Saturday, May 07, 2022

 

Herriman Saturday: April 2 1910

 

April 2 1910 -- Herriman is called upon to make almost daily strips about the upcoming Fight of the Century. Naturally (I suppose) this devolves mostly into jibes against Johnson, in the spirit of giving mostly white newspaper readers what they want. 

This strip, in which Johnson sets out to outdo Jeffries on various counts, includes a doubled speeding ticket in the final panel. There is a story often told of the champ that he was once pulled over for speeding and that the fine, to be paid directly to the officer, was $50. The champ supposedly hands him a $100 bill, and the cop says he can't make change for the big bill. Johnson tells him not to worry, keep the extra $50 as he has every intention of driving just as fast on his return trip later. 

I don't know if this story was already in circulation by April 1910, but I have to guess it was; otherwise Herriman is exhibiting quite an amazing ability to foretell the future.

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Friday, May 06, 2022

 

Obscurity of the Day: The Quality Kid

 


 



 

John R. Bray is remembered today as a pioneer in the field of animation, but he also had an earlier career in newspaper comics. Most of his work was for the McClure Syndicate, but he was not so greatly in demand that he wouldn't jump on other offers of work. 

That would be the case with The Quality Kid, a feature he created for the short-lived Publishers Press Syndicate. We've discussed that syndicate before in connection with Harrison Cady's Jolly Jumpers. Bray came late to the party, when Publishers Press was close to gasping its last. The Quality Kid debuted on June 1 1913, and it went down the tubes with the comics section itself on September 7 1913*. 

The Quality Kid concerns itself with a rich kid and two ragamuffin street urchins. Most comics that put together rich and poor kids have the poor ones outsmarting or just plain bullying the 'quality' kid, but in Bray's strip the kids are partners-in-crime, with all the kids out to pull pranks, sometimes on others, sometimes on each other. A running gag is that the butler, James, is not the intended butt of these goings-on, but often gets caught up in the tide much to his detriment.

The series was attractive but quite repetitive, but it probably mattered very little to Bray. He was busy forming his new animation studio at essentially the same time as The Quality Kid was hitting the few remaining client papers of Publishers Press. Bray's first cartoon short, The Artist's Dream, was released in July 1913. 

~~~~~~~~~

* Sources: Running dates from Atlanta Constitution and St. Paul Pioneer Press.


Comments:
Pleasant to look at but Bray certainly had problems with balloon order. I'm surprised his cartoons didn't run back to front.
 
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Wednesday, May 04, 2022

 

E&P Mystery Strips: Letter 'S'

 I stalled out on this series with letter 'R' in 2013, but here are the 'S'es and all it took was slightly less than a decade! 

Okay, here's how this works, for those who haven't been keeping up with the whirlwind pace. The Editor & Publisher Syndicate Yearbooks, published from 1924 until 2010, listed theoretically all the available syndicated features, including comic strips and panels. Those listings often included features that I've never been able to locate. Some of them, no doubt, never appeared anywhere and were just wishful thinking. But if you look at previous letters, and the later exclamations of discovery from myself and others, some of these features can and do let themselves be found by the most intrepid researchers.

Therefore your task, if you wish to accept it, is to go forth on a hard target search of every research library, online digital newspaper archive and the material in your own collection, and report back to Stripper's Guide Central with your discoveries. 


Title

Creator(s)

Syndicate

Advertised Format/Frequency

Years Advertised

Notes/Status (blank means still a mystery)

Saddle Sore

Frank Barnett

American International

Daily panel

1989-91

 

Saddle Sores

George Alblitz

Trans World News

Daily strip

1976-78

 

Saint Paul & Duncan

David Watkins, Wayne Dunifon

Suzerain

Daily panel

1992-95

 

Saltwood

D. Leahy, Piper

Columbia Features

Daily

1988-89

 

Sam & Max, Freelance Police

Steve Purcell

At Large Features

Weekly strip

2001-02

No mention of a newspaper series on the charcaters’ Wikipedia page.

Sam Mantics

Carey Orr Cook

Sam Mantics Enterprises

Twice weekly strip

1990-93

 

Sam Scout

W.Clay, Len Glasgow, Lane, Mead, Warkentin

World News Syndicate

Daily/Sunday strip

1972-77

 

Sampson

Ken and Lorretta Bank

Dickson-Bennett

Daily panel

1984

 

San Victorino

Gamez

Colombian Comics

Daily/Sunday strip

1990-96

 

Sandcastles

Greg Curfman

Sandcastles Syndicate

Weekly strip

1976

 

Sandlot Sammy

Harry E. Godwin

Quaker Features

Daily strip

1925

 

Sandy’s World

Roy Doty

Paradigm-TSA

Daily/Sunday strip

1999

 

Santigwar

R. Lee

American International

Daily strip

1987-89

 

Sargent MacDoogle

Rick Wilson

Wilson Syndicate

Daily panel

1975-76

 

Sassafrass Tea

Bob Howard

Bob Howard Enterprises

Weekly panel

1973

 

Sassy Makes Three

Arlene Rowles, Ann Mace

Cascade Features

Weekly

1990

 

Saturn Against The Earth

Uncredited

Press Alliance

Weekly strip

1940

 

School Daze

John Owens

American International

Daily panel

1993-94

 

Scientific Sam

Maurice Beam

Universal Press

Daily strip

1935

 

Scoop Roundtree

Nathan Diggs, J. Anderson

Amadou Features

Weekly strip

1973

 

Scorer

John Gillatt, Barrie Tomlinson

North America Syndicate

Daily strip

1992-98

Well-known British strip, but did it appear in US newspapers?

Scotty the Wonder Dog

E.I. Reed

Miller Features

Daily strip

1939-40

 

Scrappy

Charles Mintz

Eisner-Iger Associates

Daily/weekly strip

1937

Is this the same as the known “Scrappy Sayings” panels?

Scraps

Michael Wakinyan

United Cartoonist Syndicate

Daily

1987-88

 

Screams

Guy Gilchrist, Ralph Hagen

DBR Media

Weekly panel

2002-2000s

 

Scroll of Fame

A.S. Curtis

Self-syndicated

Sunday strip

1951-61

 

Scruffles

Uncredited

TV Compulog

Weekly strip

1976

 

The Sea Hawk

Uncredited

Eric Jon Inc.

Weekly strip

1955-61

 

Sea Rations

James Estes

Star-Telegram Syndicate

Daily strip

1974

 

Seaweed

Johnny Sajem

Trans World News/Allied Press

Daily strip

1977-81

 

Sebastian

Alex Stefanson

Dickson-Bennett/Weekly Features

Daily panel

1984-85

 

See For Yourself

Uncredited

Associated Press

Weekly

1946

 

Seems Funny But It’s True

Ralph S. Matz

Matz Features/Unique Features

Daily strip

1936-39

 

Seven Errors

F. Hays

BP Singer

Weekly

1976-78

 

Shakespeare Plays

Luzny

Canada Wide Features

Daily strip

1947-48

Any distribution in US?

Shamrocks

Kessler, McCarty

Kay Features

Daily panel

1932-33

 

Shanghai Lil

Sarge O’Neill

Southern Cartoon Syndicate

Daily panel

1970-78

 

Sheena, Queen of the Jungle

W. Morgan Thomas

Eisner-Iger Associates

Weekly strip

1938-39

 

Sheriff of Pina Coda

Mike Moen

Suzerain

Daily strip

1986

 

Sherlock Home

Bob Goodbread

Dickson-Bennett

Daily panel

1984

 

Sheroderfield

Jeff Koterba

Dickson-Bennett

Weekly strip

1980-81

 

Sherwood

Robert Nunn

Weekly Features/American Way Features

Daily strip

1986-88

 

Sherwood Forest

Mike Bannon, Dave Gregory

Dickson-Bennett

Daily/weekly strip

1981-84

 

Short Cake

Pedro Moreno

United Cartoonist Syndicate

Daily panel

1982

 

Short Stuff

Jack Flynn

Trans World/Dickson-Bennett

Daily strip

1978-84

 

Short Short Stories

Charles Hendrick Jr.

Continental Features

Weekly panel

1998-2000s

 

Showcase for New Cartoonists

John Shepherd

Self-syndicated

Weekly strip

1993

 

Side Laughs

William Ferguson

NEA

Weekly strip

1937

 

Side Show

Oz Black, E.H. Peterson

Inter-American Newspaper/Thompson Service

Daily panel

1934-36

 

Sideline

Rick Goldsberry

American International

Daily panel

1990-91

 

Sign-o-Rama

M.W. Martin

Self-syndicated

Daily panel

1970-79

 

Silent Sam

Kern Pederson

American International

Daily strip

1988-98

 

Silky ‘n Vixen

Russ De Marks

Russell Enterprises

Daily strip

1969-71

 

Silly Dillies

Bob Lagers

Ledger Syndicate

Daily panel

1967-70

 Found! by Charles Brubaker in Pittsburgh Press.

Simon Cool

Jerry Breen

Allied Press

Daily strip

1980

 

Simple Interest

Anthony Schultz

J Features

Weekly panel

1998-2000s

 

Simpleman

Wim Van Wieringen

Douglas Whiting Limited

Unstated

1959

Dutch – appeared in US?

Single Again

Michael Byrne

Allied Press

Daily strip

1980-81

 

Single Again

Evan Diamond

Miller Features

Daily strip

2000

 

Sister Anne

Peter John Fugere

Trans World

Daily/weekly panel

1976-78

 

Six-Gun Days

Reg Manning

McClure

Daily/weekly

1931

 

Sketch Book

Gaylord,Zibellie

United Feature

Daily panel

1946

 

Sketches

Lambert Guenther

T-Bean Syndicate

?

1926

 

Sketches

George Spohn

Matz Features

Daily strip

1934

 

Sketches From Life

Joseph Buresch

Unique Features

Weekly strip

1938

 

Sketches From The War Front/Sketches From Life

Ralph Matz

Matz Features

Weekly strip

1939,1941

 

Skip Logan

Al Fagaly

Thompson Service

Daily strip

1937-41

 

Skipper Windward

P.J. Kuhn

Douglas Whiting Ltd

Daily strip

1961-64

 

The Skipper

Ron W. Stanfield

Trans World

Daily panel

1977-79

 

Skippy

Percy Crosby

Winford Co.

Daily/Sunday strip

1971-72

Re-run syndication.

Sky Capers

Joel Shalit

Dickson-Bennett

Weekly panel

1980-81

 

Sky Pirates

Uncredited

Allied Press

Weekly strip

1940

 

Skyrocket Steele

William Everett

Watkins Syndicate

Weekly strip

1939

 

Slangy Seth

Maurice Beam

Universal Press

Daily/weekly panel

1935

 

Slapsic

Tom Hickey

McNaught

Daily panel

1958

 

Slewfoot

Nellis Johnson

Dickson-Bennett

Daily/weekly strip

1981-82

 

Small Potatoes

John Barclay

American International

Daily strip

1989

 

Small Shots

Bill Johnson

Richmond Syndicate

Daily/Sunday panel

1979

 

Small Talk

Allan H. Kelly Jr.

Self-syndicated

Daily panel

1983-2000s

The copyrighted logo was dregistered as abandoned as of 1985.

Small World

Don Roberts

United Press International

Daily strip

1984

 

Smile Awhile

Dave Allen

Worldwide Media

Weekly panel

2000-03

 

Smile A While

Joe Buresch

Newspaper Art Features

Daily panel/Sunday strip

1939

 

Smiles

Frank Chapman

International Syndicate

Daily panel

1924-39

 

Smiling Out Loud

Sarge O’Neill

Southern Cartoon Syndicate

Daily panel

1970-76

 

Smitty

Don Gibbons

Weekly Features

Daily strip

1986-87

 

Snapper Smith

Uncredited

Beacon Newspaper Svc

Daily strip

1940

 

Snappy Grampy

Lyle Sterrett

Trans World

Daily panel

1976-78

 

Snojoe

George Donison

Canada Wide Features

Daily strip

1970-71

Appeared in US?

Snubby

Reg Manning

Bell Syndicate

Daily strip

1946

 

The Soaps

Joan Altabe

Dickson Features

Weekly strip

1980

 

Socko the Sea Dog

“Teddy” (Jack Kirby)

Keystone Press/Lincoln Features

Daily strip

1938-40

 

The Solar Legion

Uncredited

Beacon Newspaper Svs

Daily/Sunday strip

1940

 

Soldier Comic

Max Milians

Minority Features

Weekly strip

1942

 

Solve This Crime

Philip Nowlan

National Newspaper Svc

Daily panel

1931

 

Some Things Never Change

Stephen Templeton

American International

Sunday panel

1995

 

Something New For Tots To Do

Frank Hopkins

Audio Service

Daily panel

1926

 

Son & Co.

John Roman

King Features

Daily/Sunday strip

2000

 Found by Henkster in Detroit Free Press on a trial basis on a few dates; Salt Lake Tribune ran it for a few months

Sophisticated Lady

Dorothy Mylria

National Newspaper Svc

Daily panel

1957-59

 

Sorry About That

Joe Capelini

Community Features

Daily/weekly panel

1981

 

Sourdough

Robert Tremblay

United Cartoonist Syndicate

Daily

1986-88

 

South Sea Girl

Thorne Stevenson (and John Forte)

Phoenix Features

Daily strip

1974

Have seem much original art from the early 50s but never anything in newspapers.

Space Case

Hoey Morris

Callie-Pearl International

Daily strip

1983-84

 

The Space Frontier

James V. Johnson

Sun News Features

Daily strip

1960-63

 

Space Shots

Emil V. Abrahamian

Trans World

Daily panel

1978

 

Space-Nuts

Pedro Moreno

United Cartoonist Syndicate

Daly strip

1982-84

 

Spaced Out

Keith M. Manzella

Newspaper Features

Daily strip

1988-94

 

The Spacers

Emil V. Abrahamian

Trans World

Daily/weekly strip

1978-98

 

The Spacians

Larz Borne

Ledger Syndicate

Daily strip

1965

 

Sparky

Bob Larsen

Dickson-Bennett

Daily strip

1984-85

 

Special Ed

Pedro Moreno

Comic Art Therapy

Daily

1993-94

 

The Specialists

Bill Barry

Adventure Features

Daily/Sunday strip

1994-95

 

Speed Centaur

Malcolm Kildale

Watkins Syndicate

Weekly strip

1939

 

Spencer Steel

Dennis Colebrook

Eisner-Iger Associates

Weekly strip

1937-39

 

Sport Day

Bill Morgan

Columbia Features

Daily panel

1981-84

 

Sport Snickers

Lenny Hollreiser

Hayden-Kennedy Syndicate

Daily strip

1950

 

Sport-Spots

Brook Slover

R-GAB Features

Daily/weekly panel

1980

 

The Sporting Thing

 

Joe E. Buresch

Self-syndicated

Weekly panel

1959

 

Sportoons

Cliff Johnson, Bill Mittlebeeler, Jim Richardson

Dickson-Bennett

Daily/weekly panel

1980-84

 

Sports Cars Speed

Judd Burrow

B&B

Weekly panel

1960-63

 

Sports Chuckles

Al Leiderman

American International

Daily panel

1992

 

The Sports File

Emil V. Abrahamian

Trans World

Daily panel

1978-97

 

Sports Woman

Sandy Dean

Dickson-Bennett

Daily/weekly panel

1984-85

 

Sportsfun

Merve Magus

Dickson-Bennett

Daily/weekly strip

1982-84

 

Sportsville

Thomas E. Moran

Trans World

Daily/weekly panel

1976-78

 

Spot

Donald Vanozzi, Joe Zeis

Sparks Syndicate

Weekly

1991

 

Spy Hunters

Lochlan Field

Watkins Syndicate

Weekly strip

1939

 

Squeegee

Ken Muse

Community Features/Dickson-Bennett

Daily/weekly panel

1980-95

 

Squeeky Break

Ray Rubbin

Dickson-Bennett

Daily panel

1983-84

 

Squiggles

Grace Lee Richardson

Dickson-Bennett

Daily strip

1980-81

 

St. Peter’s Gate

Pedro Moreno

United Cartoonist Syndicate

Daily panel

1980-84

 

Stacy

Randy Bisson

Dickson-Bennett

Daily/weekly strip

1981-98

 

Stained Glass

Jonny Hawkins

Davy Associates

Weekly panel

1998-2000s

 

Standouts

Mal Eno

Atlas Features

Weekly panel

1949-50

 

Stanislaus

Dan Nevins

Chicago Tribune-NY News

Weekly strip

1980

 

Stanley & Decker

Roger Kliesh

Wade’s Cartoon Svc

Weekly strip

1991

 

Star Points

Carl Kuhn

Thompson Service

Daily/weekly panel

1935

 

Star Warriors

F. Treadgold

BP Singer Features

Weekly strip

1978

 

Star Weevils

J. Michael Leonard

Rip-Off Press

Weekly strip

1978

 

Startling Facts

Ferd Himme

Lowery Cartoons

Weekly panel

1932

 

The State of Georgia

R. David Boyd

Mark Morgan Inc

Weekly

1993-2000s

 

Static

B.W. Depew

Register & Tribune Syndicate

Daily panel

1928

 

Station I-M-D-Z

Jack Jay

Paramount Syndicate

Daily strip

1937

 

Status Quo

Charlie Wible

Richard Lynn Enterprises

Daily panel

1978-79

 

Stella Starlet

Martin, Stone

Dickson-Bennett

Daily panel

1984

 

Still Waiting

Bryan Ubaghs

At Large Features

Daily strip

2001-02

 

Stitch In Time

James Janeway

American International

Daily strip

1992

 

Stories of Real People

Vernon Rieck

Velerie Productions

?

1961

 

Stories of the Opera

Bernard Baily

Bell Syndicate

Daily

1949

 

Strange Accidents

Bunny Hogarth

Leeds Features

Daily panel

1933

 

Strange Encounters of the Unexplained and Bizarre

Fred Hull, Bill Barry

Adventure Features

Daily/Sunday strip

1981-83

 

Strangely Enough

John Duncan

JAD’s Service

Weekly panel

1938

 

Stranger Than Fiction

Ralph Matz

Matz Features

Daily strip

1939

 

The Strangest Thing

Everett Erwin

Western Newspaper Union

Weekly panel

1946

 

Strike Out

Martin Grodt

Editors Syndicate

Daily panel

1949-50

 

Stromboli

Mario Risso

Trans World

Daily/weekly panel

1976

 

Strongman

Uncredited

Beacon Newspaper Syndicate

Daily/Sunday strip

1940

 

Stump The Ump

Dywelska, Kent

Liberty Features

Weekly strip

1991-94

 

Stumpy Stumbler

Emil V. Abrahamian

Self-syndicated

Daily/weekly strip

1983-2002

 

Sub Rosa

Mimi

Bell Syndicate

Daily strip

1925

 

Subito

Bozz

Press Alliance

Daily/Occasional (!)

1950-52

 

Suburbia

Don Raden

Suburban Features

Weekly panel

1976-85

 

Sugar

Jack Fitch

A.S. Curtis Features

Daily strip

1949-61

 

Suggestion Box

Steve Moore

Star Group

Weekly

1984-85

 

Sunday Laughs/Sunday Laugh Male Cartoons

Paul Swede

BP Singer

Weekly strip

1973-93

 

Sunday at the Movies with Louie Loophole

Joe Gurrera

Comic Art Therapy

Sunday

1994-95

 

Sunny Side Up

Frank Drake

United Cartoonist Syndicate

Daily

1985

 

Sunny Sue

Jack Fitch, Edna Markham

A.S. Curtis

Daily strip

1950-61

 

Sunset Park

Ralph Aspinwall

Dickson-Bennett

Daily/weekly strip

1981-82

 

Super Kat

William L. Harper

Palestine Herald Press

Daily/weekly strip

1975-78

 

Super Shrink

Edward Stark

Trans World

Daily panel

1977-79

 

Super And Pals

Blackburn, Thomas

Trans World

Daily panel

1977-78

 

Suzerain’s Wildlife

Joe Fahey

Suzerain

Daily

1986

 

The Swingers

Barbara Jones

Allied Feature

Daily panel

1969

 

Swoosh Morgan

Rolland Lynch

N.E.W.S.

Daily/Sunday strip

1949

 

Sycamore Center

Graham Hunter

Oklahoman & Times

Weekly strip

1965-66

 

 

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Comments:
Saturno contro la Terra, Italian comic.
 
As "Anonymous" pointed out, "Saturn Against the Earth" is a translation of a strip which appeared in an Italian weekly comics magazine. So is "Sky Pirates" ("Il Pirata del Cielo"). Both features found a home in short-lived American comic books: "Saturn" in McKay's "Future Comics" and "Pirates" in Hawley's "Sky Blazers" (both 1940). The E&P listing may have been a trial balloon to judge syndicate interest in the features. Maybe the owners didn't get the desired result and decided to go with comic books instead.

I've seen (but unfortunately don't have) a trade display ad urging editors to buy these two titles as well as a third, "Zorro of the Metropolis." "Zorro" doesn't seem to have appeared anywhere. The McKay and Hawley books only lasted a couple of issues each, taking the Italian strips down with them. I speculate that the buildup to World War II put an end to this international venture.
 
Since posting above I ran across an Italian essay shedding a bit more light on the issue. According to the article, the success of "Saturno Contro la Terra" (1936-1938) in Italy inspired its publisher, Mondadori, to try selling Mondadori strips to English language markets. "Through La Helicon Italiana, an organization created in the 1930s to promote national comics abroad" they pitched Mondadori product in England and the United States as well as in Europe and Latin America. The project was blocked by "Italian foreign policy" in regards to the War. Little information about Helicon Italiana exists because their headquarters were bombed out in 1944.

It's interesting that "Saturn" and other Mondadori comic projects were conceived and plotted by Cesare Zavattini, who after the war found fame as a screenwriter of neorealist classics such as "Bicycle Thieves" and "Umberto D."
 
"The Strangest Thing" by Everett Erwin appeared in "The Virden (Ills.) Recorder" from 18 July 1946 to 18 September 1947.
"The Spacians" by animation great Larz Bourne would've been interesting, but I was told by people involved in the project that though the "ledger Syndicate" (or, "The NEW Ledger Syndicate" announced several titles, including a revival of the original Ledger's star feature, Hairbreadth Harry, they only managed to get one strip launched, "Batman". This was in 1966, where you'd think the hottest property on TV would be a smash, but the new Ledger was even worse run than it's inspiration, and flopped.
"Scorer" was handled by us at KFS/NAS for several years, along with the London Mirror's other offerings like "The Perishers" and "Millie", but we really couldn't get US papers to touch anything but Andy Capp. So As far as I know, no US Scorer sales.
 
The feature listed as "Slapsic" is "Slapsie," based on boxer and character actor Slapsie Maxie Rosenbloom. It's mentioned in many online bios of the artist, Tom Hickey...though, in Internet fashion, they may all be quoting a single source. I've never seen an example. I have posted a request on a Facebook page run by someone trying to do a Rosenbloom documentary. Maybe that will turn up something.
 
Son & Co.was in the Detroit Free Press.
 
Here's a random addition for you-
I see in your book you have no end date for the panel THAT'S THE STORY OF MY LIFE by Wm. Box. It ends with a special kiss-off episode on 30 September 1961. (Windsor (PO) Star)
 
Hi Mark -- You must have a better source for that paper. On Google News Archive, that date is missing pages, including the one with the final TTSOML :-(

--Allan
 
Hello Allan-
It IS in the Google Windsor Star file-
Page 45 in the 28 September entry, it has a lot of pages from the 30th's ish.
 
Ah! Thanks.
 
I found The Pittsburgh Press running "Silly Dillies" from February 5 to October 28, 1968. https://imgur.com/a/xiXScNq
 
Sorry for the double-post: I believe the cartoonist for "Sherwood" is Brian Lum, not Robert Nunn.

According to an article about Lum in The Hanford Sentinel, the strip never ran in the US, only being sold to a single newspaper in the Phillippines.

https://i.imgur.com/r7Odrnm.jpg
 
Silly Dillies is a particularly exciting find as it has long been assumed that the revived Ledger Syndicate that distributed Batman never successfully launched any of their other offerings. Not true it turns out.
 
I found few examples of "Screams" panels from Ralph Hagen's run in a few papers. Still looking for the ones from Guy Gilchrist's run

https://imgur.com/a/p1q3GI4
 
I found "The Sporting Thing" by Joe E. Buresch running in Lansing State-Journal (Michigan) from June 27, 1955 to November 15, 1955

https://imgur.com/a/XgE5Go7
 
In addition to "The Sporting Thing" (see last post) I also found the Atlas Feature "Standouts" in The Bricelyn Sentinel.

https://imgur.com/a/ZXQyZ8E
 
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Monday, May 02, 2022

 

Ink-Slinger Profiles by Alex Jay: Sid Hix


Advertising Age, 3/14/1949 and
Advertising Requirements, 3/1953

Sid Hix was born Sydney Arthur James Hicks on July 23, 1900, in Brighton, England, according to his World War I and II draft cards. His family sailed from England to Montreal, Canada where they landed on September 9, 1907. From there they crossed the border to the United States. 

The 1910 U.S. Federal Census recorded Hicks, his parents and two sisters in Joplin, Missouri on Twentieth Street. Hicks’ father was an electrician at a light company.

On September 9, 1917, Hicks signed his World War I draft card. His address was Ozark, Missouri. The card said he was a student and had these initials S.A.I.C. which might be the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Hicks’ description was medium build, tall, with gray eyes and light brown hair. 

In the 1920 census, the Hicks family of six resided on Walnut Street in Ozark, Finley Township, Missouri. Hick was unemployed. His father was a lineman for a power company. 

At some point, Hicks moved to Chicago. The Christian County Republican (Ozark, Missouri), June 5, 1925, reported Hick’s marriage.
Miss Rinnie Logan, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. M. R. Logan, who accompanied Mr. and Mrs. Paul Barrett to Chicago Sunday night, was married in Chicago Monday evening, June 1st to Mr. Sidney Hicks, formerly of Ozark and son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Hicks of Ozark.
Apparently Hicks had sufficient work during the 1920s and into the 1930s. The 1930 census said he was a self-employed commercial artist. Hicks, his wife and son lived at 442 24th Street in Bellwood, Proviso Township, Illinois. His house was valued at eight-thousand dollars.

Hicks’ hometown paper, Christian County Republican, tracked his accomplishments. The May 21, 1931 edition said
Sid Hix, Advertising Cartoons
The writer holds on his knee a group of advertising cartoons drawn by Sidney Hicks (Sid Hix), former Ozark boy, now an established commercial artist at 29 Quincy street, telephone 3200, Chicago, Illinois. The group of cartoon[s] were sent to Chas. Shollenberger of the Ozark Drug store. Sidney has risen rapidly in his work and now draws for many of the leading advertisers and advertising agencies of the United States. Sidney is doing work for such concerns was the Opportunity Publishing Co.; The International Harvester Company; Fairbanks-Morse & Co.; Wm. H. Rankin Co.; Henri, Hurst & McDonald; The Chicagoan; Chicago Surface Lines; Lord & Thomas & Logan; Palmolive Soap Co.; Brunswick-Balke Co.; Bell Telephone Co., and several others.
The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, Volume 33, 2003, described the series Standard Oil Comics which were dated 1933. The comics were four-pages tabloid-size in full-color with Fred Opper’s Si & Mirandi, “Other strips include Pesty And His Pop & Smiling Slim by Sid Hicks.” 

Hicks produced the series Safety Sonnets in November 1938. 

According to the 1940 census, Hicks had moved to 1400 Fifteenth Avenue in Maywood, Proviso Township, Illinois. His house was valued at nine-thousand dollars. Hicks had four years of college education. 

Hicks signed his World War II draft card on February 16, 1942. His address was the same. He was described as six feet two inches, 185 pounds, with gray eyes and blonde hair. He was a commercial artist with a studio at 75 East Wacker in Chicago. His first name was now spelled Sidney. 

The Christian County Republican, July 2, 1942, reported Hicks and the Philco Corporation advertisements.
In a full page ad in Collier’s, Philco Corporation this week presented a large cartoon by Sid Hix, with the following note: “This interpretation by Sid Hix of America’s will to win is one of a series being drawn for Philco by America’s leading editorial cartoonists. They are being posted before Philco’s soldiers of industry as an expression of their spirit and a reminder of the glorious purpose of their work.”

The cartoon depicts Hitler, Hirohito and Mussolini frying in a skillet, with the American Laborer adding fuel to the fire, piling on big logs labeled “production”.

Sid Hix is well known here as Sidney Hicks. His parents, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Hicks living on route 2 north of Ozark. Mrs. Hicks’ father is M. R. Logan of Ozark.
Forbes, December 15, 1942

The Saturday Evening Post, April 24, 1943

The Saturday Evening Post, August 14, 1943

According to the Review and Forest Parker (Forest Park, Illinois), January 20, 1944, Hicks was active in the arts community. 
Cartoonist Is to Be Guest at Womans Club ‘Mens Night’
Mr. “Sid Hix,” nationally known cartoonist, whose cartoons appear in many publications such as Life, Time, Colliers, Saturday Evening Post, and the New Yorker as well as various newspapers, will be the speaker at the “Mens Night” meeting of the Forest park Woman’s club on Thursday evening, January 27, at 8 o’clock. Guest of honor are the husbands of members and other invited guests.

Mr. Hix is a member of the Art Center, The Freelance Artists Guild and other artists’ groups of Chicago, the Maywood Arts club, and the Austin, Oak Park and River Forest Art league. His cartoon program of drawings in color are packed with entertaining humor and promise a rare treat for the eyes as well as the ear. ...
Hick was a regular contributor to the trade magazine Broadcast. Here are samples in the 1949 and 1959 volumes. 

Hicks was at the same Maywood, Illinois address in the 1950 census. 

He wrote an article for Advertising Requirements, March 1953, “Need To Save Money? Why Not Try Cartoons in Your Advertising?” 

Art Direction, April 1956, noted Hick’s move: “Sarasota, Fla.: Sid Hix, Chicago cartoonist, has moved his studio here, 2313 Valencia Dr.” The 1957 Sarasota city directory listed Hicks as a teacher at the Ringling School of Art. 

Hix passed away on January 21, 1974, in St. Petersburg Beach, Florida. An obituary appeared the following day in the Tampa Bay Times
Sidney Hicks, Cartoonist, Art Teacher
Sidney A. “Sid Hix” Hicks, 73, cartoonist and a cartoon instructor at Ringling School of Art in Sarasota until this year, died Monday (Jan. 21 1974). 

Mr. Hicks was an advertising cartoonist whose work ranged from gag cartoons for product advertising to posters for the National Safety Council and from book Illustrations to animated film cartoons. He moved to Sarasota in 1956 upon retiring. 

He then authored and illustrated a book called “Retiring Time” and became a member of the faculty of the Ringling school. 

Mr. Hicks attended the Art Institute of Chicago, as well as the American Academy of Fine Arts, before starting his 8-year career as a freelance cartoonist. 

A resident of Chicago for 30 years, he moved to St. Petersburg Beach from Sarasota two years ago. 

Survivors include his wife Irene M.; a son, James L. of Chicago; a sister, Mrs. Gertrude Campbell of Palo Alto, Calif.; and five grandchildren. 

Baynard-Thompson Beach Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

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Dee-lightful as always. I especially enjoy the Herriman cartoons.
 
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Sunday, May 01, 2022

 

Wish You Were Here, from a Grace Drayton Imitator

 

Here's another Campbell Soup Kids card, this one #1 from the series. As with the previous card featured here, I would once again wonder out loud if this was penned by Drayton herself or an imitator. However,  the girl holding the pot wears an expression I can't imagine Drayton would have drawn in a million years.

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Hello Allan-
Yes, you are right, it sure isn't Grace Drayton. It isn't even a good fake. I would suppose the Campbell company decided that the moppets were their property, and didn't need to have her do all the art for all the ads, just use her stuff as a style guide. Some of the kids shown here appear to be closer approximations, even traces, of actual Drayton figures, but others don't resemble any effort to copy her.
 
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