Russell Myers
Cartoonist/Writer, Tulsa
Russell Myers was born in Pittsburgh, Kansas. He moved to Tulsa when his father, a college professor, became a member of the faculty at the University of Tulsa. He attended Will Rogers High School in Tulsa with comics legend Archie Goodwin and went on to study at the University of Tulsa.
Before Myers created Broom-Hilda, he worked for Hallmark Cards in Kansas City. Myers was diligent, taking trips to New York to pitch his ideas to executives. Then he met Elliott Caplin, who was Al Capp’s brother and creator of several continuity strips, including The Heart of Juliet Jones. He sent Caplin six sample strips of Broom Hilda and Caplin sold it to a syndicate. After so many years of failed attempts, Myers had found his niche with a 1,500-year-old witch with an attitude.
Broom-Hilda began publication April 19, 1970, and is still running today for Tribune Media Services. Fans of the strip have seen the characters change over the years, but Myers’ talent for art and zany sense of humor haven’t. As of 2012, Russell Myers lived in Grants Pass, Oregon, with his family.