Ink-Slinger Profiles by Alex Jay: Ed H. Gunder

1921

Edmund Henry “Ed” Gunder was born in Indiana on January 30, 1903. The birthdate is from the Social Security Death Index. Gunder may have been born in the city of Washington, Indiana where his parents and sister lived according to the 1900 U.S. Federal Census. A family tree at Ancestry.com said Gunder’s mother passed away March 7, 1907.

In the 1910 census, Gunder (erroneously enumerated as Gunther) and his father boarded in Fort Wayne, Indiana at 1310 Oakland, which was the boarding house of Barbara McCormick, a widow. Gunder’s father, a freight trucker, passed away December 27, 1914. The 1917 Fort Wayne city directory listed Gunder, a student, at 1310 Oakland.

Gunder was at the same address in the 1920 census. Gunder was a junior at the Fort Wayne High and Manual Training School. He was a staff artist on the school annual, The Caldron, and newspaper, The Spotlight. Information regarding his art training has not been found.

The Caldron, 1921

Several Fort Wayne city directories, from 1922 to 1928, listed Gunder as an artist with the Journal-Gazette Engraving Company. The 1928 directory included Gunder wife’s, Bessie.

The 1930 census said Gunder was the head of the household which included his wife, daughter, Jean, and “foster mother”, Barbara E McCormick. They all lived at 1310 Oakland in Fort Wayne.

Gunder’s address was 1228 North Anthony Boulevard, Fort Wayne, in the 1933 city directory. At some point Gunder moved to or near Cleveland, Ohio where the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) was located. Gunder produced art for NEA.

by Willis Thornton, Riverside Daily Press 12/18/1933

American Newspaper Comics (2012) said Gunder drew Adventure Stamps which was the Sunday topper to Wash Tubbs; the topper ran from May 24, 1936 to January 3, 1938. I.S. Klein was the writer. The following year Gunder illustrated the Story of the Constitution which was written by Willis Thornton. It ran from September 13 to 18, 1937. Both series were for the NEA.

The 1940 census recorded Gunder in Lakewood, Ohio, at 1307 Nicholson Avenue. His occupation was newspaper artist.

Gunder moved on to become an Associated Press staff artist. American Newspaper Comics said he drew three Story series beginning with The Story of Santa Claus, which was penned by Sherry Bowen and ran in December 1951. 1952 saw the release of The Story of Easter in April. Gunder drew editorial cartoons and illustrated articles.

Gunder passed away October 24, 1977, in Fort Wayne. He was buried at Lindenwood Cemetery. 

—Alex Jay