Tuesday, November 08, 2016
Ink-Slinger Profiles by Alex Jay: Vic Green
Victor John Green was born in Houston, Texas, on August 27, 1915, according to the birth certificate available at Ancestry.com.
The 1920 U.S. Federal Census recorded Green as the oldest of two children born to John and Carrie. His father was a restaurant operator. The family resided in Houston at 2106 Noble. Their address remained the same in the 1930 and 1940 censuses.
Green and his address were listed in the 1932 Houston city directory. A 1935 directory included Green’s occupation as clerk at Cottrill & Eidson, an insurance company.
In the 1940 census, Green was a self-employed commercial artist. He, his wife, Bessie, and son, John, lived with his parents. The 1940 directory said Green was an artist. He was a commercial artist in the 1942 directory listings.
A World War II military record for Green has not been found. During the war, Green produced a humor magazine, Left-Overs, to be purchased and mailed to soldiers.
A Spring 1948 issue of Editor and Publisher announced the upcoming release of Green’s Willie Dee. About Green, the article said:
…the artist, is a six-footer from Houston, Tex., who hesitated a long time between art and professional boxing. Art won around about the time Green married, even though for a time art meant such jobs as illustrating for a uniform company’s catalog during the war, at the printshop where he was a partner. He devoted spare time creating a series of four “GI Cartoonbooks” which began as a project for hometown boys and developed a wide demand.American Newspaper Comics (2012) said Green produced Willie Dee dailies and Sundays from May 10, 1948 to November 15, 1952, for the Register and Tribune Syndicate.
Willie Dee appeared in the Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah) which wrote about Green and his creation on March 15, 1949.
N.P. Nichols commented about her uncle.
Victor J. Green was my uncle, my mother, Nicholina T. Green Nichols', only brother. According to what I remember my mother saying about the Willie Dee strip, Uncle Vic just got tired of doing it and quit. He worked for Premier Printing in Houston, Texas for many years and lived here with his wife and children all of his life until his death in 1989. I remember seeing a copy of the GI cartoon book around here somewhere it was kind of racy as I recall. He was an accomplished painter as was his father, a cartoonist and photographer. He also designed giant Texas dollars which were sold as souvineers [sic] years ago, that had hidden sayings and pictures on them I believe they were printed by Premier.Kayce Threadgill said. “Vic Green was my grandfather. He also had the very first televised art show in Texas.”
Radio Daily-Television Daily, April 24, 1953, printed this item: “A new audience participation show to be telecast on Sundays on KPRC-TV, Houston, will be titled “Cartoon Scribble Time.” Cartoonist Vic Green and Frank Sullivan, KPRC-TV production manager, will appear on the telecasts.”
A family tree at Ancestry.com said Green had four children. Green passed away April 3, 1989, in Houston, according to the Texas death index at Ancestry.com. He was laid to rest at Forest Park Cemetery.
—Alex Jay
Labels: Ink-Slinger Profiles
