RIP Ken Bald Timely Artist... 0

[Robot Man]

I just read of the passing of Ken Bald this morning at 98.  Worked on the earliest GA comics including a slew of Timely Marvel characters. I had the honor of meeting him a few years ago at a con. Great guy and very appreciative to his fans. I know Lilly Rene is still with us. How many others remain? 

RIP sir and thanks for your contributions to this great medium!

[comicjack]

I met him a few years ago such a great man who had a wonderful long life.Another great one enters the next life and will be missed RIP 

[Paul © ® ⚽️💙™]

That is a shame. RIP KB.

[Mmehdy]

RIP

 

[telerites]

I would have loved to have met him.  From what I had heard, he was a very kind man.  I had some books signed by him through a witness. 

 

[Mr. Lady Luck]

2 hours ago, Robot Man said:

I just read of the passing of Ken Bald this morning at 98.  Worked on the earliest GA comics including a slew of Timely Marvel characters. I had the honor of meeting him a few years ago at a con. Great guy and very appreciative to his fans. I know Lilly Rene is still with us. How many others remain? 

RIP sir and thanks for your contributions to this great medium!

He is one of my favorite artists. Rest in peace, Ken Bald.

 

[BitterOldMan]

[JollyComics]

Both Joe Simon and Ken Bald made it until 98! That is still amazing. I hope I will live longer to see the world.

[fishbone]

RIP

[143ksk]

[143ksk]

[143ksk]

[Frisco Larson]

I'm very sad to hear this news, but thank you for reporting it Robot Man. I'm very glad that Ken found fandom in his later years and was able to enjoy a level of recognition that many never lived to receive. I commissioned him to do recreations of my first Golden Age comic, Namora #1 and the next issue as well. I wish I had had him do a three. In this pic (an older phone pic, sorry but it's all I have at hand), the artwork still has a protective overlay on it, as it was done in pencil and I'm not sure if it was sealed, so it would still be very susceptible to being smeared. Unlike some other artists who basically traced a projection of the art they were recreating, Ken did this by hand, with what appears to me the aid of a ruler for the logo. It's not an exact duplicate that way, but it's pretty darn close. I was thrilled when they arrived! 

Edited April 6, 2019 by Frisco Larson

[Frisco Larson]

Ok, here's issue number two, same thing as the one, it has the protective overlay still attached. 

[Frisco Larson]

This is the only Ken Bald signed comic in my collection at present, but it's a good'un (as Billy would say)! In fact, according to The Marvel Captain America Official Index to the Marvel Universe, it's only the third Captain America issue Ken had done work in (the 32 being his first, then the 33 as well). I'm happy and grateful to have this. 

[Robot Man]

Great stuff Frisco! Having some of Bald's art is probably pretty rare. Framing it behind glass or plexiglass would surely protect it. Pencil does not usually smear like chalk but it would be wise to be safe.

So it looks like Alan Bellman its the last Timely man standing?

[telerites]

1 hour ago, Robot Man said:

Great stuff Frisco! Having some of Bald's art is probably pretty rare. Framing it behind glass or plexiglass would surely protect it. Pencil does not usually smear like chalk but it would be wise to be safe.

So it looks like Alan Bellman its the last Timely man standing?

I wonder if any of the art on his website is still available?  I believe his agent receives the emails. As of yesterday, nothing had posted on the site about his passing but there were some character sketches available.

[Robot Man]

I read it on Scoop. Gemstone’s on line newsletter on Friday.

[telerites]

16 hours ago, Robot Man said:

I read it on Scoop. Gemstone’s on line newsletter on Friday.

Hey RM, I hope you didn't think my previous post was doubting your veracity at all.   It is likely no one has had time yet in the turmoil and grief to update the website of his passing.  I do wish my Baltimore hadn't fallen through and would have been able to meet him.  So much history is lost to hobby when a long-time creator leaves us.

Thanks for sharing with us.

[JollyComics]

On the bright side, I quoted from Wiki - With the end of the Dr. Kildare strip in 1984,^[Bald retired — although Guinness World Records in 2017 declared him the world's oldest comic-book artist and the oldest artist to illustrate a comic-book cover, both at age 96,when he came out of retirement to illustrate a variant cover for Marvel's Contest of Champions #2 (Jan. 2016).

Edited April 7, 2019 by JollyComics