View source for Jack Sparling

{{short description|Canadian comics artist}}
{{Infobox comics creator
| image =
| imagesize =
| caption =
| birth_name = John Edmond Sparling
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1916|6|21|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Winnipeg]], [[Manitoba]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1997|2|15|1916|6|21|mf=y}}
| death_place =
| nationality = <!--Naturalized American<br>(immigrated Canadian)-->
| area = Artist
| alias =
| notable works = ''[[Claire Voyant (comic strip)|Claire Voyant]]''<br>''Hap Hopper''<br>''Tiger Girl''
| awards =
}}
'''John Edmond Sparling'''<ref name=lam /> (June 21, 1916 – February 15, 1997),<ref name=lam>{{cite web |url= http://www.lambiek.net/artists/s/sparling_jack.htm|title= Jack Sparling|year= 2014|publisher= [[Lambiek|Lambiek Comiclopedia]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140420081810/http://www.lambiek.net/artists/s/sparling_jack.htm|archive-date= April 20, 2014|url-status= live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url= http://www.cbgxtra.com/comics-news-and-notes/todays-comics-guide-february-15-2012|title= Today's Comics Guide: February 15, 2012|first= Brent|last= Frankenhoff|authorlink= Brent Frankenhoff|date= February 15, 2012|location= Iola, Wisconsin|magazine= [[Comics Buyer's Guide]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140609033459/http://www.cbgxtra.com/comics-news-and-notes/todays-comics-guide-february-15-2012|archive-date=June 9, 2014 |url-status= dead}}</ref> was a [[Canadians|Canadian]] [[comics artist]].

==Biography==
Born in [[Winnipeg]], [[Manitoba]], Sparling moved to the United States as a child.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2009/06/30/scotts-classic-comics-corner-classic-canadian-creators/|title= Scott's Classic Comics Corner: Classic Canadian Creators|date= June 30, 2009|website= [[Comic Book Resources]]|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120205014622/http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2009/06/30/scotts-classic-comics-corner-classic-canadian-creators|archive-date= February 5, 2012|url-status= live}}</ref> He received his early arts training at the Arts and Crafts Club in [[New Orleans]] and later attended the [[Corcoran School of the Arts and Design|Corcoran School of Art]].<ref name=lam /> He worked briefly as a gag cartoonist for the ''[[New Orleans Item-Tribune]]''.<ref name=lam /> In 1941, Sparling, along with writer William Laas, created the [[United Feature Syndicate]] comic strip ''Hap Hopper, Washington Correspondent'', for which real-life newspaper columnists [[Drew Pearson (journalist)|Drew Pearson]] and [[Robert S. Allen]] were listed as editors.<ref name=markstein>[http://toonopedia.com/haphoppr.htm ''Hap Hopper''] at [[Don Markstein's Toonopedia]]. {{webarchive |url=https://archive.today/20150308055623/http://toonopedia.com/haphoppr.htm |date=2015-03-08 }} from the original on March 8, 2015.</ref> One source lists it as having launched January 29, 1939, but comics historian [[Don Markstein]], noting that that day was a Sunday, says January 29, 1940, is better supported and more likely.<ref name=markstein /> Sparling was the artist until 1943, when he was succeeded by [[Al Plastino]].<ref name=lam />

Sparling's next comic strip was ''[[Claire Voyant (comic strip)|Claire Voyant]]'', which premiered May 10, 1943, in the New York ''[[PM (newspaper)|PM]].'' and ran until 1948.<ref name=lam />

[[Image:ClaireVoyant072748.png|right|340px|thumb|Jack Sparling's ''[[Claire Voyant (comic strip)|Claire Voyant]]'' (1948)]]
From the 1950s through the 1970s, Sparling provided art for a variety of publishers, including [[Harvey Comics]] (the Pirana) and [[Charlton Comics]]' adaptations of ''[[The Six Million Dollar Man]]'' and ''[[The Bionic Woman]]''.<ref>{{cite journal|last= Ambrose|first= Michael|title= Charlton Magazines of the 1970s|journal= [[Back Issue!]]|issue= 88|pages= 49–52|publisher= [[TwoMorrows Publishing]]|date= May 2016|location= Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref> Sparling also worked for ''[[Classics Illustrated]]'', drawing adaptations of ''[[Robin Hood]]'' and [[Mark Twain]]'s ''[[Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court]]''.<ref name="GCD">{{gcdb|type=credit|search= Jack+Sparling|title= Jack Sparling}}</ref> Sparling drew biographic comic books featuring [[Adlai Stevenson II]],<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.newsfromme.com/2006/01/02/bio-comix/|title= Bio Comix|first= Mark|last= Evanier|authorlink= Mark Evanier|date= January 2, 2006|publisher= News From ME|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140609030332/http://www.newsfromme.com/2006/01/02/bio-comix/|archive-date=June 9, 2014 |url-status= live}}</ref> [[Lyndon B. Johnson]], and [[Barry Goldwater]] for [[Dell Comics]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.newsfromme.com/2006/01/01/who-knows-what-evil-lurks-in-the-heart-of-presidential-candidates/|title= Who Knows What Evil Lurks in the Heart of Presidential Candidates…?|first= Mark|last= Evanier|date= January 1, 2006|publisher= News From ME|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140609031656/http://www.newsfromme.com/2006/01/01/who-knows-what-evil-lurks-in-the-heart-of-presidential-candidates/|archive-date=June 9, 2014 |url-status= live}}</ref> 
At [[DC Comics]], Sparling drew ''[[Secret Six (comics)|Secret Six]]'',<ref name="GCD" /> the "[[Eclipso]]" feature in ''[[House of Secrets (DC Comics)|House of Secrets]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.toonopedia.com/eclipso.htm |title=Eclipso |first=Don |last=Markstein |year=2010 |publisher=[[Don Markstein's Toonopedia]] |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240527013322/https://www.webcitation.org/6QC1muGnD?url=http://www.toonopedia.com/eclipso.htm |archive-date=May 27, 2024 |url-status=live }}</ref> and the "[[Unknown Soldier (DC Comics)|Unknown Soldier]]" feature in ''[[Star Spangled War Stories]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.toonopedia.com/unknown.htm |title=The Unknown Soldier |first=Don |last=Markstein |year=2008 |publisher=Don Markstein's Toonopedia |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120919150554/http://www.toonopedia.com/unknown.htm |archive-date=September 19, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> Editor [[Joe Orlando]] began a new direction for DC's ''[[House of Mystery]]'' series with issue #175 (July–August 1968) and the series' host [[Cain and Abel (comics)|Cain]] was created by Sparling and Orlando with writer [[Bob Haney]].<ref>{{cite comic| writer= [[Mark Waid|Waid, Mark]]|story= House of Mystery #1 DC Publishes Its First Horror Comic | title= [[Millennium Edition (DC Comics)|Millennium Edition: House of Mystery]]|issue= 1|date= September 2000}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=McAvennie|first1= Michael|last2=Dolan|first2=Hannah, ed.|chapter= 1960s|title = DC Comics Year By Year A Visual Chronicle|publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]]|year=2010|location= London, United Kingdom|isbn= 978-0-7566-6742-9 |page= 130|quote = Editor Joe Orlando decided that ''The House of Mystery'' was in need of renovation...''The House of Mystery'' reopens its doors to supernatural tales with 'The House of Gargoyles' by scribe Bob Haney and artist Jack Sparling.}}</ref> Sparling worked with writer [[Dennis O'Neil]] on ''[[The Witching Hour (DC Comics)|The Witching Hour]]''<ref>McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 132</ref> and the ''[[Challengers of the Unknown]]''.<ref>McAvennie "1960s" in Dolan, p. 135</ref> For [[Western Publishing]]'s [[Gold Key Comics]], he co-created the superhero Tiger Girl with [[Jerry Siegel]] in 1968,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.toonopedia.com/tigrgrl2.htm |title=Tiger Girl |first=Don |last=Markstein |year=2010 |publisher=Don Markstein's Toonopedia |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140609041729/http://www.toonopedia.com/tigrgrl2.htm |archive-date=June 9, 2014 |url-status=live |quote=Tiger Girl's comic was drawn by Jack Sparling...The writer was no less a personage than Jerry Siegel, who co-created Superman himself. }}</ref> drew the toyline tie-in ''Microbots'' [[One-shot (comics)|one-shot]],<ref>{{cite journal|last= Friedt|first= Stephan|title= Here Come the Microbots|journal= Back Issue!|issue= 76|pages= 11–13|publisher= TwoMorrows Publishing|date= October 2014|location= Raleigh, North Carolina}}</ref> and illustrated comic book adaptations of the television series ''[[Family Affair]]'', ''[[The Outer Limits (1963 TV series)|The Outer Limits]]'', and ''[[Adam-12]]''.<ref name="GCD" /><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.newsfromme.com/2013/10/03/webb-intrigue/|title= Webb of Intrigue|first= Mark |last= Evanier|date= October 3, 2013|publisher= News From ME|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140609030943/http://www.newsfromme.com/2013/10/03/webb-intrigue/|archive-date=June 9, 2014 |url-status= live|quote= [''Adam-12''] was shifted to the New York office where it was written by Paul S. Newman and John David Warner, and drawn by Jack Sparling and Mike Roy.}}</ref> In 1976, he drew a [[Brand licensing|licensed]] ''[[Welcome Back, Kotter]]'' comic book series for DC.<ref>McAvennie "1970s" in Dolan, p. 171: The first issue [was] written by Elliot S! Maggin with spot-on likenesses rendered by Jack Sparling."</ref> For Charlton Comics' satire magazine ''[[Sick (magazine)|Sick]]'', he wrote and drew the [[nudie-cutie]] feature "Cher D'Flower!"<ref>For example, in [http://www.comics.org/issue/326545/#708882 ''Sick'' #117 (Oct. 1977)] at the Grand Comics Database.</ref>

==Bibliography==

===DC Comics===
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* ''[[Action Comics]]'' #140 (1950) 
* ''[[Batman (comic book)|Batman]]'' #58 (1950) 
* ''[[Creeper (comics)|Beware the Creeper]]'' #6 (1969) 
* ''[[Blackhawk (DC Comics)|Blackhawk]]'' #196 (1964) 
* ''[[Bomba, the Jungle Boy]]'' #3–7 (1968)
* ''[[The Brave and the Bold]]'' #87 (1969) 
* ''[[Challengers of the Unknown]]'' #64–71 (1968–1969) 
* ''[[Cassandra Peterson#Comic books|Elvira's House of Mystery Special]]'' #1 (1987) 
* ''Falling in Love'' #94 (1967) 
* ''[[G.I. Combat]]'' #160, 170, 174, 191 (1973–1976) 
* ''[[Ghosts (comics)|Ghosts]]'' #5–7, 90, 93–94 (1972–1980) 
* ''[[Girls' Love Stories]]'' #132, 163 (1968–1971) 
* ''[[Girls' Romances]]'' #126, 129, 133–134, 140–141, 144–145, 150 (1967–1970) 
* ''[[Green Lantern (comic book)|Green Lantern]]'' #62–63 (1968)
* ''[[House of Mystery]]'' #152, 154–155, 175–176, 197, 203, 205, 207, 228 (1965–1974)
* ''[[House of Secrets (DC Comics)|House of Secrets]]'' #68–80 ([[Eclipso]]); #81–82, 84, 86, 94–95, 97, 103 (1964–1972) 
* ''[[Metamorpho]]'' #17 (1968) 
* ''[[Mystery in Space]]'' #106 (1966) 
* ''[[Our Army at War]]'' #189 (1968) 
* ''[[Our Fighting Forces]]'' #111, 113–114 (1968) 
* ''[[Phantom Stranger]]'' #20 (1972) 
* ''[[Plastic Man]]'' #8–10 (1968) 
* ''[[Secret Six (comics)|Secret Six]]'' #3–7 (1968–1969) 
* ''[[Secrets of Haunted House]]'' #11, 32 (1978–1981) 
* ''[[Secrets of Sinister House]]'' #15 (1973) 
* ''[[Showcase (comics)|Showcase]]'' #78 ([[Jonny Double]]) (1968) 
* ''[[Spectre (comics)|Spectre]]'' #9–10 (1969)
* ''[[Star Spangled War Stories]]'' #137, 165–182 (1968–1974) 
* ''[[Strange Adventures]]'' #165–169, 172, 174–179, 182–183, 185–192, 194–198, 200–201, 203 (1964–1967) 
* ''Super DC Giant'' #S-20 (1970) 
* ''[[Tales of the Unexpected (comics)|Tales of the Unexpected]]'' #85, 87–93, 95–96, 99–100 (1964–1967) 
* ''[[The Unexpected (1968 comic book)|The Unexpected]]'' #107–113, 124, 135, 137, 143, 205–209, 212 (1968–1981) 
* ''[[Unknown Soldier (DC Comics)|Unknown Soldier]]'' #257 (1981) 
* ''[[Weird Mystery Tales]]'' #4 (1973) 
* ''[[Weird War Tales]]'' #22, 33–34, 36, 38, 86 (1974–1980) 
* ''[[Welcome Back, Kotter#Comic books|Welcome Back, Kotter]]'' #1–2 (1976–1977) 
* ''[[Who's Who in the DC Universe|Who's Who: The Definitive Directory of the DC Universe]]'' #20 (Secret Six) (1986)
* ''[[The Witching Hour (DC Comics)|The Witching Hour]]'' #1–3, 13, 21, 23, 30 (1969–1973)
{{div col end}}

===Dell Comics===
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* ''[[Adlai Stevenson II|Adlai Stevenson]]'' #1 (1966)
* ''[[Around the World Under the Sea]]'' #30 (1966)
* ''[[Barry Goldwater|Barry M. Goldwater]]'' #1 (1965)
* ''The Cat'' #109 (1966)
* ''[[Circus World (film)|Circus World]]'' #115 (1964)
* ''Countdown'' #150 (1967)
* ''[[The Courtship of Eddie's Father (TV series)|The Courtship of Eddie's Father]]'' #1–2 (1970)
* ''[[The Dirty Dozen]]'' #180 (1967) 
* ''[[Espionage (TV series)|Espionage]]'' #1 (1964)
* ''[[Four Color]]'' #1118, #1148, #1157, #1195, #1205, #1223, #1225, #1253, #1301, #1312 (1960–1962)
* ''[[Friday Foster]]'' #1 (1972) 
* ''Ghost Stories'' #35 (1973) 
* ''Guerrilla War'' #12 (1965)
* ''Idaho'' #3 (1964)
* ''[[The Mysterious Island|Jules Verne's Mysterious Isle]]'' #1 (1963) 
* ''[[Laramie (TV series)|Laramie]]'' #01-418-207 (1962)
* ''[[Custer (TV series)|The Legend of Custer]]'' #1 (1968) 
* ''[[Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series)|Mission: Impossible]]'' #1–5 (1967–1969)
* ''[[The Monroes (1966 TV series)|The Monroes]]'' #1 (1967) 
* ''The Mummy'' #537 (1962)
* ''[[National Velvet (TV series)|National Velvet]]'' #01-556-207, #12-556-210 (1962)
* ''Naza'' #1–9 (1964–1966)
* ''Neutro'' #1 (1967)
* ''[[The Night of the Grizzly]]'' #558 (1966)   
* ''[[None but the Brave]]'' #565 (1965)   
* ''[[Operation Crossbow (film)|Operation Crossbow]]'' #590 (1965)  
* ''[[The Outer Limits (1963 TV series)|The Outer Limits]]'' #1–18 (1964–1967)
* ''[[Ring of Bright Water (film)|Ring of Bright Water]]'' #701 (1969)  
* ''[[Robinson Crusoe]]'' #1 (1964) 
* ''[[Room 222]]'' #1–4 (1970–1971)  
* ''Smoky'' #746 (1967)
* ''[[The Sons of Katie Elder]]'' #748 (1965)   
* ''Space Man'' #2–10 (1962–1972)
* ''[[Stoney Burke (TV series)|Stoney Burke]]'' #2 (1963)
* ''[[T.H.E. Cat]]'' #1–4 (1967)
* ''[[Turok]], Son of Stone'' #28 (1962)
* ''Universal Pictures Presents Dracula, the Mummy, and Other Stories'' #1 (1963)
* ''[[The Valley of Gwangi]]'' #880 (1969)
* ''[[Zulu (1964 film)|Zulu]]'' #950 (1964)
{{div col end}}

===Gold Key Comics===
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
* ''[[Adam-12]]'' #2–10 (1974–1976) 
* ''[[Bonanza]]'' #5 (1963)
* ''Boris Karloff Tales of Mystery'' #6, 31, 33–36, 38–42, 44, 48–50, 58, 67, 69–73, 76–81, 86, 91–92, 94, 96–97 (1964–1980)
* ''[[Thriller (U.S. TV series)|Boris Karloff Thriller]]'' #2 (1963)
* ''[[Bugs Bunny]]'' #89 (1963)
* ''[[Checkmate (American TV series)|Checkmate]]'' #1–2 (1962)
* ''City Surgeon'' #1 (1963)
* ''[[Dark Shadows]]'' #11 (1971)
* ''Dear Nancy Parker'' #1–2 (1963)
* ''[[Doc Savage]]'' #1 (1966)
* ''[[Donald Duck]]'' #88, 90 (1963)
* ''[[Family Affair]]'' #2–4 (1970)
* ''Gold Key Champion'' #2 (1978)
* ''Grimm's Ghost Stories'' #1–8, 10, 12–14, 18–20, 23–24, 28, 30–34, 36–41, 43–45, 47, 51–54, 56–60 (1972–1982)
* ''[[Honey West (TV series)|Honey West]]'' #1 (1966)
* ''[[Isis (DC Comics)|Isis]] Golden All-Star Book'' (1977)
* ''[[The Jetsons]]'' #11 (1964)
* ''[[Korak (character)|Korak, Son of Taran]]'' #16 (1967)
* ''[[Lassie (1954 TV series)|Lassie]]'' #63 (1963)
* ''[[The Lion (film)|The Lion]]'' #1 (1963)  
* ''[[Lone Ranger#Comic books|The Lone Ranger]]'' #13 (1969)  
* ''[[The Lucy Show]]'' #4 (1964)  
* ''[[Magnus, Robot Fighter]] #2, 41 (1963–1975)  
* ''[[The Man from U.N.C.L.E.]]'' #11 (1967)  
* ''[[March of Comics]]'' #254, 266, 278 (1963–1965)  
* ''Microbots'' #1 (1971)  
* ''[[Mighty Samson]]'' #8–20 (1966–1969) 
* ''Mod Wheels'' #1, 16 (1971–1975)  
* ''Mystery Comics Digest'' #1, 7–8, 16, 19, 21–22, 25 (1972–1975)  
* ''[[Nancy (comic strip)#Comic books|Nancy and Sluggo]]'' #192 (1963)  
* ''[[National Velvet (TV series)|National Velvet]]'' #1 (1962)  
* ''The Nurses'' #1 (1963)   
* ''[[The Phantom]]'' #3, 7, 9 (1963–1964)  
* ''Questar'' #1 (1979)  
* ''[[Rawhide (TV series)|Rawhide]]'' #2 (1963)
* ''[[Rin Tin Tin]] and Rusty'' #1 (1963)  
* ''Rio Conchos'' #1 (1965)  
* ''[[Ripley's Believe It or Not!]]'' #7, 15, 19, 21, 23, 26–34, 36–37, 39–40, 43–44, 48, 52, 56, 58, 65–69, 72–73, 77–78, 87–88, 93–94 (1967–1980)  
* ''Ripley's Believe It or Not True Ghost Stories'' #2 (1979) 
* ''Shroud of Mystery'' #1 (1982)  
* ''Starstream'' #1–2 (1976)  
* ''Supercar'' #3 (1963)  
* ''[[The Three Stooges]]'' #17 (1964)  
* ''Tiger Girl'' #1 (1968)
* ''[[Top Cat]]'' #7 (1963)  
* ''[[Turok]], Son of Stone'' #117, 120, 122, 124, 126–127, 129–130 (1978–1982)  
* ''[[Twilight Zone literature#Comics|The Twilight Zone]]'' #3, 6–7, 9, 27, 35–37, 39–43, 45, 47, 51–52, 54, 59–64, 68–69, 71–73, 76, 78–79, 82–84, 87, 89, 91 (1963–1979)  
* ''UFO Flying Saucers'' #2, 6–13 (1970–1977)  
* ''[[The Virginian (TV series)|The Virginian]]'' #1 (1963) 
* ''Walt Disney Presents [[Blackbeard's Ghost]]'' #1 (1968)  
* ''Walt Disney The Horse Without a Head'' #1 (1964)  
* ''Walt Disney's [[Son of Flubber]]'' #1 (1963)  
* ''Walt Disney's [[Summer Magic (film)|Summer Magic]]'' #1 (1963)  
* ''Walt Disney's The [[Beagle Boys]]'' #10 (1970)  
* ''Walt Disney's [[The Moon-Spinners]]'' #1 (1964)  
* ''Walt Disney's World of Adventure'' #2 (1963)  
* ''[[The Wild Wild West]]'' #6 (1969)
{{div col end}}

===Marvel Comics===
* ''[[Ghost Rider (Johnny Blaze)|Ghost Rider]]'' #59, 62, 64–65 (1981–1982) 
* ''[[Marvel Comics Presents]]'' #34 ([[Captain America]]); #50 ([[Silver Surfer]]) (1989–1990)
* ''[[Marvel Fanfare]]'' #15 ([[Daredevil (Marvel Comics series)|Daredevil]]) (1984) 
* ''[[Tales of Suspense]]'' #87 (Captain America) (1967) 
* ''[[Uncanny X-Men|X-Men]]'' #30 (1967)

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{comicbookdb|type=creator|id= 376|title= Jack Sparling}}
* [http://www.mikesamazingworld.com/mikes/features/creator.php?creatorid=170 Jack Sparling] at Mike's Amazing World of Comics
* [http://www.maelmill-insi.de/UHBMCC/nams47.htm#N598 Jack Sparling] at the Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
* [http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=168906&GSub=48996 Comic Art Fans: Break-Up! by Jack Sparling]

{{Canadian cartoonists|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sparling, Jack}}
[[Category:1916 births]]
[[Category:1997 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Canadian artists]]
[[Category:Artists from Winnipeg]]
[[Category:Canadian comics artists]]
[[Category:DC Comics people]]
[[Category:George Washington University Corcoran School alumni]]
[[Category:Golden Age comics creators]]
[[Category:Marvel Comics people]]
[[Category:Silver Age comics creators]]