It’s a sad day for "Archie" fans young and old. Tom Moore, the cartoonist behind the red-haired, freckle-faced teen, died on Monday from lung cancer. He passed away at age 86 in his hometown of El Paso, Texas.
Moore drew Archie Andrews and his gang on and off from 1953 until 1988 when he retired. According to the El Paso Times, the annual sales of the comic exceeded half a million during the 1960s.
“He's a legend, in El Paso and, really, around the United States,” All Star Comics & Games owner Brad Wilson told the newspaper. “A lot of people don't realize how much he influenced comic book art.”
On Tuesday night, Archie Comics Facebook page paid tribute to Moore by posting one of the strips he had drawn.
In 1996, the El Paso Museum of Art announced that it would display some of Moore’s “Archie” work. In response, the cartoonist reflected on his career saying: “I have enjoyed what I’ve done and I am pleased that others liked it, too. Who knew Archie could have such universal appeal?”
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