Writer and artist Harry Lampert, who illustrated the first issues of the Golden Age Flash, died November 13 in a Boca Raton hospital. It was his 88 birthday.

He began his professional career at age 16 when he started inking Popeye, Betty Boop and KoKo the Clown cartoons at New York's Fleischer Studios. In 1940, with writer Gardner Fox, he created The Flash for National (now DC) Comics. Lampert illustrated only the first 5 issues, but he original Flash ran until 1949.

Lampert continued drawing, particularly gag cartoons for magazines such as Time, Saturday Evening Post, EM>Esquire, and The New York Times. He taught at the New York School of Visual Arts, and founded the successful Lampert Agency advertising agency in New York City.

When Lampert retired as a cartoonist in 1975, he turned his interest in contract bridge into a second career as as a bridge teacher and author. His four books on the subject sold nearly a half million copies. He was active in American Bridge Teachers Association (ABTA) where he served as president, as staff artist for 25 year, and taught. He received the ABTA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003.

In the 1990s he learned that he was famous among comic collectors and attended the next San Diego Comic Convention. He was so popular that he immediately started drawing and selling new, original drawings of the golden age Flash. He continued drawing until days before his death.

Lampert is survived by his wife of 62 years, Adele Lampert; daughter Karen Lampert; and two grandsons. A funeral will be held in Woodbury, New York on Monday, November 15. A memorial service will be held November 19 at Gutterman Warheit Memorial Chapel in Boca Raton, Florida.

Posted November 14, 2004