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Adolphus Barreaux Gripon

Adolphus Barreaux Gripon (January 9, 1899 – October 23 1985) also known as Adolphe Leslie Barreaux, was an American comic strip writer and commercial illustrator [1]. Adolphus was one of the few African American comic book artists of this time however, he hid his heritage to pursue better opportunities [2]. Adolphus created a comic strip for the first issue of ‘New Fun’ magazine (the company which later became ‘DC Comics’), and unbeknownst to anyone but himself, this would be the first published work by a black artist in an American comic book [3].


Early Life

Adolphus was born one of two twins on the 9th of January, 1899, in Charleston, South Carolina, USA to Georgiana Little (mother) and Adolphus Barreaux Gripon (father). Adolphus Senior died soon after his son’s birth, on October 9th, 1899, due to a haemorrhagic typhoid fever leaving Georgiana Little to look after the two children on her own. She took a job as a seamstress to provide for her children, however in 1909 their family home was seized due to non-payment of taxes going back two years, which led the house to be sold at auction. These factors may have taken a toll on Georgina, as in Adolphus’ late teens, he came to live with his aunt, Eugenia Gripon Steele[4]. While living with his aunt Adolphus began to develop the same typhoid fever that killed his father, and the family doctor advised him to move to a less humid climate. When Adolphus was 15 he and his aunt moved to New York City to live with Eugenia’s sister, Marie Gripon Steele. This is when Adolphus’ new life starts, the family leaves its heritage in Charleston and claims to be white. This was also when Adolphus changed his name to ‘Adolphe Leslie Barreaux’ [5].


Education

January 1916, Adolphus graduated from public school 44, Brooklyn and then moved on to the all-boys DeWitt Clinton Highschool, Manhattan. He would later be accepted into Yale University in 1919, where he would major in fine arts and Elizabethan English[6]. While at Yale he published his first professional writing titled “Hunch,” which appeared in the pulp magazine ‘Breezy Stories vol.11,’ February 1921. After the summer of 1922 Adolphus did not return to Yale to complete his final year, but instead returned to New York City to seek fortune as an advertising artist[7].


Career

Adolphus's first publication was a success, but he wouldn’t make his next sale until 1924, which would be “On the Trail of Dope,” for ‘Mystery Magazine vol.7’. In this same year, Adolphus presented a more serious role with the publication of an essay for ‘International Studio’ titled “The Art of the Mayas” [8]. The sales indicated Adolphus's interest in a writing career, however he chose to follow a different path. By 1925 he had opened the Leslie Barreaux Studio, where he painted portraits of celebrities[9]. Tragically by 1930 Adolphus's career appeared to decline, due to the great depression illustrator jobs had dried up, and Adolphus moved back in with his two aunts. However, Adolphus did find some success writing and illustrating pulp magazines for low-end publishers. Adolphus's most successful relationship with pulp magazines came out of his relationship with Harry Donefield[10]. In July 1933 Adolphus would join Donefield and Merle William Hersey in the revival of the “Police Gazette" magazine. Adolphus would carry on as the creative director for Donefield’s magazines which included a series of pulp magazines. In February 1935, the first issue of ‘New Fun Comics’ was released, this comic book would later go on to become DC Comics. The first page would include a strip titled “The Magic Crystal of History,” this was created by Adolphus and would be the first time a black artist had published work in an American comic book[11]. Adolphus would continue to work for ‘New Fun Comics’ as well as ‘More Fun Comics’ until he would be replaced by Raymond Wardel in January 1936. In 1949 Adolphus would become the Editor-in-Chief for Trojan Magazines, and he and Donefield became co-owners that same year. By 1952 Trojan Magazines had declared bankruptcy. In the second half of the 1950s, Adolphus would become editor for Whitestone, a branch of Fawcett Publications, where he would publish several books on artistic nude photography. In 1962 he also edited several medical books for Fawcett Publications[12].


Sources


The News and Courier - April 1st 1971

The News and Courier - December 13th 1973

Field Guide To Wild American Pulp Artists: Adolphe Barreaux - David Saunders, 2009

Lambiek Comiclopedia: Adolphe Barreaux - Charles Barr, 2018

Quattro, Ken (2020), Invisible Men: the Trailblazing Black Artists of Comic Books. YOE Books, IDW Publishing. pg.13-23. ISBN 1684055865

  1. ^ Quattro, Ken (2020). Invisible men: the trailblazing Black artists of comic books. San Diego (CA): YOE Books, IDW Publishing. p. 15. ISBN 1684055865.
  2. ^ Quattro, Ken (2020). Invisible men: the trailblazing Black artists of comic books. San Diego, CA: YOE Books!/IDW Publishing. p. 15. ISBN 1684055865.
  3. ^ Quattro, Ken (2020). Invisible men: the trailblazing Black artists of comic books. San Diego, CA: YOE Books!/IDW Publishing. pp. 18–19. ISBN 1684055865.
  4. ^ Saunders, David. "Catalog". www.pulpartists.com.
  5. ^ Quattro, Ken (2020). Invisible men: the trailblazing Black artists of comic books. San Diego, CA: YOE Books!/IDW Publishing. pp. 15–16. ISBN 1684055865.
  6. ^ Quattro, Ken (2020). Invisible men: the trailblazing Black artists of comic books. San Diego (CA): YOE Books, IDW Publishing. p. 16. ISBN 1684055865.
  7. ^ Saunders, David. "Catalog". www.pulpartists.com.
  8. ^ Quattro, Ken (2020). Invisible men: the trailblazing Black artists of comic books. San Diego, CA: YOE Books!/IDW Publishing. p. 16. ISBN 1684055865.
  9. ^ Saunders, David. "Catalog". www.pulpartists.com.
  10. ^ Quattro, Ken (2020). Invisible men: the trailblazing Black artists of comic books. San Diego (CA): YOE Books, IDW Publishing. p. 18. ISBN 1684055865.
  11. ^ Quattro, Ken (2020). Invisible men: the trailblazing Black artists of comic books. San Diego, CA: YOE Books!/IDW Publishing. pp. 18–19. ISBN 1684055865.
  12. ^ Saunders, David. "Catalog". www.pulpartists.com.

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