Roy C. Crane was one of the earliest cartoonists to turn out an adventure strip, first setting up shop in 1924. A humorous, thoughtful man, Crane perfected a simple, forceful drawing style and a cinematic manner of storytelling that influenced a great many of the artists who followed him. He created three major characters: Wash Tubbs, Captain Easy, and Buz Sawyer.

Crane was born in Abilene, Texas and grew up in Sweetwater, a small town about 40 miles west of Abilene. His father was an attorney and Crane was an only child. "My son says he became interested in art largely because he was a lonesome kid," his father recalled after Crane had started doing Wash Tubbs. "Roy had no other brothers or sisters and he had to entertain himself. H...