Monday, March 20, 2017
Ink-Slinger Profiles by Alex Jay: Bob Moyer
Robert Morgan “Bob” Moyer was born in Pennsylvania on January 28, 1924. Moyer’s birthplace was recorded in the census and military service. The birth date was found at Western Pennsylvania Genealogy. His parents were Harry Riddle Moyer and Fleta Eugenia Morgan.
The 1927 Oil City, Pennsylvania, city directory listed Moyer’s father at 429 Grant. He was a sign painter.
In the 1930 U.S. Federal Census, Moyer was the youngest of two children born to Harry and Fleta, who was not counted in the census. Moyer’s maternal grandmother, Hannah Morgan, was head of the household in Franklin, Pennsylvania at 537 Elk Street. Fleta, who was in a sanitarium, passed away about seven weeks after the census. Her death was reported in the Oil City Derrick, May 28, 1930. She was laid to rest at Franklin Cemetery.
At some point Moyer’s father moved to Cleveland, Ohio. He returned to Franklin to marry Myra Grant Campbell, as noted in the marriage license application section of the Franklin News-Herald, June 19, 1936. The 1936 Cleveland city directory said the newlyweds resided at the Hawley House. Harry was a Newspaper Enterprise Association artist.
In 1937 the Moyer family address was 1256 Donald Avenue, Cleveland. Harry was still with the NEA. The 1939 and 1940 Cleveland directories listed the Moyers at 17535 Madison Avenue and Harry’s occupation as artist.
Moyer has not yet been found in the 1940 census. He followed in his father’s footsteps and worked at the NEA.
American Newspaper Comics (2012) said John Sunley was the first artist to produce Ticklers, which debuted June 30, 1941. Moyer took over from September 1, 1941 to March 16, 1942. He was followed by Bill Arnold, Hayes, and George Scarbo. Irving S. Knickerbocker created Mac (aka The McCoys) which ran from May 10, 1929 to March 7, 1930. After Knickerbocker’s departure, it was continued by Andrew Munch, Howard Broughner and Moyer, who drew it from September 29, 1941 to May 3, 1943. Moyer was the last artist to draw the Great American Home from January 12 to 19, 1942.
On February 18, 1943, Cleveland resident Moyer enlisted in the army during World War II. He was single and a commercial artist who had two years of college.
Moyer’s father passed away January 21, 1946, in Cleveland.
Moyer’s resume was found here. He studied at the Cleveland School of Art, John Huntington Institute, Cleveland College, and Milwaukee’s Latham School of Art. His experience from the mid-1940s onward is as follows:
1945–1947: Apprentice Illustrator, Ad Art Studio, Cleveland, Ohio1947–1948: Illustrator/Designer, Display Corp, Milwaukee, Wisconsin1949–1950: Illustrator, Wenger Studio, Cleveland, Ohio1950–1960: Illustrator, Fawn Art Studio, Cleveland, Ohio1960–1990: Illustration and Design, Artists Studios, Cleveland, Ohio1990–present: Freelance Illustrator/Watercolor Teacher, Shreve, OhioThe 1950 Lorain, Ohio city directory listed Moyer at 2447 East 37th Street. Moyer resided at 3641 Spencer Road in the 1960 Lakewood, Ohio city directory. He was a commercial illustrator at Fawn Art Studio.
Moyer is a noted illustrator and watercolorist who had an exhibition, in January 2005, at the College of Wooster. A retrospective of his work was held September 2015.
—Alex Jay
Labels: Ink-Slinger Profiles
