Ink-Slinger Profiles by Alex Jay: Ray Evans Jr.

1933

Raymond Oscar “Ray” Evans Jr. was born on September 11, 1913, in Baltimore, Maryland. The birth date is from Evans’ Indiana death certificate and the Social Security Death Index. The birthplace is based on the 1920 U.S. Federal Census and the Ohio State University Monthly, October 1913, which announced his birth, “Born to Raymond Oscar Evans, ’10, and Mrs. Evans (Helen Holter, Ex-’13), a son, Raymond Oscar Evans Jr. Mr. Evans is cartoonist of the Baltimore American Maryland.”

In the 1920 census, Evans lived with his parents and sister in Baltimore at 2215 12th Street. The 1922 Baltimore city directory listed the Evans family at 3308 Elgin Avenue. Soon, Evans’ father returned to his birthplace.

The 1923 Columbus, Ohio city directory said the Evans family resided at 91 West Lakeview Avenue and Evans’ father worked at the Columbus Dispatch. The following year’s directory had their address as 137 Crestview Road. The same address was recorded in the 1930 census.

Like his father, Evans attended Ohio State University. Freshman Evans contributed caricatures to the 1933 yearbook, The Makio.

In Evans’ junior year, he was a member of Beta Theta Pi (He pledged in 1933.). He was a year behind future editorial cartoonist Bill Crawford. The Ohio State University Bulletin, Volume 40, Issue 7, 1935, had this listing: “Evans, Ray, Jr., Arts 3, Columbus, 1176 Bryden Rd.”

On April 13, 1936, Evans married Maxine Adelle Van Dyke Walley in Franklin County as recorded in the Ohio County Marriage Records at Ancestry.com.

Evans was named in the Catalog of Copyright Entries, Part 1, Group 2, Pamphlets, Etc. 1937 New Series, Volume 34, Number 9. 

Johnson (Eleanor M.) 30883–30891
Nip, the bear. Diagnostic reading workbook, [no. 1] By E. M. Johnson; illustrations by Paul Burchfield and Ray Evans, jr. © Sept. 1, 1937; AA 244340.

The 1938 Columbus city directory listed the couple at 43 Lexington Avenue. Evans was an artist at the American Education Press Inc.

According to the 1940 census, Evans, his wife and two-year-old son, Michael, were Columbus residents at 85 Hamilton Avenue. Illustrator Evans earned $2,400 in 1939 and had three years of college. Cartoonist Evans’ address in the 1941 directory was 722 Chelsea Avenue. The same address was in the 1945 directory and his occupation was editor at the American Education Press, Inc.

American Newspaper Comics (2012) said Evans drew Out of Line, from October 7, 1945 to January 13, 1946, for the Columbus Dispatch.

The Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series, Volume 1, Part 1A, Number 2, Books, July–December 1947 said Evans contributed scientific text and illustrations. 

De Grouchy, William John, 1889– ed.
Science is in the air; an inspirational textbook told almost exclusively in pictures. Artists: Ray Evans, Jr., Robert Powell; authors : Ray Evans, Jr., Alfred M. Klein. Ed. by William J. de Grouchy. New York, Street and Smith Publications, c1947. 158 p. illus., maps. 20 cm. © Street & Smith Publications, inc.; 16Sep47; A1615C.

American Newspaper Comics said Evans was one of four artists to draw Our New Age, which debuted September 21, 1958. The first was Carl Rose (as Earl Cros) who was followed by E.C. Felton then Gene Fawcette. Evans did the daily panel from January 1 to December 29, 1962. Dr. Athelstan Spilhaus wrote the series for Publishers-Hall Syndicate.

The Omaha World-Herald (Nebraska), December 27, 1961, announced the upcoming start of Our New Age and said in part:

An eminent scientist and a writer-cartoonist have joined talents to produce a new cartoon panel.

…The team is Dr. Athelstan F. Spilhaus and Ray Evans.

…Mr. Evans is an editorial cartoonist and science writer for the Columbus, O., Dispatch.

Mr. Evans explained the cartoon:

“We hope to show in capsule form, quickly for everybody, how science impinges on everyday life and how extremely interesting it is.

“Science is the most entertaining subject in the world. We shall try to show how entertaining it really can be made.”

The Long Island Star-Journal (Long Island, New York), December 29, 1961, announced it was going to run Our New Age and said about Evans:

Ray Evans, editorial cartoonist for the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, as was his father before him, founded and edited Current Aviation, a technical weekly, started a “space science” series and recently introduced a n«w science feature, “science explains,” for the Dispatch

A family tree at Ancestry.com said Evans remarried on an unspecified date. His first wife remarried in 1966.

Evans passed away July 26, 1982, in Richmond, Indiana, according to his death certificate.

—Alex Jay