Al Hartley, who spent nearly three decades illustrating the "Archie" comic strips, has died. He was 81.
Hartley died Tuesday at HealthPark Medical Center, where he underwent open heart surgery earlier this month. He worked for 20 years at Marvel Comics, drawing strips such as "Spider-Man" and "Incredible Hulk" during portions of his tenure there, then worked on the "Archie" illustration team from 1966 through 1993.
"He always had a studio in the home," said his son, Fred Hartley of Atlanta. "He could have worked somewhere else, but he chose to stay at home."
Hartley's father was U.S. Rep. Fred Hartley, a New Jersey Republican who co-sponsored the Taft-Hartley Act of 1946. That act allows the President of the United States to force striking or locked-out workers back to their jobs if the labor standoff is deemed to endanger the national economy or security.
After retiring from the comic world, Al Hartley wrote children's books and Christian-themed comic books.
He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Hermine; his mother, Hazel, 101; two children, six grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Funeral services are scheduled for Friday, followed by a June 4 burial in Mendham, N.J., family members said. (As reported by the Associated Press)
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