Delete comment from: Stripper's Guide
Benton F. Thompson was born in Nebraska on April 20, 1906, according to the California Death Index. In the 1920 U.S. Federal Census he grew up in Lone Tree, Nebraska, a farm town. When he moved to Washington state is not known; apparently he resided in Bellingham where his comic strip, "The Alley Kids," was published by the Bellingham American Reveille in 1922. The Bellingham Record newspaper published two articles, on June 10 and 19, 1922, that mentioned "Benton Thompson", who was a 16-year-old radio hobbyist.
Thompson moved to Seattle and produced cartoons for the Seattle Times as early as October 1929; he signed his cartoons, Ben Thompson. In the 1930 census his name was recorded as "Benton F. Thompson"; his occupation was an artist in the newspaper industry. For the Times he and co-writer Robert Edgren did a daily cartoon called, "Listen to This One" from June 1930 to March 1932.
Thompson moved on to comic books in New York. The Comiclopedia (lambiek.net/artists/t/thompson_ben.htm) has samples of his comic book work as well as a brief biography which is based on information at Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928-1999 (www.bailsprojects.com/(S(qtydph45eleqmdihifhwmgu3))/bio.aspx?Name=THOMPSON%2c+BEN). The Grand Comics Database has a detailed list of Thompson's work at www.comics.org/credit/name/ben%20thompson/sort/alpha.
Thompson was married when he enlisted in the Army on May 16, 1942. After the war he returned to comics. Around 1949 he published a 16-page pamphlet, "The Reaper", about Joseph Stalin (comicsdc.blogspot.com/2007/04/reaper-stalin-cartoons-by-benton-f.html). At the bottom of the last page of art is a line that reads: Distributed by Benton F. Thompson Co.
There was a Benton F. Thompson who lived in Connecticut; he and his wife divorced in 1971. Thompson died in San Diego, California on December 14, 1975.
Jul 30, 2010, 1:59:44 PM
Posted to Obscurity of the Day: The Alley Kids