Ink-Slinger Profiles by Alex Jay: John Jordan

The story of John Jordan is sketchy. No birth information has been found but Jordan* was a New York City metropolitan resident during the early years of the Golden Age of Comics. Who’s Who of American Comic Books 1928–1999 said Jordan was a member of Funnies Inc., from around 1940 to 1943, and produced art for Novelty Comics, from 1941 to 1945, and Parent’s Magazine Press in 1941 and 1942. Many of his comic book credits are at the Grand Comics Database.

Who’s Who of Comic Strip Producers said Jordan was an editorial cartoonist with the New York Journal.

In the Fawcett Companion: The Best of FCA (2001), Ed Robbins said:

John Jordan had been an editorial cartoonist before he got into comic books. He had a solid drawing style. He was a kindly, hard working man.

He was one of the artists who epitomized the difference between the people producing comics during the Golden Age and those drawing them now. He and his kind were artists whose experience had been gained in other fields. They were drawn into the comic field because it was a new, promising outlet for their work….

In the same book, Jordan was mentioned in an interview with Fawcett artist Robert Laughlin.

FCA: You also mentioned inker John Jordan as one of your favorite Fawcett artists. What memories do you have of him and the [Carl] Pfeufer/Jordan art team?

LAUGHLIN: Pfeufer didn’t do a lot of tight penciling; it was very loose. From time to time Jordan would want Carl’s penciling to be tighter, which nettled Carl a bit! I guess Pfeufer and Jordan worked together for so long that John knew what Carl meant. There was something very slick about the combination. Carl was more of an illustrator...loose-styled, and a lot of brush black. One thing I recall Carl saying concerning getting a lot of work done for a deadline was, “Just sit down and do the work.” It was that simple—for him. He would apply himself for whatever length of time was needed to complete a job.

Pfeufer was born in 1910. Jordan may have been about the same age as Pfeufer. 

Jordan was a Brooklyn resident and family man as noted in the Otsego Farmer (Cooperstown, New York), September 3, 1948, “Mr. and Mrs. John Jordan and son of Brooklyn are guests at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wick, Pioneer street. Mr. Jordan is the artist for the popular ‘Don Winslow’ and ‘Tom Mix’ comic books.”

According to American Newspaper Comics (2012), Jordan took over the Don Winslow of the Navy comic strip from Leon Beroth. Jordan’s run began March 2, 1953 and ended July 30, 1955. 

What became of Jordan is not yet known. Any information is greatly appreciated.


* Some artists changed their names, for example, Jack Kirby was born Jacob Kurtzburg. A New York City cartoonist or artist with the Jordan surname has not been found in the 1940 census.

—Alex Jay