Jack Sparling

John Edmond Sparling (June 21, 1916 – February 15, 1997), better known as Jack Sparling, was an American comics artist.

Biography

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Sparling moved to the United States as a child. He received his early arts training at the Arts and Crafts Club in New Orleans and later attended the Corcoran School of Art. He worked briefly as a gag cartoonist for the New Orleans Item-Tribune. In 1941, Sparling, along with writer William Laas, created the United Feature Syndicate comic strip Hap Hopper, Washington Correspondent, for which real-life newspaper columnists Drew Pearson and Robert S. Allen were listed as editors. One source lists it as having launched January 29, 1939, but comics historian Don Markstein, noting that that day was a Sunday, says January 29, 1940, is better supported and more likely. Sparling was the artist until 1943, when he was succeeded by Al Plastino.

Sparling's next comic strip was Claire Voyant, which premiered May 10, 1943, in the New York PM. and ran until 1948.