The comics industry lost another icon with the passing of Ramona Fradon this weekend at the age of 97. The news was announced by Catskill Comics, who worked with Fradon as her art dealer.
Born on October 2, 1926 and began her career as a cartoonist after her graduation from the Parsons School of Design in 1950. At the time she began working in the industry where it was rare for a woman to work comic books and comic strips, let alone illustrate them.
Her first work for DC Comics was on the Shining Knight, which earned her the ongoing assignment illustrating the Adventure Comics backup feature Aquaman. Throughout her career with DC Comics she worked on properties such as The Freedom Fighters, Plastic Man and the full run of The Super Friends comic, adapted from Saturday morning cartoon series.
Fradon also co-created characters such as Aqualad, with Robert Bernstein in Adventure Comics #269 (February 1960) and Metamorpho with Bob Hanley who first appeared in The Brave and the Bold #57 and 58.
In 1980 she took over art duties on the newspaper strip Brenda Starr, Reporter, until retiring in 1995.
In 2006 she was inducted into the Will Eisner Hall of Fame. Throughout the years Fradon continued to work on various projects including Mermaidman stories in the SpongeBob Comics.
Ramona Fradon officially retired from comics and illustrating in January 2024 making her one of the longest working creators in the industry. Fradon will be remembered for her style, contributions, and inroads she made for others in the comic industry
