Comics: A Few Details About Jack Keller, Artist and Writer

Jack R. Keller was born on June 16, 1922 in Reading, Pennsylvania according to his World War II draft card which did not have his middle initial. In the 1930 United States Census, Keller (line 19), his parents and older sister, Vivian lived in West Reading, Pennsylvania at 119 South 4th Avenue. His parents were Reuben Keller, a hosiery knitter, and Catharine F. Horning, who married in October 1919.

Reading Eagle, November 12, 1937
 

The Kellers were at the same address in the 1940 census (see line 27).

Keller attended West Reading High School. The Reading Eagle, May 10, 1940, said the art department exhibit included pen drawings by Keller. According to the Eagle, May 29, 1940, Keller was one of fifty students who graduated last evening.

On June 30, 1942, Keller signed his draft card. His address was unchanged. He was a self-employed cartoonist. His description was five feet seven inches, 130 pounds, with blue eyes and auburn hair.

In 1942 Keller went to New York and sold his first comic book feature, “The Whistler Strikes”, which appeared in War Stories #5 from Dell Comics. Dr. Michael J. Vassallo said

Keller was now living in New York City full time at the 34th street YMCA and his quarters were cramped and tiny.

Keller found work with Busy Arnold at Quality Comics. He also did backgrounds on Lou Fine’s The Spirit when Will Eisner was away during the war. Clients included DC, Fawcett, Fiction House, Hillman, Lev Gleason and others.

Keller’s father passed away on January 29, 1947. His obituary appeared in the Eagle, January 30, 1947.

Keller’s engagement to Phyllis Ann Bolig, was announced in the Eagle, September 15, 1949.

The 1950 census counted Keller, his mother and stepfather, Carl F. Schatz, a steel company carpenter, in Reading at 107 Newport Avenue. Keller (line 8) was a cartoonist in the publishing industry.

In 1950, Keller saw Stan Lee and started doing horror, war and romance stories. Keller started on Kid Colt in 1953. An overview of his career is at Who’s Who of American Comic Books 1928–1999. The Grand Comics Database has a checklist of his credits.

The Eagle, February 25, 1951, said Keller, 28, and Phyllis A. Bolig, 20, obtained a marriage license. They married on March 3. The Eagle said

... The bride is a graduate of Shillington High School while the bridegroom is a graduate of West Reading High. He is employed as a cartoonist with the Timely Comics, in New York.

Their first child, Richard Jack Keller, was born on October 3, 1953 in Reading.

When work from Marvel decreased, Keller found a job at a car dealership. The salesmen of Morganstern Chevrolet were pictured in an advertisement in the Eagle, January 24, 1958. Keller is in the bottom row, second from left.

Gradually Keller was getting more assignments from Marvel. The same image of Keller appeared in the 1964 annual, Marvel Tales #1, which featured Marvel’s staff. His Marvel credits are here. Keller was best known for Kid Colt.

 Kid Colt Outlaw #98, May 1961; reprinted in #220, October 1977

 

Keller also produced material for Charlton Comics from the late 1950s to the early 1970s.

Surf n’ Wheels #4, May 1970, with lettering by his son, Rick

Keller’s art was among the exhibits at the Reading Public Museum and Art Gallery in March 1965. Also included were works by Milton Caniff, LeRoy A. Gensler and Kenard Fischer, both Reading newspaper cartoonists. The Eagle, March 8, 1965, said nearly 1,500 people attended the first day.

By 1972, Keller was employed at the car dealer, Marshall Chevrolet. The company went out of business in early January 1982. 

Reading Eagle, November 21, 1972

advertisement detail

 

Keller’s mother passed away on March 3, 1981. Her obituary appeared in the Eagle, March 4, 1981.

 

In January 1983 Keller began work at the car dealer, Savage, for about a year.

Reading Eagle, January 26, 1983

advertisement detail

In September 2000, Keller was a guest at Golden Eagle Comic Con 1 in Kutztown, Pennsylvania.

Reading Eagle, September 27, 2000

Keller passed away on January 2, 2003. An obituary appeared in the Eagle, January 3, 2003.

Jack R. Keller, retired illustrator of comic books
Jack R. Keller, a retired comic book artist, writer and creator, died Jan. 2 in St. Joseph Medical Center, where he had been a patient since Dec. 17.

Keller, 80, of Brighton Avenue, Pennside, was a free-lance cartoonist since 1941 and illustrated Kid Colt Outlaw for Marvel Comics from 1952 to 1964, the most prolific run for one strip in comic book history.

He also did hot rods and racing cars for Charlton Comics from 1958 until his retirement in 1973. Keller was considered by other professionals as the icon of auto racing/hot rod comics.

Keller also wrote and illustrated many other characters such as the Sheriff of Tombstone, Billy the Kid, Cheyenne Kid and illustrated many war comic stories.

Following his retirement, he was employed as a salesman by Marshall Chevrolet, Reading, until 1983 when the dealership closed. He was last employed as a part-time salesman by Fun Stuff Hobbies and Kiddie Kar Kollectibles, both of Reading, last working in June.

Born in Reading, he was a son of the late Reuben and Catherine (Horning) Keller.

Keller was a 1940 graduate of West Reading High School.

He was a member of the Community Evangelical Church, Lower Heidelberg Township.

Surviving are two sons, Richard J., Mount Penn and Robert J., Portland, Conn.

Other survivors include a sister, Vivian (Keller) Riegel, Sinking Spring; and a grandson.

He was predeceased by a son Scott M. Keller, in 1988.

Services will be Monday at 11 a.m. in Edward J. Kuhn Funeral Home Inc., West Reading. Burial will be in Forest Hills Memorial Park, Reiffton.

Obituaries were published in The Comics Journal #251, March 2003, and Alter Ego #23, April 2003.

Further Reading
Comicartville Library, Jack Keller Remembered

News from ME, Jack Keller, R.I.P.

Don Markstein’s Toonopedia, Kid Colt, Outlaw

Comic Book Artist #12, March 2001, interview
Doc Lehman, Summer, Race Cars & Comic Books
Comics Buyer’s Guide #894, January 4, 1991, Hotrodding in two dimensions

 

 

(Next post on Monday: Rick Keller, Letterer)