 Circulation of the strip rose steadily , and it was the artist who was apportioned most of the praise - including being awarded the fourth Reuben Award in 1949 . He also served as the National Cartoonists Society 's president from 1950 until 1952 , putting into place the committee structure responsible for overseeing the organization , and threw himself into championing the medium as an art form . Raymond profited in recognizability as well as financially , and continued on the strip until his untimely death in September 1956 . His collaborator from 1952 was writer Fred Dickenson ( who wrote the strip for a further 34 years ) , and he was succeeded artistically by magazine and Prize Publications ' Young Romance illustrator John Prentice . Commentators have said that Prentice echoed the Rip Kirby artistic style , but lacked " Raymond 's excellent design sense , " although he continued to draw the strip until his retirement in 1999 , the strip itself concluding shortly after . 
