Irwin Hasen (1918-2015) was a cartoonist and comic-book artist who drew, and helped create, “Dondi,” the widely syndicated comic strip about a lovable, wide-eyed World War II orphan.
“Dondi,” which was conceived and originally written by Gus Edson and illustrated by Mr. Hasen, won the hearts of generations of Americans. It ran from 1955 through 1986, and at its peak appeared in more than 100 newspapers. With a classical drawing education as a child, Mr. Hasen began promoting his drawings as a teenager during the Depression to make money for his mother. In the 1940s he became a comic-book artist, contributing to the adventures of the “Flash,” the “Green Lantern,” the “Green Hornet” and others, as well as an adaptation of the radio and television series “The Goldbergs.”
* Excerpted from the New York Times obituary written by Corey Kilgannon (March 15, 2015).