Robert White, creator and illustrator of "Cosmo the Merry Martian," a short-lived science fiction and adventure series published by Archie Comics in 1958, has died. He was 77.
White died Oct. 21 of heart problems, said a niece, Cynthia White of Stanhope, N.J.
A memorial service was held Saturday in Stanhope, where White's older brother, Joseph S. White Jr., lives.
The first "Cosmo" comic appeared in September 1958.
Meant to be a lighthearted look at the space race kicked off between the United States and the Soviet Union after the latter's launch of the first Sputnik satellite nearly a year earlier, it featured the adventures of Cosmo, his friend Orbi and Cosmo's girlfriend, Astra.
Though White often worked with writer Frank Doyle, it is not known who wrote the "Cosmo" series, which lasted a mere six issues.
"I remember Uncle Bob getting all excited about the Cosmo character," Cynthia White said. "He had a great sense of humor and he liked to laugh."
White's niece said her older sister still has a copy of the "Cosmo" comic book he autographed and gave her.
Another title he worked on was "Pureheart the Powerful," a radical departure from the teen series with Archie and his friends Jughead, Betty, Veronica and Reggie.
As Pureheart, his name changed to Captain Pureheart in one issue, Archie wages war against villains named Ice Cube and Evilheart, in reality his rival Reggie.
White's other credits were "The Fly" and "Life with Archie," a longer version set against the backdrop of the 1964 New York World's Fair.
The cover of "Archie's Madhouse," published in the summer of 1968, was penciled by Dan DeCarlo, one of the stars at Archie Comics, and inked by White.
White's niece said it is unknown how long the cartoonist worked for Archie Comics.
Let go by the comics publishing company after working on "Tippy Teen" for rival Tower Comics, White took a course in computer programming and was hired by United Artists in New York City.
"He wasn't working with comics anymore but he still drew," Cynthia White said.
When he and his wife, Lili, moved to San Antonio, he joined USAA Insurance. He also worked with the Oblates.
Lili White, to whom he was married for 40 years, died in 1996. The couple had no children.
The son of a dentist, White was born and raised in Portland, Maine. He served in the Navy and attended art school.
His family still has line drawings of churches he did in art class, his niece said.
A memorial service will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Monday at the Northview Tower at 7039 San Pedro.
