Comics: Delores Heilman, Letterer and Colorist

Delores Heilman was born Delores Joan Sterba on September 19, 1928 in Chicago, Illinois. The birth date is from the Cook County, Illinois Birth Index at Ancestry.com. Delores’ parents were Joseph Sterba Jr. (1899–1979) and Emily Riha (1903–1987), both Chicago natives.

The 1930 United States Census counted Delores (line 40) and her parents in Chicago at 2712 West 22nd Street. Her father was a proprietor of a haberdashery.

The trio (lines 63 to 65) were at the same address in the 1940 census. Delores’ father was a clothing store salesman.

Delores attended Harrison Technical High School from 1943 to 1946. Her senior activities included: Advertising Manager, Herald; Senior Advisory Committee; Advanced Art; Student Helper; This ’N That; Division Alternate; Hall Guard; G. A. A.

1946 Harrisonian yearbook

Delores continued her art training at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts where she met Dan Heilman, a World War II veteran. They married on May 26, 1949 in Vermont. The Herald (Crystal Lake, Illinois), June 23, 1949, reported their marriage.

Grand-daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Sterba, Is Married
Miss Dolores Sterba, daughter of Mr. Mrs. Joseph Sterba of Chicago, grand-daughter of Mr. and and Mrs. Joseph Sterba, of Fox River Grove was married to Daniel Heilman on May 26 at Shaftsberg, [sic] Vt. Mr. and Mrs. Heilman will make their home in Vermont.

According to the 1950 census, the couple (lines 21 and 22) resided on State Road North in Shaftsbury, Vermont.

 

Heilman’s self-profile, in the National Cartoonists Society Album 1960–1961, said

... attended Chicago Academy of Fine Arts after war, where I met my wife Del, also an artist. Del does all lettering and color work on Judge Parker. ...

I believe Delores learned how to letter from her husband. American Newspaper Comics (2012) said Heilman drew “Judge Parker” from November 24, 1952 to January 9, 1965. N.P. Dallis, the creator and writer, lived in Toledo, Ohio when the strip began. Delores and her husband moved to Toledo. The Toledo Blade Pictorial Magazine, December 4, 1960, published the article, “Toledo: Cartoonists’ Colony”, which included a photograph of the couple. The last paragraph said

Mr. Heilman keeps to a fairly rigid eight-hour day and his wife, Dell, works on a less regular schedule. She works primarily because she likes to draw, but also because “I couldn’t live in the same house with the guy if I didn’t have something to keep me busy,” she said—while smiling.

Delores and her husband, Dan, divorced in October 1965 according to a notice in the Fort Lauderdale News, October 20, 1965. He passed away on December 17, 1966.

In May 1967, Delores married William Plumas Robinson Jr. in Florida. The South Florida Sun Sentinel, July 26, 2005, published his obituary.

Robinson, William 76, of Pompano Beach, FL, passed away on Sunday, July 24, 2005. Born in Forrest City, AR, he has been a local resident for 48 years. He served us proud in the Marine Corps doing tours in the Korean War and the reserves. He is survived by his beloved wife Delores and son William James. A Cryptside Service will be held at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens Mausoleum on Wednesday, July 27, 2005 at 11 AM. As expressions or sympathy in lieu of flowers donations to the American Cancer Society, 1-800-227-2345 would be appreciated. Services are entrusted to Forest Lawn Funeral Home, 200 W. Copans Road, Pompano Beach, FL (954) 784-4000.

Delores’ death was noted at Dignity Memorial.

Delores Joan Robinson, age 95, of Plantation, Florida passed away on Monday, January 15, 2024.

A visitation for Delores will be held Thursday, January 18, 2024 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Kraeer Funeral Home, 200 West Copans Road, Pompano Beach, FL 33064. A committal service will occur Friday, January 19, 2024 from 11:00 AM to 11:30 AM at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens, 200 West Copans Road, Pompano Beach, FL 33064.

Related Posts

A. Machine and Royal Cartoon, Mario Acquaviva, Al Allard,  Gerald Altman, Gene Barnett, Vivian Berg, Daniel Bhang, John Bulthuis, Ray Burley, Ray Burzon,

Jean Callahan, Helen Chu aka Duffy Mohler, Milton Cohen, Ellen Cole, Herb Cooper, Danny Crespi, Laurens Crossley,

Jon D’Agostino, James Daleo, Martin DeMuth, Shel Dorf, Marty Epp, Howard Ferguson, Herb Field, 

Gerda Gattel, Selma Meyers Gleit, Louis L. Goldklang, Angelo Grasso, Anita Greene, Al Grenet, Ed Hamilton, Delores Heilman, Ray Holloway, IBM Directory, Alex Jay, Albert and Charlotte Jetter, 

Abe Kanegson, George Kapitan, Anna Kaufman, Gary Keller, Rick Keller, Nadine French King, Ralph Komisarow, Grace Kremer, Morrie Kuramoto, Al Kurzrok, 

Bob Lander, Bob Laughlin, Bob Leatherbarrow, Shelly Leferman, Len Leone, Joe Letterese, Veda Lufkin, 

Robert N. MacLeod/Leroy Lettering, Lee Maroshek, Larry Mayer, Ed McLean, Jack Meltzer, Mel Millar, Jim Novak, Bill Oakley, Ben Oda, 

Walter Palais, Stephen Palmisano, Charles Paris, Otto Pirkola, Fred Proctor, Jerry Robinson, Joe and Sam Rosen, George Roussos,

Georgette Sauterel, Ira Schnapp, Irving Settel, Rome Siemon, Artie Simek, Lora Sprang aka Pat Gordon, Herman Stackel, Stan Starkman, Daisy Swayze, Zoltan and Terry Szenics, 

Richard Deane Taylor, Alberta Tews, Matthew Tweedy, Frank Vina, George Ward, Irv Watanabe, Irving Werstein, Leo Wurtzel, John Yakata, Bill Yoshida, Bernie Zuber

Women in Comics Posts

Jeanne Alippe, Ruth Atkinson, Olive Bailey, Valerie Barclay, Vivian Berg, Zena Brody, Jean Callahan, Helen Chu aka Duffy Mohler, Ellen Cole, Corinne Boyd Dillon, Anahid Dinkjian, Jill Elgin,

Barbara Clark Fogel, Laura E. Foster, Evelyn Gaines aka Lynn Lovelace, Merna Gamble, Gerda Gattel, Selma Meyers Gleit, Jane Krom Grammer, Anita Greene,

Bonnie Hano, Delores Heilman, Ray Hermann, Joye Hummel, Marjorie Wilkes Huntley, Grace Jacquet, Charlotte Jetter, 

Anna Kaufman, Bessie Mae Kelley, Nadine French King, Alice Kirkpatrick, Grace Kremer, Ada Levy,  Pauline Loth, Veda Lufkin,

Marion McDermott, Emma C. McKean, Tarpé Mills, Claire S. Moe, Phyllis Muchow, Lily Reneé, Ruth Roche, 

Georgette Sauterel, Marie Severin, Marcia Snyder, Lora Sprang aka Pat Gordon, Serena Summerfield, Daisy Swayze, Terry Szenics, Claire Szep, 

Alberta Tews, Peggy Zangerle

(Next post on Monday: The Futurist Art of Mike Hinge)

Comics: Lora Sprang aka Pat Gordon, Letterer, Colorist and Photographer

Lora Sprang was born Lora Ann Neusiis on May 28, 1911, in Mt. Olive, Illinois. The birth information is from the Social Security Death Index and an Evangelical Lutheran Church Record at Ancestry.com. Her parents were Frederick William Neusiis (1875–1949), and Augusta M. Kaemming (1876–1955), a German native. The newspaper, Mt. Olive Herald, June 3, 1922, said “A girl baby arrived at the home of Prof. and Mrs. F. W. Neusiis on Sunday.”

Sprang was baptized on June 4, 1911 at the Zions American Lutheran Church in Mt. Olive. 

A September 1916 edition of the Mt. Olive Herald reported “F. W. Neusiis, teacher of the Zions school, has accepted a call as teacher of the Lutheran school at Pegion [sic], Mich, and will leave about Nov. 1.”

On September 12, 1918, Prof. Neusiis signed his World War I draft card. His address was Pigeon, Michigan, where he was an assistant pastor. 

The 1920 U.S. Federal Census recorded the Neusiis family of six in Winsor, Michigan on Main Street. Sprang had a brother, Frederick (1906–1988), and two sisters, Elda (1904–1995) and Olga (1916–2007). 

The Evangelical Lutheran Church Record said Sprang received her confirmation in 1925 at the Solomon church in Woodville, Ohio. 

According to the 1930 census, Sprang, her parents and younger sister, resided in Woodville. Sometime after 1935, Sprang moved to New York City. 

In the 1940 census, Sprang lived at 230 West 101 Street in Manhattan. Her occupation was a colorist in photography. Her highest level of education was the second year of college.

Coincidentally, her future husband, artist Richard William “Dick” Sprang, resided at the same address according to his World War II draft card which was signed on October 16, 1940. 

The New York, New York, Marriage License Index, at Ancestry.com, said they obtained a license in Manhattan on April 25, 1944. 

A sample of Dick Sprang’s lettering on the left

Their marriage was reported in the News-Messenger (Fremont, Ohio), May 10, 1944. 

An announcement of interest to relatives and friends in Fremont and Woodville is that of the marriage of Miss Lora Ann Neusiis, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Neusiis, of Woodville, to Richard W. Sprang, son of Mrs. W. H. Sprang, of 1007 east State street. The wedding took place in Holy Trinity Lutheran church in New York City Sunday, May 7, at 5 p. m. Dr. Paul Scherer, pastor of the church, officiated. Attending the couple were Miss Barbara B. Scherer and Norman L. Fallon, both of New York City. Mrs. Sprang is a commercial artist and photographer, currently engaged in the production of U. S. Navy Training films, and Mr. Sprang is a magazine illustrator. The couple will reside in New York City. 

“Danger Strikes Three!”, Detective Comics #86, April 1944, reprinted in 

Batman Archives Volume 3 (1994), lettering credited to Sprang as Pat Gordon

Dick Sprang was drawing Batman for DC Comics. In Alter Ego #19, December 2002, Dick said he wanted to move out West to either Arizona, Utah or New Mexico. According to Joe Desris, in Comic Book Marketplace #34, April 1996, the couple moved to Sedona, Arizona, in May 1946. (The November 1951 issue of Arizona Highways published photographs of Sedona and mentioned Dick on page 29.) The Sprangs divorced in 1951. 

She returned to New York and continued lettering for DC Comics. Sprang was listed in 1953 and 1957 Manhattan city directories at 306 West 75 Street. Her address in 1960 was 600 West 113 Street. 

Sprang was profiled in the Batman Archives, Volume 3 (1994). 

Pat Gordon

Laura [sic] A. Sprang, nicknamed, Pat Gordon, was the wife of Dick Sprang during the period when Sprang first began to illustrated Batman. Sprang taught Gordon how to letter comics and except for his earliest efforts, Gordon lettered many of his Batman stories, coloring a number of them as well. She also freelanced as a photographer for Film Fun magazine, hand-lettered titles for industrial films, worked on title photography and art for Navy training films during World War II and did theater posters for 20th Century-Fox. Gordon continued to work for DC Comics throughout the 1950s, lettering numerous stories for Batman, Superman, Superboy and others. She left DC about 1961. 

In Alter Ego #94, June 2010, Jim Amash interviewed George Kashdan who spoke about artist Dick Sprang. 

Did you ever meet his [first] wife Patricia? I know that he and Pat were separated, and headed towards a final divorce. I only met Dick briefly, but Pat was a very outgoing personality. She was always working on our friendship. [mutual chuckling] She had a list of birthdays in the editorial and art departments. Whenever a birthday came up, Pat came in with donuts and coffee and made a party. Sometimes she brought a little birthday cake, and lit the candles on it, and gave away pieces. Pat was also a freelance letterer, and she was usually dependable. ... They usually gave Dick’s work to Pat for lettering, and I think she threw in little corrections. She was good, and a very good-looking woman. Everybody was trying to make out with her. She was there for about 15 years, and then gave up on it. One day, she walked up to Mort, who did her work vouchers. She said, “Mort, I’m leaving. Hell, I’ve had it. I just wanted you to know I’ve had it.” And out she went, never to come back for work. I believe she was just tired of coming in there, and all the guys trying to make out with her.

Sprang passed away on June 19, 1999, in New York City. 

Further Reading and Viewing

Northern Arizona University, Cline Library, photographs of Sprang (identified as Pat Gordon) are here and here 

Flickr, Lora Neusiis Photos

Grand Comics Database, Pat Gordon

Who’s Who of American Comic Books 1928–1999, Pat Gordon

The Hayfamzone Blog, Mystery Letterer Revealed

Todd’s Blog, Early Batman Letterers

Comics Letterer Posts

A. Machine and Royal Cartoon, Mario Acquaviva, Al Allard, Gerald Altman, Gene Barnett, Vivian Berg, Daniel Bhang, John Bulthuis, Ray Burley, Ray Burzon,

Jean Callahan, Helen Chu aka Duffy Mohler, Milton Cohen, Ellen Cole, Herb Cooper, Danny Crespi, Laurens Crossley,

Jon D’Agostino, James Daleo, Martin DeMuth, Shel Dorf, Marty Epp, Howard Ferguson, Herb Field, 

Gerda Gattel, Selma Meyers Gleit, Louis L. Goldklang, Angelo Grasso, Anita Greene, Al Grenet, Ed Hamilton, Delores Heilman, Ray Holloway, IBM Directory, Alex Jay, Albert and Charlotte Jetter, 

Abe Kanegson, George Kapitan, Anna Kaufman, Gary Keller, Rick Keller, Nadine French King, Ralph Komisarow, Grace Kremer, Morrie Kuramoto, Al Kurzrok, 

Bob Lander, Bob Laughlin, Bob Leatherbarrow, Shelly Leferman, Len Leone, Joe Letterese, Veda Lufkin, 

Robert N. MacLeod/Leroy Lettering, Lee Maroshek, Larry Mayer, Ed McLean, Jack Meltzer, Mel Millar, Jim Novak, Bill Oakley, Ben Oda,

Walter Palais, Stephen Palmisano, Charles Paris, Otto Pirkola, Fred Proctor, Jerry Robinson, Joe and Sam Rosen, George Roussos,

Georgette Sauterel, Ira Schnapp, Irving Settel, Rome Siemon, Artie Simek, Lora Sprang aka Pat Gordon, Herman Stackel, Stan Starkman, Daisy Swayze, Zoltan and Terry Szenics, 

Richard Deane Taylor, Alberta Tews, Matthew Tweedy, Frank Vina, George Ward, Irv Watanabe, Irving Werstein, Leo Wurtzel, John Yakata, Bill Yoshida, Bernie Zuber

Women in Comics Posts

Jeanne Alippe, Ruth Atkinson, Olive Bailey, Valerie Barclay, Betty Bentley, Vivian Berg, Zena Brody, Jean Callahan, Helen Chu aka Duffy Mohler, Ellen Cole, Corinne Boyd Dillon, Anahid Dinkjian, Jill Elgin,

Barbara Clark Fogel, Laura E. Foster, Evelyn Gaines aka Lynn Lovelace, Merna Gamble, Gerda Gattel, Selma Meyers Gleit, Jane Krom Grammer, Anita Greene,

Bonnie Hano, Delores Heilman, Ray Hermann, Joye Hummel, Marjorie Wilkes Huntley, Grace Jacquet, Charlotte Jetter, 

Anna Kaufman, Bessie Mae Kelley, Nadine French King, Alice Kirkpatrick, Grace Kremer, Ada Levy,  Pauline Loth, Veda Lufkin,

Marion McDermott, Emma C. McKean, Tarpé Mills, Claire S. Moe, Phyllis Muchow, Lily Reneé, Ruth Roche, 

Georgette Sauterel, Marie Severin, Marcia Snyder, Lora Sprang aka Pat Gordon, Serena Summerfield, Daisy Swayze, Terry Szenics, Claire Szep, 

Alberta Tews, Peggy Zangerle

(Updated March 17, 2024; next post on Monday: The Strathmore Quality Deckle Edge Book Papers)

Comics: Jon D'Agostino, Colorist, Artist, Inker and Letterer

John P. “Jon” D’Agostino was born Carlo D’Agostino on June 13, 1929, in Cervinara, Italy. D’Agostino’s birth information is from a transcribed death certificate at Ancestry.com. D’Agostino’s birth name was recorded on a passenger list. 

On December 30, 1930, D’Agostino, his mother, Annunziata, and older siblings, Luigia and Giovanni, were aboard the S. S. Augustus when it departed Napoli, Italy. They arrived in the port of New York City on January 9, 1931. D’Agostino’s father, Pasquale, lived in Brooklyn at 144 Brookman Street.

D’Agostino’s father had emigrated earlier and was naturalized which made D’Agostino and his siblings United States citizens. D’Agostino’s mother was naturalized on February 7, 1944. 

The 1940 U.S. Federal Census said D’Agostino, his parents and four siblings lived in Manhattan at 336 East 117 Street. D’Agostino’s father was a tailor of men’s clothing. 

D’Agostino graduated from the School of Industrial Art in 1947. His classmates were Hal Fromm, Herbert Tauss and John Romita. 

The Palette, 1947 School of Industrial Art Yearbook

On his blog, News from ME, Mark Evanier erroneously said D’Agostino graduated from the Industrial School of Art in Los Angeles. According to Evanier, D’Agostino got his start in comics as a colorist at Timely Comics which would become Marvel Comics. At some point he met Pat Masulli, another comic book colorist who later became editor at Charlton Comics.

Daily Argus (Mount Vernon, New York), November 1, 1950

According to the New York State Marriage Index, at Ancestry.com, D’Agostino and Egidia D’Onofrio married on November 26, 1955, in Mount Vernon, New York.

D’Agostino’s talents included pencilling, inking and lettering. Who’s Who of American Comic Books 1928–1999 has an overview of his comics career. The Grand Comics Database lists many of D’Agostino’s credits. Some of D’Agostino’s work can be viewed at the Internet Archive. At Marvel, D’Agostino was known as “Johnny Dee” who lettered several 1960s titles including The Amazing Spider-Man #1 (March 1963). 

The Amazing Spider-Man #1 splash page at Heritage Auctions

Captain Atom #82, September 1966

In Alter Ego #26, July 2003, Joe Sinnott was interviewed by Jim Amash. Below is a brief excerpt.

Sinnott: … But in those days, you had to knock the stuff out in order to make a living. I’s pencil a page in the morning and ink it in the afternoon. After supper, I’d ghost a couple of Archie pages for Jon D’Agostino; I did that for a number years. I was also doing covers for a crossword magazine publisher. I only had so much time to spend on the Marvel stuff, because I couldn’t give up my other assignments. Those people were depending on me, too. I used to juggle a lot of assignments.

JA: Jon D’Agostino still works for Archie Publications as an inker. What did you do for him?

Sinnott: I inked... everything but the faces, because Jon wanted it to look like his work. The pages weren’t easy, because there were always parties going on in the stories, balloons and confetti, and all those characters. It was time-consuming. Jon was a very good friend of mine. He lettered all the stories I did for Treasure Chest. He was a great letterer, but then he got into inking.

Top Dog #10, October 1986

In the 1950s, D’Agostino resided in Ansonia, Connecticut. The 1959 directory listed his address as 12 Evelyn Road and occupation as artist at Charlton Press. The 1960 directory said he moved to Seymour, Connecticut. The 1965 directory, below, listed D’Agostino as a partner in Giordano & D’Agostino, a commercial art studio in Ansonia at 100 Main Street. His partner was Dick Giordano. The 1983 directory said D’Agostino was a commercial artist at 161 Benz in Ansonia. 

D’Agostino’s first marriage was to Jean D’Onofrio in 1955. She passed away in 1992. D’Agostino married Vivi Testa in 1995.

D’Agostino passed away on either November 28 or 29, 2010, in Ansonia, Connecticut. He was remembered on page 64 of Life with Archie #6, February 2011, which has 28 as the day of death. The Connecticut Death Index, Social Security Death Index, and New Haven Register (Connecticut) said it was November 29. D’Agostino was laid to rest at Riverside Cemetery. 

Further Reading

Marvel Mysteries and Comics Minutiae: The Letterers of Charlton Press

Related Posts

A. Machine and Royal Cartoon, Mario Acquaviva, Al Allard, Gerald Altman, Gene Barnett, Vivian Berg, Daniel Bhang, John Bulthuis, Ray Burley, Ray Burzon,

Jean Callahan, Helen Chu aka Duffy Mohler, Milton Cohen, Ellen Cole, Herb Cooper, Danny Crespi, Laurens Crossley,

Jon D’Agostino, James Daleo, Martin DeMuth, Shel Dorf, Marty Epp, Howard Ferguson, Herb Field, 

Gerda Gattel, Selma Meyers Gleit, Louis L. Goldklang, Angelo Grasso, Anita Greene, Al Grenet, Ed Hamilton, Delores Heilman, Ray Holloway, IBM Directory, Alex Jay, Albert and Charlotte Jetter, 

Abe Kanegson, George Kapitan, Anna Kaufman, Gary Keller, Rick Keller, Nadine French King, Ralph Komisarow, Grace Kremer, Morrie Kuramoto, Al Kurzrok, 

Bob Lander, Bob Laughlin, Bob Leatherbarrow, Shelly Leferman, Len Leone, Joe Letterese, Veda Lufkin, 

Robert N. MacLeod/Leroy Lettering, Lee Maroshek, Larry Mayer, Ed McLean, Jack Meltzer, Mel Millar, Jim Novak, Bill Oakley, Ben Oda,

Walter Palais, Stephen Palmisano, Charles Paris, Otto Pirkola, Fred Proctor, Jerry Robinson, Joe and Sam Rosen, George Roussos,

Georgette Sauterel, Ira Schnapp, Irving Settel, Rome Siemon, Artie Simek, Lora Sprang aka Pat Gordon, Herman Stackel, Stan Starkman, Daisy Swayze, Zoltan and Terry Szenics, 

Richard Deane Taylor, Alberta Tews, Matthew Tweedy, Frank Vina, George Ward, Irv Watanabe, Irving Werstein, Leo Wurtzel, John Yakata, Bill Yoshida, Bernie Zuber

(Updated October 17, 2023; next post on Monday: Exclamation Point)