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View Full Version : Archie Comics Artist Henry Scarpelli Dies at 79, Adapted Sitcoms to Comics


Zoneboy
04-06-2010, 05:25 PM
Link (http://blog.newsok.com/nerdage/2010/04/06/rip-henry-scarpelli/)

Archie Comics has announced that longtime Archie Comics artist Henry Scarpelli has died at age 79. Obituary from Archie Comics below:

LONGTIME ARCHIE COMICS ARTIST HENRY SCARPELLI DIES AT 79

It is with deep regret and sorrow that Archie Comics acknowledges the loss of longtime artist, Henry Scarpelli, of Grasmere, Staten Island who passed away on Sunday, April 4 after a long illness. He was 79.

“Henry was an invaluable part of the Archie Comics family,” said Archie Comics Co-President and Editor-in-Chief, Victor Gorelick. “He will truly be missed.”

Scarpelli studied at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan where he honed his pencil and inking skills. He would go on to pencil and/or ink several comic strips and comic book features over the years and even wrote a few as well.

Scarpelli’s first professional comic book work was a back-up feature for one of DC’s funny animal titles of the late 1940s. In the 1950s, he joined a newspaper syndicate as assistant artist on the “Little Sport” strip and soon had a cartoon panel of his own, “TV Tee Hees.” This single panel gag strip built around the inner workings of TV broadcasting proved so popular that it ran in 150 newspapers from 1956 to 1975.

“The TV Tee Hees” strip led to TV comic books when Scarpelli ended up at Dell working on several comic books based on 1960s TV shows. Scarpelli was adept at capturing the features of the popular TV stars of the day, and among the programs he adapted to comics were “The Beverly Hillbillies,” “Bewitched,” “Get Smart,” “Hogan’s Heroes” and “McHale’s Navy.”

Scarpelli’s Dell work led to assignments from several publishers including Marvel, DC, Charlton and Archie. While he inked and occasionally penciled both superhero and romance comics, the majority of Scarpelli’s output consisted of depicting humorous characters. He continued to work on comic books based on real life personalities like Jerry Lewis and Abbott & Costello. Henry also had opportunities to work on some of the ground-breaking DC humor titles like “Angel & the Ape” and “Stanley & His Monster.”

Ultimately, Scarpelli found himself getting more and more work in the genre that would define his career, teenage humor comics. Scarpelli’s most notable contributions in this area included “Millie the Model” for Marvel; “Date with Debbi,” “Leave it to Binky,” “Swing with Scooter” for DC Comics; and Charlton’s “Sinistro, Boy Fiend” – a humorous teenage super-villain.

All of these titles were stepping stones for what would become Henry’s crowning achievement, to become one of Archie Comics’ lead artists. Henry penciled and inked for most of the Archie Comics titles. Among Scarpelli’s more notable accomplishments for Archie, and one he was very proud of, was drawing the daily and Sunday Archie newspaper strip for over fifteen years.

Those who knew Henry Scarpelli personally, will no doubt remember his good humor and how much he loved to laugh. “It’s no wonder his first published work was a strip titled, ‘Henry the Laughing Hyena,’” said Paul Castiglia, an Archie Comics historian who wrote a few stories drawn by Scarpelli.

Scarpelli is survived by his wife Claire, son Glenn Scarpelli, sisters Rose, Louise and Maryann; brothers Louis, George and Ralph; and many cherished nieces, nephews and cousins.

Marvo301
04-06-2010, 05:53 PM
:rip: Henry Scarpelli

treky
04-07-2010, 03:20 AM
I didn't even know Archie comics were still around!!

tv star collector
04-07-2010, 08:54 AM
In this little town, the Archie digests are the only comic books that can
be found! They're sold at the supermarket checkout counter here.

Being a collector of TV comics, I have many of the Dell Comics that Henry
drew, and also a hardcover book collection of his TV Tee-Hees panel.
He was also the father of actor Glenn Scarpelli (of One Day at a Time,
who guest starred in an issue of Archie (which was drawn by another
Archie artist, not Glenn's father).

OH Nuts!
04-07-2010, 10:08 AM
I loved Archie comics as a kid and liked the cartoon show too. And...I remember as a young teen when Sugar Sugar went to #1....

so I just want to send a very big cosmic thank you to dear Mr. Scarpelli and hope he rests in peace. He brought joy to many others throrugh his talent.

Tweety
04-07-2010, 04:27 PM
..He was also the father of actor Glenn Scarpelli (of One Day at a Time, who guest starred in an issue of Archie (which was drawn by another Archie artist, not Glenn's father).

When I saw the name, I wondered if there was any relation between Henry and Glenn

We would sometimes pick up Archie comics as a kids (late 60s/early 70s), and I liked the Saturday morning TV cartoons. I was much more into Superman/Legion of Super Heroes/Jimmy Olsen/Lois Lane comic books, but my sister liked the Archie comix and I would read them as well.

A very nice legacy. RIP Henry

steevo
04-07-2010, 11:21 PM
I used to collect Archie comics when I was a kid and always read the comic strips that Mr. Scarpelli drew. He was quite a talent.

:rip: Henry

catlover79
04-07-2010, 11:26 PM
:rip: