Lily Renée, 1921-2022

FA is saddened to report that Lily Renée Wilhelm Peters Phillips, one of the first women to draw American mainstream comic books, passed away at the age of 101, on 24th August 2022.

In addition to her outstanding work on such features as Werewolf Hunter and Señorita Rio, Renée was notable for being one of the first women in the field to use (a contraction of) her real name, rather than a male or gender-neutral pseudonym.

Like many Golden Age creators, her contributions went largely unacknowledged until the 1980s. when increasing interest and research in the field led to her re-emergence as a historic figure. A 2011 graphic novel by Trina Robbins and Mo Oh presented Renée’s biography for a younger audience, and in 2019 a short documentary film was released celebrating her life and career.

Artist and author Trina Robbins relayed an announcement on social media from Lily’s son, Rick Phillips;

‘It’s with great sadness that my sister and I regret to inform you of the passing of our mother. She died peacefully at home, as was her wish, yesterday after living a full life of more than 101 years. There is a time for all of us and her death comes on the heels of the birth of her third great grandchild earlier this year. Thank you all for being part of her life in her twilight years. We plan on holding a Celebration of Life in September.’

Further details on Renée may be found on our report of her 101st birthday here, and in our review of the 2011 graphic novel here.