Born in Troy, Missouri, Robert Wilson McCoy studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, The American Academy, and the St. Louis School of Fine Arts, where he later served on the faculty. As a commercial artist, he made paintings for Liberty Magazine covers, calendars, prints, pin-ups and advertisements for major companies. When his friend Ray Moore served in the military during WWII, McCoy took over the responsibilities of illustrating the syndicated newspaper strip, 'The Phantom'. His wife, Dorothy, did the lettering.
