37 Facts About Wilson McCoy

Robert Wilson McCoy was an American illustrator and painter, best known as the second artist on The Phantom comic strip.

Wilson McCoy was born April 6,1902, in Troy, Missouri, the sixth of seven children born to Edward Fernand and Theodosia Turnbull McCoy.

Wilson McCoy's father died when he was eleven years old, leaving his mother with seven children and no money.

Wilson McCoy opened a boarding house with borrowed funds, and young Wilson got a job in a drugstore, working eight hours a day after school and twelve hours on Saturdays and Sundays for $3 a week, which went into the family treasury.

Wilson McCoy was a member of the National Cartoonist Society Foundation.

Wilson McCoy met Dorothy Rainwater at Washington University and married her in September 1925.

Wilson McCoy's son Robert McCoy was born in 1927 and his daughter Carol was born on the 17th of November 1933.

In 1930, the McCoy family lived at 7603 Forsyth, Clayton, Missouri, before moving to 100 N Bemiston Avenue.

In 1931, Wilson McCoy miraculously escaped death in an auto accident where a reckless driver hit his car, causing it to rest on Wilson McCoy's chest, crushing both his lungs.

Wilson McCoy made history as the first man to survive such an injury.

Wilson McCoy made a very accurate drawing of Robert for the story.

The house was on a five-acre lot, and Wilson McCoy had a full-size farm tractor to mow it.

Wilson McCoy made paintings for Liberty magazine covers, calendars, prints, pin-ups, and advertisements for major companies such as Shell Oil, Tums, Dr Pepper, and US Rubber.

St Louis city directories from the 1930s show that Wilson McCoy was associated with several studios:.

Wilson McCoy initially shared an art studio with Ray Moore, the original Phantom artist.

When Moore went to serve in the military during the Second World War, Wilson McCoy took over the responsibilities of illustrating The Phantom.

Wilson McCoy started signing the strips and was fully credited as the artist from the daily story "Queen Astra Of Trondelay", although he started drawing the strip from 1941, when he first filled in for Moore.

When Moore was called into the military in 1941, Wilson McCoy took over and he continued when Moore came back.

Wilson McCoy's wife, Dorothy, was an artist, and she penciled in the lettering and panel borders on her husband's strips.

Wilson McCoy ceased drawing the strip after he became ill in 1961.

Wilson McCoy made several trips to exotic locations to make the stories look realistic.

Wilson McCoy sketched them as they posed and in return was welcomed and invited to beat on tom drums.

Wilson McCoy participated in four trips abroad sponsored by the National Cartoonists Society for the entertainment of military personnel.

Wilson McCoy claimed to be a "camera bug" and used his photographs as models for some of his work, often including in his strip people of whom he had taken pictures.

In 1961 upon returning from the trip to the Republic of the Congo, Wilson McCoy stopped drawing, became ill, and was hospitalized.

Wilson McCoy belonged to the Barrington Natural History Society, and two days before he was stricken, had shown at the society's meeting, a film with commentary on his journey into the Congo that spring of 1961.

Wilson McCoy had some kind of infection that reoccurs, that he developed when he was in Africa and it seemed to return.

Wilson McCoy was survived by his wife Dorothy and two children, Robert Wilson Jr.

Son Robert Wilson McCoy Jr was the proprietor of the Museum of Questionable Devices in Minneapolis and a frequent guest at talk shows such as Late Night with David Letterman.

Wilson McCoy always drew with attention to detail, and he used photographic references for every drawing, having his family and friends pose for him and act out the different situations happening in the stories he worked on.

Wilson McCoy made for himself an elaborate wooden mannequin to use for his figure drawings in unique poses.

Wilson McCoy incorporated certain metaphysical and surrealistic artistic elements to illustrate Phantom stories.

Wilson McCoy masterfully set the atmosphere, using "film noir" lighting, whenever required by the storyline.

Wilson McCoy's letters are considered collector's items and are sold at auctions.

On 24 September 2012 a Wilson McCoy-inspired Mr Walker postage stamp, illustrated by Jan Hafstrom, was released in the Faroe Islands.

In 1955, Wilson McCoy was one of 95 comic artists invited to attend the US President's breakfast hosted by the National Cartoonists Society in Washington, DC President Eisenhower attended the breakfast, which was organized as a fundraiser for the United States Savings Bonds program.

Wilson McCoy's art was featured in President Eisenhower's Cartoon Book, published in 1956, which was a tribute to the President.