John Cullen Murphy (May 3, 1919 – July 2, 2004) was an American illustrator best known for his three decades of work on the Prince Valiant comic strip.
Born in New York City, Murphy attended the Art Institute of Chicago, where his family lived until 1929, when they moved to New Rochelle, a suburb of New York City.
He aspired to be a baseball player and was playing baseball when a New Rochelle neighbor, Norman Rockwell, asked the 15-year-old if he would like to model for a painting. Rockwell's Starstruck, showing a forlorn Murphy gazing at pictures of movie starlets, was the September 22, 1934 cover of The Saturday Evening Post. Rockwell became one of Murphy's good friends and mentors.
Murphy entered the Army in 1940, joining the 7th Regiment. He became an anti-aircraft officer during World War II, rising to the rank of major. He spent several years in the Pacific, beginning in Australia and ending in Tokyo. He was an aide to General Richard Marquat, who was on General Douglas MacArthur's staff. During the war, Murphy continued to illustrate, sending work to the Chicago Tribune and painting numerous portraits of military figures.
Read more about John Cullen Murphy: Magazine Illustration, Prince Valiant
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