Christopher Rule (November 23, 1894 – April 1983) was an American

comic book artist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comics illustrators/artists in that they produce both the literary ...

active from the 1940s through at least 1960, and best known as the first regular

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

inker The inker (sometimes credited as the finisher or embellisher) is one of the two line artists in traditional comic book production. After the penciller creates a drawing with pencil, the inker interprets this drawing by outlining and embellishing ...

for comics

artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating the work of art. The most common usage (in both everyday speech and academic discourse) refers to a practitioner in the visual arts o ...

Jack Kirby Jack Kirby (; born Jacob Kurtzberg; August 28, 1917 – February 6, 1994) was an American comics artist, comic book artist, widely regarded as one of the medium's major innovators and one of its most prolific and influential creators. He grew ...

during the period fans and historians call the

Silver Age of Comic Books The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and widespread commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those featuring the superhero archetype. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books, the Silver A ...

Biography

Early life and career

After driving an

ambulance An ambulance is a medically-equipped vehicle used to transport patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport. Ambulances are used to respond to ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

,Interview with Atlas/Marvel artist

Stan Goldberg Stan Goldberg (May 5, 1932 – August 31, 2014) was an American comic book artist, best known for his work with Archie Comics and as a Marvel Comics colorist who in the 1960s helped design the original color schemes of Spider-Man, the Fantastic F ...

, ''

Alter Ego An alter ego (Latin for "other I") means an alternate Self (psychology), self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original Personality psychology, personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other ...

'' #18 (Oct. 2002), p. 14 Christopher Rule in the 1920s worked in

comic strips A comic strip is a Comics, sequence of cartoons, arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often Serial (literature), serialized, with text in Speech balloon, balloons and Glossary of comics terminology#Captio ...

and

fashion illustration Fashion illustration is the art of communicating fashion ideas in a visual form through the use of drawing tools or design-based software programs. It is mainly used by fashion designers to brainstorm their ideas on paper or digitally. Fashion ...

. For publisher S. Gabriel & Sons, Rule and

Pelagie Doane Pelagie Doane Hoffner (April 11, 1906 – December 9, 1966) was an American illustrator and writer of children's books. Early life and education Doane was born in Ambler, Pennsylvania or Palmyra, New Jersey (sources vary), the daughter of Warren ...

illustrated a

Pinocchio Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel, ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a poor man named Geppetto in a Tuscan vil ...

"put together book" in which gummed illustrations could be cut out and mounted on background sheets.

Comic books

In 1943, Rule was a comic-book inker with the Jack Binder Studio, and also that year inked

Fawcett Comics Fawcett Comics, a division of Fawcett Publications, was one of several successful comic book publishers during the Golden Age of Comic Books in the 1940s. Its most popular character was Captain Marvel, the alter ego of radio reporter Billy Bats ...

stories featuring the superheroes

Mary Marvel Mary Marvel (also known as Lady Shazam and Mary Shazam) is a fictional character and superheroine originally published by Fawcett Comics and now owned by DC Comics. Created by Otto Binder and Marc Swayze, she first appeared in ''Captain Marvel (DC ...

and

Mr. Scarlet Mr. Scarlet and Pinky the Whiz Kid are two duo fictional comic book superheroes connected to each other, and first introduced in ''Wow Comics''. The superheroes were originally published by Fawcett Comics and later by DC Comics. The original Mist ...

. By 1944 he'd become a staff artist at

Timely Comics Timely Comics was the common name for the group of corporations that was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman (publisher), Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics. "Timely P ...

, the forerunner of

during the period fans and historians call the

Golden Age of Comic Books The Golden Age of Comic Books describes an era in the history of American comic books from 1938 to 1956. During this time, modern comic books were first published and rapidly increased in popularity. The superhero archetype was created and ma ...

. Rule worked in what was called the "animator bullpen", which produced such

movie A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

tie-in A tie-in work is a work of fiction or other product based on a media property such as a film, video game, television series, board game, website, role-playing game or literary property. Tie-ins are authorized by the owners of the original proper ...

and original

talking animal A talking animal or speaking animal is any non-human animal that can produce sounds or gestures resembling those of a human language. Several species or groups of animals have developed forms of communication which superficially resemble verbal ...

comics as '' Terrytoons Comics'', ''

Mighty Mouse Mighty Mouse is an American animated character created by the Terrytoons studio for 20th Century Fox. He is an anthropomorphic superhero mouse, originally called Super Mouse, and made his debut in the 1942 short ''The Mouse of Tomorrow''. Th ...

'', and ''Animated Funny Comic-Tunes'', and was separate from the

superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...

group producing comics featuring the

Human Torch The Human Torch (Jonathan Lowell Spencer "Johnny" Storm) is a fictional superhero character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is a founding member of the Fantastic Four. He is writer Stan Lee's and ar ...

, the Sub-Mariner and

Captain America Captain America is a superhero created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby who appears in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in '' Captain America Comics'' #1, published on December 20, 1940, by Timely C ...

. Due to his work going unsigned, in the manner of the times, comprehensive credits are difficult if not impossible to ascertain. Rule's first confirmed credits are as inker of the one-page

fashion Fashion is a term used interchangeably to describe the creation of clothing, footwear, Fashion accessory, accessories, cosmetics, and jewellery of different cultural aesthetics and their mix and match into Clothing, outfits that depict distinct ...

filler "Junior Miss Steps Out..." and as penciler-inker of an eight-page story in the teen-romance comic ''Junior Miss'' #1 (Winter 1944). Rule continued to ink romance stories over such pencilers as George Klein,

Mike Sekowsky Michael Sekowsky (; November 19, 1923 – March 30, 1989) was an American comics artist known as the penciler for DC Comics' '' Justice League of America'' during most of the 1960s, and as the regular writer and artist on ''Wonder Woman'' durin ...

, and

Syd Shores Sydney Shores (1916 – June 3, 1973) was an American comic book artist known for his work on Captain America both during the 1940s, in what fans and historians call the Golden Age of comic books, and during the 1960s Silver Age of comic books. B ...

in such comics as ''Faithful'', ''Love Classics'', and ''Love Tales''. He expanded into other forms, including heroic adventure with the

mythologically Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...

based superheroine ''

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...

'', inking Werner Roth on a story in ''Venus'' #10 (July 1950); and then into

horror Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction **Psychological horror, a subgenre of horror fiction **Christmas horror, a subgenre of horror fiction **Analog horror, a subgenre of horror fiction * ...

, inking penciler Sekowsky's story "Hands of Murder" in ''Adventures into Terror'' #4 (June 1951), from Marvel's 1950s iteration,

Atlas Comics Atlas Comics may refer to: * Atlas Comics (1950s), one of the two comic publishing companies that would be the forerunner of Marvel Comics * Atlas/Seaboard Comics Atlas/Seaboard Comics is a line of comic books published by the American company S ...

.Chris Rule
an
Christopher Rule
at the

Grand Comics Database The Grand Comics Database (GCD) is an Internet-based project to build a database of comic book information through user contributions. The GCD project catalogues information on creator credits, story details, reprints, and other information use ...

Inker

Joe Giella Joe Giella (June 27, 1928 – March 21, 2023) was an American comic book artist best known as a DC Comics inker during the late 1950s and 1960s period which historians and fans call the Silver Age of Comic Books. Due to his long and prolific caree ...

, who worked on staff at Timely for two years beginning circa 1946, recalled Rule at the time as "a very heavy, older fellow with grayish hair. He was a good friend of Mike Sekowsky's, and worked in the same room with Mike. He was kind of an intellectual". Artist

Gene Colan Eugene Jules Colan (; September 1, 1926 – June 23, 2011)Eugene Colan
at the Social Security Death Index via ...

, a Marvel mainstay from 1946 on, described Rule as "kind of like a Santa Claus — a roly-poly guy who was very funny". Echoed artist

, "He had a great gift of gab and a magnificent vocabulary. ..He was kind of like a Santa Claus and looked very important".Goldberg, ''Alter Ego'' #18, p. 13

Personal life

In 1923, Rule married Harriet May Cassebeer, the former wife of Edwin William Cassebeer, an executive of the Steinway Corporation, and a daughter of Charles Ruthrauff. By this marriage he had one stepdaughter, Florence Louise Cassebeer (a.k.a. Florence Louise Steinway, born 1913). Atlas Comic colleague

recalled that Rule's first wife died after having scalded herself. After 1950, Rule married second wife Caryl Gilbert Bartine (née Baker, 1886-1969). By this marriage Rule had a stepson, Oliver Hunt Bartine Jr.

Atlas and Kirby

In a rare formal credit in a comic of that period, Rule is listed as "art associate" in the

title ''Girls' Life'' #4 (July 1954), under "editorial and art director"

Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book author, writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics which later bec ...

. In that or a similar staff capacity throughout the 1950s, Rule inked in a variety of genres and forms, with known work that includes

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...

, inking Syd Shores'

Black Knight The black knight is a literary stock character who masks his identity and that of his liege by not displaying heraldry. Black knights are usually portrayed as villainous figures who use this anonymity for misdeeds. They are often contrasted with ...

and

Crusader Crusader or Crusaders may refer to: Military * Crusader, a participant in one of the Crusades * Convair NB-36H Crusader, an experimental nuclear-powered bomber * Crusader tank, a British cruiser tank of World War II * Crusaders (guerrilla), a C ...

stories in ''Black Knight'' #5 (Dec. 1955);

Westerns The Western is a genre of fiction typically set in the American frontier (commonly referred to as the "Old West" or the "Wild West") between the California Gold Rush of 1849 and the closing of the frontier in 1890, and commonly associated wit ...

, inking Shores in ''Six-Gun Western'' #2 (March 1957);

biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or curri ...

, drawing the feature "Famous Explorers of Space" in the successively named ''Space Squadron'' / ''Space Worlds''; and

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...

, drawing a story each in ''

Strange Tales ''Strange Tales'' is a Marvel Comics comics anthology, anthology series. The title was revived in different forms on multiple occasions. Doctor Strange and Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. (feature), Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. made their d ...

'' #49 (Aug. 1956) and ''

World of Fantasy ''World of Fantasy'' is a science fiction/fantasy comic book anthology series that was published by Marvel Comics' 1950s predecessor company, Atlas Comics. Lasting from 1956 to 1959, it included the work of several notable comics artists, incl ...

'' #9 & #15 (Dec. 1957 & Dec. 1958), and inking Shores yet again in ''World of Suspense'' #6 (Feb. 1957). In a rare switch, Rule penciled a story that someone else (

Vince Colletta Vincente Colletta (October 15, 1923 – June 3, 1991)Vincent Colletta

) inked, in ''

My Own Romance ''My Own Romance'' is a comic book title originally published by Timely Comics beginning in 1948 to 1951 and later by Atlas Comics from 1951 to 1961, and published by Marvel Comics until 1962. Publication history The title began publication as '' ...

'' #63 (May 1958). Rule inked the first stories of industry great

when Kirby returned to the company for a long-term stay for the first time since 1941, when he had co-created

with

Joe Simon Joseph Henry Simon (born Hymie Simon; October 11, 1913 – December 14, 2011) was an American comic book writer, artist, editor, and publisher. Simon created or co-created many important characters in the 1930s–1940s Golden Age of Comic Books ...

. Rule inked Kirby's premiere Atlas/Marvel cover and the accompanying seven-page story "I Discovered the Secret of the Flying Saucers" in '' Strange Worlds'' #1 (Dec. 1958), Rule would remain Kirby's regular, nearly exclusive inker on these " pre-superhero Marvel" stories as Atlas Comics segued into Marvel Comics, at which point

Dick Ayers Richard Bache Ayers (; April 28, 1924 – May 4, 2014) was an American comic book artist and cartoonist best known for his work as one of Jack Kirby's inkers during the late-1950s and 1960s period known as the Silver Age of Comics, including on s ...

would become Kirby's most frequent inker during the company's early years. Rule as well inked the prolific Kirby on Western stories in ''

Gunsmoke Western ''Gunsmoke Western'' is an American comic book series that was published initially by Atlas Comics, the 1950s forerunner of Marvel Comics, and then into the 1960s by Marvel. A Western anthology that ran 46 issues, it featured early stories of the ...

'' #51 and '' Kid Colt: Outlaw'' #86 (Sept. 1959), romance stories in ''

Love Romances ''Love Romances'' is a comic book title originally published by Atlas Comics beginning in 1948 and later by Marvel Comics until 1963. Publication history The title began publication as ''Ideal'' #1–5 (July 1948 - March 1949) until issue #6 (Ma ...

'' #85 (Jan. 1960), and war stories in Battle #66-67 (Oct.-Dec. 1959), plus many covers across all genres. Rule's last known confirmed credit is inking Kirby on the five-page story "What Was the Strange Power of Simon Drudd?" in ''Tales to Astonish'' #10 (Jan. 1960). Some comics historians theorize he may have been an inker on some portion of Kirby's landmark comic ''

The Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four, often abbreviated as FF, is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 (cover-dated November 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in ...

'' #1 (Nov. 1961), for which George Klein is the generally recognized, uncredited inker. The standard

, for example, lists the inker credit as "George Klein?; Christopher Rule? ... George Klein, or Chris Rule have been suggested as the inker but there is no consensus." Others note the long lag time between Rule's last confirmed credit and the ''Fantastic Four'' premiere.Evanier, POV Online, believes the first two issues were inked solely by Klein, but notes that "Rule and Klein were close friends who often worked on each others' assignments". Note: The comic itself carries no formal credits, bearing only signatures for editor-writer Stan Lee and penciler Jack Kirby.

Bibliography

Rule inked

on stories in comics including: *''

Journey into Mystery ''Journey into Mystery'' is an American comic book series initially published by Atlas Comics, then by its successor, Marvel Comics. Initially a horror comics anthology, it changed to giant-monster and science fiction stories in the late 1950s ...

'' # 51-52, 54 & 56 (March–May, Sept. 1959 & Jan. 1960) *''

'' # 67-70 (Feb.-Aug. 1959) *'' Strange Worlds'' # 3 (Aug. 1959) *''

Tales of Suspense ''Tales of Suspense'' is the name of an American comic book anthology series, and two one-shot comics, all published by Marvel Comics. The first, which ran from 1959 to 1968, began as a science-fiction anthology that served as a showcase for s ...

'' # 2-4 & 6 (March–July & Nov. 1959) *''

Tales to Astonish ''Tales to Astonish'' is the name of two American comic book series, and a One-shot (comics), one-shot comic, all published by Marvel Comics. The primary title bearing that name was published from January 1959 to March 1968. It began as a scie ...

'' # 1 & 5-6 (Jan. & Sept.-Nov. 1959), and * ''

'' # 15-16 & 18 (Dec. 1958 - Feb. & June 1959)

References

External links

The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rule, Christopher 1894 births 1983 deaths American comics artists Golden Age comics creators Atlas Comics Silver Age comics creators Marvel Comics people