Happy New Year! Jan. 1st, Remembering Cartoonist/Comic Book Artist Jerry Robinson (January 1, 1922 – December 7, 2011) on his Birthday today.

"If Jerry Robinson were known only as the creator of the Batman villain "The Joker", his place in comics history would be assured. An accomplished artist, writer, historian, and educator on the history of comic books and strips, Robinson curated numerous exhibitions about the evolution of the comics form and was recognized as an authority on the field. As president of Cartoon Arts International, and The Cartoonist and Writers Syndicate, he oversaw the syndication and exhibition of over 350 leading cartoonists and graphic artists from over 75 countries in affiliation with the New York Times Feature Service. Among Robinsons over 30 published works is The Comics: An Illustrated History of Comic Strip Art, acclaimed as the definitive study of the genre. His other books included the biography Skippy and Percy Crosby and The 1970s: Best political Cartoons of the Decade. But for generations of comics fans, Robinson is best known as a comics artist and writer. Having started his career at the age of seventeen while still a journalism student at Columbia University , Robinson collaborated on the creation of the Joker, and Robin The Boy Wonder, amongst numerous other memorable comics. Be it through his contributions to the history of the Batman mythos, or his award winning satirical strip "Still Life with Robinson", which ran for more than thirty years in newspapers around the world, Robinson was a tireless defender of creators rights and the advancement of comics as a respected art form."-the artist within

I had the honor of making this portrait of Jerry in his Manhattan studio, for my portrait project, The Artist Within, several years ago, have a look around, pay special attention to the art on the wall behind him, amazing!

Happy Birthday Mr. Robinson!

art © Jerry Robinson

Portrait © Greg Preston/ Sampsel Preston Phootography