THE TM 911 Franklin Street Weekly Newspaper Michigan City, IN 46360 Volume 31, Number 23 Thursday, June 18, 2015 STRONG, SMART & BEAUTIFUL John Lucas Has Played Key Role in Katy Keene Phenomenon by Connie Kuzydym nce upon a time, a 7-year-old boy Oin Michigan City named John Lucas loved to draw. It didn’t matter if he was drawing on typing pa- per or blank pages inside of books. All he wanted to do was draw. And so, the story begins with Lucas being the typical younger brother who enjoyed annoying his older sister and her friends when they came over. One evening, his sister had a slumber party. One girl brought a stack of comic books, knowing Lucas loved them. She told him he could look at them if he promised not to pester them. He agreed. In that stack were Casper, Superman and the one that would steal his heart forever. Katy Keene. “When I fi rst saw her, I went, ‘Who is this?’” Lucas said. “I thought she was beautiful.” This summer, Katy Keene celebrates her 70th anniver- sary. A raven-haired beauty, she originally was drawn by Continued on Page 2 THE Page 2 June 18, 2015 THE 911 Franklin Street • Michigan City, IN 46360 219/879-0088 • FAX 219/879-8070 In Case Of Emergency, Dial e-mail: News/Articles - [email protected] email: Classifieds - [email protected] http://www.thebeacher.com/ PRINTED WITH Published and Printed by TM Trademark of American Soybean Association THE BEACHER BUSINESS PRINTERS Delivered weekly, free of charge to Birch Tree Farms, Duneland Beach, Grand Beach, Hidden 911 Shores, Long Beach, Michiana Shores, Michiana MI and Shoreland Hills. The Beacher is also delivered to public places in Michigan City, New Buffalo, LaPorte and Sheridan Beach. STRONG, SMART & BEAUTIFUL Continued from Page 1 cartoonist Bill Woggon as a pinup girl who eventually became “America’s Original Queen of Comic Book Pinups, Fashion and Fantasy.” She made her debut as a minor character in Wilbur Comics, Issue No. 5, as a model and aspir- ing actress. By 1949, she’d become so popu- lar, Archie Comics fea- tured her in her own monthly comic book. Woggon was given one criterion: keep the character wholesome. Looking sensual and glamorous, she was portrayed as intelli- gent, witty and some- one who had endless adventures. Many of her fash- John Lucas fell in love with the Katy Keene character when he was 7 years old. ions, accessories and possessions, such as automobiles, homes and boats tic parents. His mom, Mary used in the comic book, were fan-inspired. Fans Jane, gave private piano would submit drawings to Woggon. If he used a and voice lessons. His dad, drawing, the fan received credit on the page where James Clyde, was a public their design appeared. By doing so, he established school teacher in band and a loyal fan base. orchestra. Even though he After fi rst seeing her at the slumber party, Lu- was musically inclined, Lu- cas was inspired to draw items such as automobiles, cas was always drawing. His but as a youngster, he never submitted anything. father, who had done some “I saw the drawings,” Lucas said. “I thought you political cartooning, felt had to be that good to send in designs.” they should encourage his By 1961, Katy Keene no longer had her own Mary Jane Lucas. passion. Not only did they comic book. Nonetheless, she infl uenced an entire provide him with private art lessons, but in his ear- generation. Many of Woggon’s fans who submitted ly teens, his father also gave him valuable advice. drawings went on to become established designers. “Do the best you can with what you do,” Lucas’ During this time, Lucas was heading into junior father said. “Don’t worry about what anybody else high and had other interests. The character who thinks as long as you’re happy doing what you do. would eventually shape his career took a temporary Find what you love to do. Your mother and I loved backseat in his life. music, and we made it work for us. Now you love Growing up, Lucas was fortunate to have artis- art, make that work for you.” THE June 18, 2015 Page 3 He did. Lucas studied art throughout his school years and in college. His training was in landscapes and portraits. Upon graduating, he began his career do- ing numerous art shows, then transitioned to art director for various commercial companies such as Taylor-Chalmers, Bick Advertising and Odegard Advertising. In his spare time, he used his artistic abilities to help various non-profi ts. One day after gradu- ating from college, Lu- cas and his sister were reminiscing about Katy Keene and Woggon. Through his sister’s encouragement, Lucas placed a call to Wog- gon. From that call, a friendship was born, a life was changed. By the late 1970s, there was a revival when Katy Keene com- ic book covers were used as a backdrop for the window displays Cartoonist and Katy Keene at Saks Fifth Avenue creator Bill Woggon. by buyer and fashion coordinator Marilise Flusser. The response was so positive, Flusser wanted to publish a book. She began by contacting some of the favorite fan designers. One of them was Craig Leavitt, who had be- come an interior and furniture designer. Finding out her fi rst child was on the way, she chose not to pursue her book idea. It was not long before Leavitt stepped in and the resurgence began with the Katy Keene Fan Magazine. Woggon recommended he con- tact Lucas to be one of One of the early Katy Keene designs. the artists working on the fan magazine. The magazine ran for four years from 1978 to 1982. Seeing the rising popularity, Archie Comics de- cided to roll out the Katy Keene Fan Club. Having seen Lucas’ work on the fan magazine, its head of marketing contacted him to design items such as T-shirts, buttons, sweatshirts and notepads. Continued on Page 4 THE Page 4 June 18, 2015 STRONG, SMART & BEAUTIFUL Continued from Page 3 In 1983, Archie Comics announced its new comic Katy Keene Special, consisting of reprinted art from the 1950s, with new back art by Woggon, who had retired. With his approval and encouragement, Ar- chie Comics asked Lucas to be the comic character’s John Lucas works at sole artist. Access La “They said, you don’t just draw a pretty girl,” Lu- Porte County, cas recalled. “There’s something going on, an intel- the website for which is ligence, a responsibility and a love for her younger visible behind sister. You really got the feel for this character.” him. From an artistic point of view, for Lucas to be a strong, smart woman. She is beautiful. There is able to capture the essence of a comic character was nothing wrong with that, but there is more to a wom- incredible, as his training was not as a cartoonist. an today than just being glamorous or beautiful.” Rather, he learned it on his own. He listened to her advice, as Woggon had said When illustrating a comic book, typically there something similar to him. Also, having grown up are numerous artists consisting of a penciler, a let- in the 1960s and 1970s with two sisters and in a terer, an inker and a colorist working on the piece. respectful family, he knew this. Nonetheless, “re- Lucas for the most part was a penciler, although at spectful,” “intelligent,” “making the right choices,” times he did inking and writing. the positives were a part of him. The writer would give him a script, which was By the start of 1990, even though she was back either a written script or a panel-by-panel break- “on vacation,” Lucas continued his work on various down. He then would do the fi nished drawing inside projects, such as designing Katy Keene Christmas the different panels, leaving space for the balloons cards and paper doll books. for lettering. Most of the time, he would then send “She’s not just another character for me. She in- it back to Archie Comics, which then sent it to the troduced me to lots of people,” Lucas said. She’s not other artists for the inking and color. just standing there looking good. She wants to help. Lucas continued Woggon’s tradition of asking With Katy, she was never a doll, never a fi gure. She for fan input, giving credit to fans designs, which was more of a storyline.” were used. He received thousands of designs from Will the story continue for Lucas? There is some all ages and from all over the world. He used more talk, yet no one knows for sure. If it does, one can than a 100 different ideas in each book. only hope he will be the artist. Listening to him en- For Lucas, Katy Keene is like an old friend. thusiastically and passionately talk about her as a When a newspaper article appeared announc- grown man, one can understand why he was able to ing Lucas would be the artist, former Indiana State capture the essence of Katy Keene. Rep. Anita Bowser contacted him. Peering out behind the grown man’s enthusiasm According to Lucas, Bowser said, “You will be in- is that 7-year-old boy who “fell in love” with the fl uencing a lot of people. You have to show Katy as character all those years ago. Examples of John Lucas’ Katy Keene covers.