Phil Belbin

Phil Belbin was born in Beecroft, New South Wales, Australia, in 1925. He studied art at the East Sydney Technical College, and was an intern at the art department of the Sidney Sun for a year. From 1943 to 1946, Belbin served in the Air Force, after which he was employed as a comic artist by Frank Johnson Publications, and then K.G. Murray Publishing Company. He created 'Peril on Venus', and drew crime comics like 'Jimmy Smart' and 'Flash Cain' for men's magazines, sometimes signing his work "Humph" or "Duke". Belbin was also a freelancer for other publishers and advertising agencies. During the 1940s, he did the 'The Raven' comic strip. He was the first Australian artist to illustrate Reader's Digest Condensed Books.

In 1969, Phil Belbin created the newspaper comic 'The Early Birds', which was incorporated in the 'Air Hawk' series. The New York Society of Illustrators awarded him a Citation for Merit in 1974. Phil Belbin is best known for his paintings of transport themes. He died in 1993.