Sy Barry receives "The Stacey Aragon Special Recognition Award" (SASRA) from Inkwell

At the Hershey Comic Con’s awards ceremony on June 11, 2026, Sy Barry received "The Stacey Aragon Special Recognition Award" (SASRA) from Inkwell. The award is given to professionals who have made significant contributions to the comic book industry. It is named after Stacey Aragon, an avid supporter of the Inkwell Awards who passed away after a decade-long battle with cancer. Recipients of the SASRA are internally selected by the committee and represent some of the most celebrated veterans in comic book artistry.

The Inkwell Awards is the only official 501(c)(3) non-profit organisation whose mission is to promote and educate regarding the art form of comic-book inking, as well as annually recognise the best ink artists and their work.

Bob Almond who has inked several Phantom stories for Team Fantomen is involved with the non-profit organisation. You can follow their work on their social media platforms (Facebook and Instagram) or at their website.

While Sy Barry did not attend, he was able to send a message to those in attendance.

Bob Almond shared this about Sy Barry during the presentation:

“At 5 years old, with pencil in hand, he could not only draw well but Sy Barry knew that art would be his lifelong passion. He was born on March 12, 1928 in New York City during the Depression, the 6th child in a family of 8.

In 1943 Sy was accepted to the School of Industrial Art in New York City. He studied alongside contemporaries including Carmine Infantino, Alex Toth, John Romita, and others. Sy graduated from SIA in 1946 and never looked back. His early jobs with Lev Gleason, Famous Funnies, Ziff Davis, and Hillman Publications set him up for a 13-year run with National/DC, Timely/Marvel, and several other comic publishers. At DC, Sy worked in multiple genres, becoming the go-to inker for Alex Toth, Murphy Anderson, Curt Swan, Carmine Infantino, and Bob Kane.

Sy holds a place in history as the illustrator of Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story, a 16-page comic book pamphlet about Martin Luther King, Jr, Rosa Parks and the Montgomery bus boycott published in 1957 by the Fellowship of Reconciliation.

Sy eventually went on to draw the world’s most successful adventure comic strip, The Phantom, for 33 years from 1961 to 1994, succeeding Ray Moore and Wilson McCoy. Sy is credited for giving the Phantom character his modern look, and he brought action and a new sense of drama to the strip. At the height of their popularity, Lee Falk and Sy Barry’s Phantom stories were read by over 100 million people every day in newspapers and comic books. In 1994, Sy stepped down from the reins of the Phantom and began another chapter in his life.

Interested in taking on new projects and spending more time with friends and family, despite the recent decline of his eyesight, Sy pushes on and continues to develop his painting skills and teach watercolour, and he enjoys portrait painting in a combination of oil, acrylic, and watercolour. Sy has painted the Phantom several times in oil, and his drawings continue to be used as covers for  Phantom comics around the world."

Sy Barry's comments on the award and recognition were passed onto Inkwell and read out to the audience at the night.

“Thank you so much to the Inkwell Awards for this incredible honour. I really regret that I can’t be with you in person today. You know, receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from an organisation that celebrates the art of inking is especially meaningful to me.

When I began my professional career in 1946, I never imagined that more than seven decades later I would still be talking about comic books and comic strips, let alone accepting an award like this. My career has spanned 72 wonderful years, and I have considered every one of them a privilege.

Along the way, I had the good fortune to work alongside some of the finest artists our industry has ever known—Alex Toth, Bob Kane, Carmine Infantino, Curt Swan, John Romita Sr., Murphy Anderson, Frank Giacoia, Bob Anager, and many others. Every collaboration taught me something, and I remain grateful to have shared drawing boards and deadlines with such extraordinary talent.

During the 1950s, I was thrilled to be one of the artists that both DC Comics and Marvel could rely on when they needed an inker. Inking has often been called an invisible art, but those of us who practised it knew that every brushstroke mattered. In comic books, I always tried to honour the penciler’s work while bringing my own style and drama to the finished page.

As a creator, I may be best known for my years drawing The Phantom. From 1961 until 1994, it was my privilege to illustrate the adventures of the Ghost Who Walks. To know that my interpretation of the character became the Phantom that millions of readers around the world came to know and love is humbling. That connection with readers and wonderful fans around the world has been the greatest honour of my career.

I’m so grateful to my family, whose love and support made it possible for me to devote my life to this work, and I am especially grateful to the many friends I’ve made throughout the comic industry. Those friendships have meant as much to me as any page I ever drew.

Thank you again to everyone for this recognition.”