Ray Moore

Raymond S. Moore
Biographical information
Born:	1905
Died:	January 13, 1984
Nationality:	American
Occupation:	Artist
Website:	N/A

Raymond S. Moore (1905 – January 13, 1984), better known as Ray Moore, was the co-creator, together with Lee Falk, and first artist on what would grow to become the world's most popular adventure comic strip, The Phantom, which started in 1936. Moore had previously worked as Phil Davis' assistant on the Lee Falk-created Mandrake the Magician comic strip, which was why he was thought to be a suitable choice to draw Falk's new creation.

Life and career

Little is known about Ray's personal life, but he was born in Oklahoma, most likely in 1905, and he lived most of his life in Missouri until his death in 1984, together with his wife, Claire Moore. He was the son of a jeweler, and originally intended to become an engineer, before he realised that he could live off his job as an artist.

Moore started drawing The Phantom in 1936, after creator Falk realised he would not have the time to do the artwork in the strip himself. He had previously worked as an assistant on Falk's other strip, Mandrake the Magician.

Ray was involved in an accident during his career as a pilot in World War II, which made him unable to keep on drawing The Phantom, therefore leaving work on the strip to his assistant Wilson McCoy.

Ray Moore had a moody and mysterious drawing style, with a style of shadowing which suited the mysterious Phantom character. However, he slightly changed his style later on, focusing less on the dark atmosphere he had become known for, in advantage of a more realistic style, with more details and a less moody style of drawing.

Lee Falk always claimed that Moore was the best artist on the Phantom, because of his talent for drawing beautiful looking girls. It was this talent that led Falk to creating many crime corporations only consisting of women, like the infamous Sky Band.

Moore is known by fans to be as mysterious as the Phantom character he co-created and very few photos of him are known to the public. On the rare occasions he did interviews, he seldom mentioned his private life.

Ray Moore died in 1984 of natural causes. He was survived by his wife, Claire, who passed away in 2005.

External links

• Interview with Ray Moore's widow - Link not working! Copy: Interview - Claire Moore talks about her husband Ray Moore
• Moore's profile at Lambiek.net
• Obituary from New York Times, Jan. 17, 1984

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This article, in the version of October 11, 2007, includes information from Wikipedia: Ray Moore (comics).