Tom Frame (1931 – July 14, 2006) was a British comics letterer. He created dialogue for the majority of the Judge Dredd strips, as well as other stories including over 300 stories in 2000 AD and Transformers.
Frame used a combination of computer-based techniques, including a personal font based on his own hand-drawn lettering, and old-fashioned craft like cutting speech balloons by hand. He was acknowledged by several other letterers (for instance, Richard Starkings) for his help in getting them started in the profession.
According to artist Mike Collins (Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper), "Good lettering has character, adds character to the story. In the UK, a Judge Dredd story just ISN'T a Dredd story without Tom Frame's lettering. Tom's no-nonsense, finely spaced, tall text is as much a part of Mega City One's environment as Dredd's helmet or badge."
Frame died of cancer on July 14, 2006. Prog 1508 had a centerpiece tribute to him with contributions from 37 artists and two colourists, including a drawing by Frame's grandson.
Famous quotes containing the words tom and/or frame:
“Come dame or maid, be not afraid,
Poor Tom will injure nothing.”
—Unknown. Tom o’ Bedlam’s Song (l. 11–12)
“she drew back a while,
Then, yielding to the irresistible joy,
With frantic gesture and short breathless cry
Folded his frame in her dissolving arms.
Now blackness veiled his dizzy eyes, and night
Involved and swallowed up the vision; sleep,
Like a dark flood suspended in its course,
Rolled back its impulse on his vacant brain.”
—Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792–1822)