Alexander Gillespie Raymond was born on October 2, 1909, in New Rochelle, New York, to Beatrice Wallazz (Crossley) and Alexander Gillespie Raymond, a civil engineer and road builder, who nurtured his artistic talents from a young age. His sister, Beatrice, was the paternal grandmother of renowned actors Matt Dillon and Kevin Dillon. He was of Irish, Scottish, and German descent.
Alexander Gillespie Raymond studied art and illustration at the prestigious Grand Central School of Art in New York City. During the 1930s, he began a series of illustrating jobs, "ghosting" notable comic strips such as "Tillie the Toiler" and "Blondie". In 1933, Raymond and writer Don Moore were tasked with developing a comic strip to rival the popular character "Buck Rogers". Their creation, "Flash Gordon", was an instant success, spawning numerous Saturday morning serials, television series, and feature films.
Raymond also collaborated with mystery writer Dashiell Hammett on the strip "Secret Agent X-9" and worked on both strips simultaneously. During this period, Raymond's artistic style significantly improved, and his work had a profound influence on future artists such as Frank Frazetta, Al Williamson, and Wayne Boring.
Raymond left both strips in 1944, when he joined the United States Marine Corps. He served in the Pacific theatre during World War II, and after the war, he left the Marines in 1946, with the rank of Major. Following his military service, Raymond developed one more comic strip, "Rip Kirby", about a detective/scientist.
Tragically, Alexander Gillespie Raymond's life was cut short when he died in an automobile accident on September 6, 1956, at the age of 46, in Westport, Connecticut.
