George Wildman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
George Wildman is an artist who has worked in the comics industry. He has been recognized for his work with a nomination for the Shazam Award for Best Penciller (Humor Division) in 1974, and another nomination for the Shazam Award for Best Inker (Humor Division) that same year. He later become editor of Charlton Comics, where he additionally became the longtime regular artist on Popeye comic books.
Wildman, a lifelong resident of Connecticut, studied advertising at what is now the Paire College of Art. During the 1950s, he was a successful commercial artist, first working for an ad agency, and then becoming a freelance artist. During this time, he began producing freelance comic book art for Charlton Press in Derby, Connecticut.
When King Comics ceased publication of their POPEYE title, Charlton acquired the rights. Longtime writer-artist Bud Sagendorf was busy with the daily and Sunday newspaper comics, and declined the job of continuing. George Wildman was offered a contract to produce the POPEYE illustrations, with prolific Joe Gill writing scripts. The first Charlton issue of POPEYE appears in 1969, the final one in 1977. Wildman was hired as assistant editor to Sal Gentile, and in 1971 was promoted to managing editor, and eventually executive editor. Assistant editor Nicola Cuti wrote several of the later POPEYE scripts for Charlton.
Wildman's tenure as editor continued through 1985, while Western Publishing picked up POPEYE under their Gold Key and/or Whitman trademarks. Bill Pearson, by then assistant editor at Charlton, began writing scripts, and Wildman produced illustrations while off-duty from Charlton. Their crowning achievement was the epic 50th anniversary special published in 1979.
Thanks to the Robert Altman POPEYE movie, a demand for Popeye-related merchandise led to Wildman's working for Random House, illustrating a classic "Pop-Up Book" which became a best-seller and later a display at the Smithsonian Institution. Wildman was also invited to produce a painted wooden Easter egg for the White House Easter event, his egg also now housed in the Smithsonian. Around this time, the National Cartoonists Society awarded him "Best Cartoonist, Humor Division."
Western Publishing ceased its comics line in the early 1980s, and Wildman retired from Charlton Comics in 1985, moving into a freelance comic book and children's book illustration career. His pencils, inks and paints graced publications featuring Disney, Hanna-Barbara, Harvey and Warner Brothers characters along with countless designs for various businesses.
In 1994, George and wife Trudy Wildman were honored in a gala festival in Chester, Illinois, celebrating the 100th birthday of the creator of Popeye, Elzie Crisler Segar. Wildman received the Popeye Fan Club's Lifetime Achievement Award and performed a sketching show to a standing-room-only crowd. A return visit to Chester in 2004, to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Popeye, found Wildman teamed with Hy Eisman, the writer-artist of the Sunday POPEYE newspaper strip since 1994.
Today, Wildman and son Karl operate their own advertising agency, producing computer animation, greeting cards, and a wide variety of products. Wildman's work is seen regularly in the "Hidden Pictures" publications of Highlights for Children. He celebrated his 80th birthday in 2007 and continues to receive mail from Popeye fans around the world.
