Warren Kremer, the master cartoonist behind such comics characters as Richie Rich and Casper the Friendly Ghost, died on July 24 in Glen Ridge, N.J. He was 82 and lived in Bloomfield, N.J.

Along with Alfred Harvey, the publisher of Harvey Comics, and the editor Sid Jacobson, Kremer created popular children's characters including Stumbo the Giant; and the baby devil, Hot Stuff. Kremer was the top artist at Harvey Comics, where he worked for 35 years, and was one of the most prolific artists of comic-book covers.

Born in the Bronx in 1921, Kremer graduated from the High School of Music and Art and the School of Industrial Arts in New York City. He was an illustrator for pulp magazines before joining the Harvey stable, where he met his wife, Grace. Grace survives him, along with two sons, Richard W. (after whom Richie Rich was named) and Peter R.; two daughters, Maryanne Kremer-Ames and Suzanne Petrozzino; a sister, Anita Sudol; and two grandchildren.