Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Ink-Slinger Profiles by Alex Jay: Joe King
Joseph B. “Joe” “Joel” King was born in Newark, New Jersey, on September 16, 1904. His birthplace was recorded on a passenger list and marriage certificate. The birth date is from the Social Security Death Index.
The 1910 U.S. Federal Census recorded King and his parents, Clifford, a hotel waiter, and Edith, in his paternal grandparents’s household. The grandparents were George, a carpenter contractor, and Emily. They all resided in Los Angeles, California at 529 Daly Street.
Canton, Ohio was King’s hometown in the 1920 census. He and his mother were part of his maternal grandmother’s household. The address for Katie Stauffer, her son, Milton, King and his mother was 2111 Ninth Street SW.
King attended Canton’s McKinley High School. The Canton Repository, April 27, 1923, reported the results of the poster contest.
The rewards in the annual W.C.T.U. poster contest at McKinley high school were made last Thursday afternoon at the school where the posters have been on exhibition for Visitors’ week. First prize of $5 was awarded to Joseph King, a senior…King’s relationship with the Repository was revealed in the December 13, 1925 edition of the Repository.
Joseph King, formerly photographer and cartoonist with The Repository and graduate of McKinley high school in 1922, [sic] has illustrated a children’s book entitled, “Mother Goose Secrets,” which has been published for the holiday season by Small, Maynard and Company.Some of the Mother Goose Secrets art can be viewed here.
The author of the book is Mrs. Barbara Webb Bourjaily, former newspaper woman in Dayton and Cleveland, who has told in a style to interest young and old alike…
Canton city directories for 1923 and 1924 listed King as a cartoonist. He was an artist in the 1925 directory.
American Newspaper Comics (2012) said King drew What Does Your Child Want to Know?, from 1926 to 1927, for the Bell Syndicate. The writers were C.E. Brown (1926) and Barbara Bourjaily (1927).
At some point King joined the staff of the Newspaper Enterprise Association. King was the first of five artists on Radiotics which started November 1927. King was followed by Art Krenz, Dorothy Urfer, Charles Okerbloom and George Scarbo.
Hal Cochran wrote The Tinymites which debuted October 8, 1926. The first two artists were Larry Redner and Irving Knickerbocker. King did the illustrations from February 19, 1930 to 1931. George Scarbo was the next artist. Cochran also wrote The Clownies which was drawn by King from 1931 to April 1933. The next artist was Scarbo. King also produced two toppers for The Clownies: Animal Cracks ran from July 17, 1932 to April 1933, and Comic Zoo started September 11, 1932 and ended March 12, 1933.
For the Central Press Association, King drew Gabby which was written by William Ritt. It had a short run from July 29 to October 26, 1935. King filled in on two Sundays (March 29 and April 5, 1936) of Frank Buck’s Ted Towers Animal Master which was syndicated by King Features.
King married Dorothy Urfer on August 31, 1935, according to the Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Marriage Records and Indexes. Some time after the wedding, King left Cleveland.
King, his wife and son, Timothy, were residents of Weston, Connecticut in the 1940 census. King was a self-employed artist.
The Repository, August 1, 1943, reported King’s rush job for Ladies Home Journal and his career.
A graphic continuity of pictures dramatizing a condensed version of Walter Lippman’s book, “U.S. Foreign Policy,” has been drawn by Joe King, former Repository photographer…Official Directory, American Illustrators and Advertising Artists (1949) had an entry for King: “Joel King 774 Second Ave. New York 17, N. Y. Illustration Rep. Tom Holloway”
Tracing the story of United States commitments from the time it became a republic and its power to protect these commitments, which basically involve the nation’s foreign policy, the graphic condensation of the column’s 40,000 word book covers seven pages in the magazine. The continuity is credited to Joel King, the name he now uses to identify his work.
…Artist King worked as a photographer for The Repository in 1924–25, quitting to do free lance work as a cartoonist. He at one time was on the NEA staff at Cleveland and has illustrated several books. Two issues ago he had a two-page spread in Look magazine and has prepared some material for Women’s Home Companion. In addition he does cartoons and illustrations for various advertising and War Bond campaigns and recruiting drives for the armed forces.
Books illustrated by King include Nip Ahoy (1954), The Missing Mitt (1955) and Leave It to Herbert the Electrical Mouse (1958).
The listing in Who’s Who in Commercial Art and Photography (1960) suggests that King worked at home: “KING, Joel GA 6-2001 P.O. Box 57, Hawleyville, Conn.”
A public record at Ancestry.com had King’s address and phone number from 1974: “98 Riverside Dr #6C, New York, NY, 10024-5323” and “362-4636”.
King passed away January 24, 1980. A death notice appeared two days later in the New York Times.
King–Joseph B., on January 24th, 1980. Husband of Dorothy. Father of Timothy, Heather, Heidi and Stephen. Also survived by 1 grandchild, Mistianna. Private services were held.
—Alex Jay
Labels: Ink-Slinger Profiles
Comments:
About TED TOWERS, In Holtz book are indicated as by King all the Sundays from March 28 1936 to April 5 1936.
But the correct first Sunday by King was February 23 1936.
Anyway, his Sundays were several and not only two.
But the correct first Sunday by King was February 23 1936.
Anyway, his Sundays were several and not only two.
"Books illustrated by King include Nip Ahoy (1954)...and Leave It to Herbert the Electrical Mouse (1958)."
That's quite a jump - from adult swim
https://www.nickharvilllibraries.com/store/p406/Nip_Ahoy%2C_The_Picture_Bar_Guide.html
to the kiddie pool
https://picclick.com/Leave-It-To-Herbert-Paperback-The-Electrical-Mouse-262834536719.html
Any idea why he went from Joe to Joel?
Maybe he thought everyone would think Joe King was a pseudonym?
Joe King, Fay King, Dick Heumer.
I always thought Oscar Samuel Hitt should have signed his work "O. S.Hitt".
D.D.Degg
That's quite a jump - from adult swim
https://www.nickharvilllibraries.com/store/p406/Nip_Ahoy%2C_The_Picture_Bar_Guide.html
to the kiddie pool
https://picclick.com/Leave-It-To-Herbert-Paperback-The-Electrical-Mouse-262834536719.html
Any idea why he went from Joe to Joel?
Maybe he thought everyone would think Joe King was a pseudonym?
Joe King, Fay King, Dick Heumer.
I always thought Oscar Samuel Hitt should have signed his work "O. S.Hitt".
D.D.Degg
I got my copy of the Johnstone & Cushing made giveaway comic done for United States Rubber Company called How to Fish like an Expert from May 1, 1960, with Joe King's signature (same as the Gabby comic strip sample on Lambiek) on the cover. I assume he was employed by J & C during this time.
Also, Jerry Bails and the GCD confirms there is a Joe King who drew the story "Phantom Buffalo" in Buster Brown Comic Book (Brown Shoe Co., 1945 Series) #2 (Winter 1945). Same person? (https://www.comics.org/issue/4051/#718828)
my best
-Ray Bottorff Jr
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Also, Jerry Bails and the GCD confirms there is a Joe King who drew the story "Phantom Buffalo" in Buster Brown Comic Book (Brown Shoe Co., 1945 Series) #2 (Winter 1945). Same person? (https://www.comics.org/issue/4051/#718828)
my best
-Ray Bottorff Jr
