Was an American comic book artist who drew the constumed crimefighter Phatom Lady,among many other characters.Active in the 1940s and 1950s Golden Age of comic books he is the first known African American artist to find successin the comic-book industry.He also penciled an early form of graphic novel,St.John Publications'digest-sized "picture novel" It Rhymes with Lust (1950).
Clarence was inducted into the Will Eisner Comic Book of Fame in 2009.
He was born in Forsyth County,North Carolina.At a young age Clarence relocated with his family to Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania,and after graduating high school in 1940,he moved to Washington,D.C..Prevented by a heart condition from being drafted into the U.S.military in World War II,he began studying art at Cooper Union,in New York City.He entered comics through the Jerry Iger Studio,one of the 1930s-1940s "packagers" that provided outsourced comics to publishers entering the new medium.Clarence first confirmed comics work is pencing and inking the women in the 12-page "Sheena,Queen of the Jungle" story in Fiction House's Jumbo Comics #69(cover-dated November 1944),otherwise penciled by Robert Webb & Alex Blum.
During this period,known to historians and fans as the Golden Age of Comic Books,Clarence did work for publishers including Fiction House,Fox Comics,Quality Comics and St.John Publications.In later years,he independently teamed with inker Jon D'Agostin under the pseudonym Matt Bakerino at Charlton Comics.
The character Phantom Lady,created by Arthur Peddy,had originated in 1941 as a Quality Comics featured supplied by the Iger Studio.Cartoonist Frank Borth later took over the art.After Quality dropped the feature,which had appeared in Police Comics# 1-23 (August 1941 October 1943),Iger supplied it to Fox Comics.Clarence redesigned the character into her best-known incarnation.This version (generally but unconfirmably credited to writer Ruth Roche) debuted in Fox's Phantom Lady #13 (August 1947),the premiere issue after taking over the numbering of the cancel comic Wotalife;the title ran through issue #23 (April 1949).Clarence Phantom Lady also appeared as a backup feature in All Top Comics #9-16 (January 1948-March 1949).
His other artwork for comic books include the light-humor military title Canteen Katie,for which Clarence drew all 22 installments,as well as stories in the suspense anthology Tales of The Mysterious Traveler,the comedic-adventure feature " Sky Girl" in Fiction's House Jumbo Comics,with originals and later reprints running from #69-193 (November 1944-December 1952);the jungle adventure "Tiger Girl," "Flamingo," "South Sea Girl" "Glory Forbes," "Kayo Kirby," and "Risks Unlimited." Clarence illustrated Lorna Doone for Classic Comics in December 1946,his one and only contribution to the well-known series.He is the generally credited but unconfirmed artists for Fox's Rulah,Jungle Goddess # 17-27 (August 1948-June1949,the title's complete run after having taken over the numbering of the defunct Zoot Comics).He also produced Flamingo as a syndicated comic strip from 1952-1954.His pen name include Curt Davis.
In addition to several romance comics,the 1950s forrunner of Marvel Comics,beginning with a five-page anthological story generally if unconfirmably credited to writer-editor Stan Lee,in the omnibus title Gunsmoke Western #32 (December 1955).At some point during this period,working through artist Vince Colletta's studio,Matthew went on to draw stories for Atlas' Western Outlaws,Quick Trigger Action,Frontier Western,and Wild Western;more prolifically for the company's romance comics Love Romances,My Own Romance,and Tee-Age Romance;and one story each for the Supernatural/science fiction anthologies Strange Tales,World of Fantasy,and Tales to Astonish ("Fell to the Center of the Earth!" in issue #2,March 1959).Clarence also supplied artwork for the Dell Movie Classic edition of King Richard and the Crusaders.
His last known work,as generally credited but unconfirmed,is the first page of the six-page story "Happily Ever After" in Atlas/Marvel's Love Romance #90 (November 1960).His last known confirmed work is the six-page "I Gave up the Man I Love" in the company's My Own Romance #73 (January 1960).
Clarence died of a heart attack.
He was inducted in to the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 2009.
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