Gifted, but hard-working and versatile, Bill Fugate was gone from us way too soon (February, 2013). A good little bio can be found at https://www.lambiek.net/artists/f/fugate_billy.htm Artwork and tributes and an ongoing appreciation of Bill and his work can be found on the Bill Fugate Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bill.fugate.75 (which was Bill's page while he was alive, kept going still today by his siblings, Neal and Connie.)
Some words from his sister Connie: "I don't know that I can be much help on the "what he meant to Fandom" part, but will gladly share my thoughts and memories with you. Bill was first and foremost my hero. Being just a year and 8 days apart, he was always the trailblazer for me when we were little. I was never afraid to do ANYTHING, because my big brother Billy Joe had already done it and shown me the way. (He hated to be called Billy Joe, but that was how I always thought of him - even after I'd called him "Bill" to his face for years.)
I think he was probably not actually born with a pencil in his hand, but found one shortly thereafter, and never put it down. I remember our poor mother sharpening them with a kitchen knife until she finally broke down and bought him a "real" pencil sharpener - like they had at school. From that day on, it was always mounted on the wall of the utility room, and got used a LOT. Once he discovered India Ink, his fingers were permanently stained for the next several decades.
What money he didn't spend on comics was spent on art supplies - wish I'd owned stock in Zip-A-Tone!"
Obscure Golden Age Heroes
High Camp Heroes
Fugate's Fun Stuff
Super Frankenstein
Comic Book Work
