering and cover illustration to others. Turner worked on "Rick Random" for the next five years.

1960s

As the vogue for pulp science fiction dwindled, Turner found work doing cover illustrations again for numerous publications, such as the popular science journal "Practical Mechanics". By the mid-sixties Turner had more or less abandoned the world of monthly publishing, and was producing original paint-by-number paintings for the company Craftmaster.

In 1965, Turner was offered the opportunity to draw his first color comic strip, "The Daleks", starring characters from the television series "Doctor Who" but not Doctor Who himself. ["Doctor Who" was copyrighted to the BBC, while the Daleks belonged to Terry Nation] This strip appeared in the British comics magazine "TV Century 21" through 1967.

Turner again found work with Amalgamated Press (now called Fleetway), taking over the black and white "Robot Builders" strip from Carlos Cruz in Fleetway's "Tiger and Hurricane" comic magazine. In 1968, Turner returned to TV21 to draw some strips for its flagship Thunderbirds series, and spent the next several years working on all of the Gerry Anderson annual issues, contributing strips for the Thunderbirds, Stingray, Joe 90 and Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, among others.

1970s

In the 1970s, Turner began working for IPC Media (which had absorbed Fleetway Publications), drawing strips for the Whizzer and Chips comics magazine, including "Wondercar", "Archie's Angels" and "Danny Drew's Dialling Man", generally oriented towards a youth market. In the late 1970s, Turner drew some Judge Dredd strips for 2000 AD, although his style did not find favour with his editors, and the long-term assignment eventually fell to other artists, notably Mike McMahon, Brian Bolland, Ron Smith and, on select occasions, Dave Gibbons. Turner then moved to IPC Media's war comic magazine "Battle Action" to draw a strip called "Spinball Wars". He also worked on a revival of Rick Random in 2000 AD.

The 1980s

Turner began drawing for the new IPC Media weekly comics magazine "Speed" a strip called "Journey to the Stars", although the magazine was canceled soon afterwards. Turner found work with other IPC comics magazines such as "War" and "Battle Picture Library", but the shrinking comic-book market in Britain in the 1980s soon caused these publications to fold as well, in 1984. At this time, Turner announced his retirement, although not long afterwards he was found drawing strips for an independent small press, including "Nick Hazard" and "Kalgan the Golden".

The 1990s and death

By this point, Turner had started regularly doing book cover illustrations again, this time for [http://www.gryphonbooks.com/ Gryphon Books] . Turner also painted another "Daleks" strip for Doctor Who Magazine.

Turner died of a stroke and a heart attack.

Bibliography

Comics work includes:

*"Rick Random":
** "The SOS from Space" (with Harry Harrison, "Super-Detective Library", 1955)
** "Riddle of the Astral Assassin" (with Steve Moore, in "2000 AD" #113-117, 1979)

*"Judge Dredd":
** "Robots" (with John Wagner, in "2000 AD" #9, 1977)
** "Robot Wars" (with John Wagner, in "2000 AD" #11, 13 and 16, 1977)
** "The Solar Sniper" (with Gerry Finley-Day, in "2000 AD" #19, 1977)

*"Tharg's Future Shocks":
** "Just Like Home" (with Peter Harris, in "2000 AD" #29, 1977)
** "Beautiful World" (in "2000 AD" #30, 1977)

*"The Amstor Computer": "854391 - A Modern Christmas..." (with Roy Preston, in "Eagle" #92, 1983)

Notes

References

* [http://www.2000adonline.com/?zone=droid&page=profiles&choice=RONT Ron Turner] at 2000 AD online
*comicbookdb|type=creator|id=6258|title=Ron Turner

External links

* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/gems_from_the_collection/sets/72157600000117243/ Ron Turner cover collection]