Milton Caniff

On Feb. 28, 1907, Milton Caniff - an award-winning cartoonist who was often called the "Rembrandt of Comics" - was born in Hillsboro, Ohio. He created some of the nation's most popular cartoon characters, including the all-American boy Terry of "Terry and the Pirates," the beautiful Dragon Lady and the rugged aviator Steve Canyon. He received the highest honor for cartoonists - the Reuben Award - in 1946 and 1971. Caniff, whose father was a printer, began drawing comic strips for the Dayton Journal while a student at Stivers High School. He apprenticed with the Columbus Dispatch while attending Ohio State University. Two years after his 1930 graduation, Caniff moved to New York City to take a job with the Associated Press Syndicate. For that outlet, he created "The Gay Thirties" - and his first popular character, Dickie Dare. In 1934, Caniff was hired by the New York Daily News to create an adventure strip. "Terry and the Pirates" was a hit. During World War II, he drew an enormously popular strip called "Male Call" for military newspapers - at no charge. Begun in 1947 for the Chicago Sun-Times, Caniff's "Steve Canyon" strip was popular with boys. Its title character was a war hero and adventurer. Caniff, who died in 1988, drew "Steve Canyon" for 41 years.

Rebecca Goodman

Contact Rebecca Goodman at rgoodman@enquirer.com or 768-8361.