Robert David (Chance) Browne

Chance Browne, longtime illustrator of the comic strip “Hi & Lois,” died peacefully at home in Connecticut on March 1, 2024, at the age of 75.

Born Robert David Browne in New York City on June 17, 1948, Chance was the eldest child of Joan Kelly Browne and the cartoonist Dik Browne. He inherited prodigious drawing skills from his father, who was the original “Hi & Lois” illustrator and created the comic strip “Hägar the Horrible.”

Chance and his siblings grew up in South Orange, New Jersey and Wilton, Connecticut, among Dik’s fellow cartoonists and a cohort of famous writers, artists, and radio and television personalities. When “Hägar” debuted in newspapers in 1973, the rest of the Browne family served as editors for every gag over the following decade.

Chance studied painting at Park College in Missouri and the School of Visual Arts in New York. Moving to Harvard Square and then to Burlington, Vermont in the late 1970s, he broadened his artistic scope by working as a graphic artist, ad-agency jingle writer/musician, and studio player while performing with several rock and blues bands in New England and beyond.

These dual artistic paths continued through Chance's cartooning career wherever he resided. He raised three daughters with his wife, Debra, moving to Sarasota, Florida, and finally settling in his hometown of Wilton, Connecticut in 1989. Earning a reputation among musicians as a first-rate guitarist, he played alongside such blues greats as B.B. King, Albert Collins, Junior Wells, and Mark Naftalin, as well as folk legends Jim Rooney and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott. He performed in blues festivals, special concerts and gigs in numerous venues for over six decades. He recorded the album Bluesville in 1993 with guest players Johnnie Johnson and the Uptown Horns.

Highly skilled in fine arts, Chance portrayed a range of subjects in his work, from pickup trucks to ink bottles, landscapes, architectural studies, and the people he loved. Many of his paintings, drawings and multimedia pieces can be viewed on his website.

Chance is survived by his wife, Debra Kaslove Browne; children Rachel Browne (Joseph D’Agostino), Robin Browne (Zachary Willis), and Zoë Browne; sister Sally Browne-Boeras (Rico Boeras); ten nieces and nephews; and four grand-nephews. He was predeceased last year by his brother, “Hägar the Horrible” illustrator Chris Browne.

To see Chance’s art and listen to Bluesville, visit http://chancebrowne.com. A celebration of life will be held this summer for friends and family, with details forthcoming. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (http://pancan.org) or the Lustgarten Foundation (http://lustgarten.org).

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