Ink-Slinger Profiles by Alex Jay: Gus Edelstein aka Gus Edson

(After reviewing my 2011 profile of Gus Edelstein, I did additional research and realized he was Gus Edson.)

Gus Edson was born August M. Edelstein on September 20, 1898, in Cincinnati, Ohio, according to his World War I New York military service record and World War II draft card, both at Ancestry.com. For decades, biographies of Edson said he was born in 1901.

The 1900 United States Census, said Edson was born in September 1899. He was the only child of Max, a Russian-born salesman, and Emma. They lived in Cincinnati, Ohio at 1027 Mound Street.

Edson has not yet been found in the 1910 census. The date of the family’s move to New York City is not known. 

In the 1915 New York state census, Edson and his parents lived in Brooklyn at 1338 Bergen Street. 

Edson graduated from Commercial High School, in Brooklyn, where he was the recipient of an award. 

The Daily Standard Union (Brooklyn, New York), June 5, 1918, reported the prize winners of posters for the prevention of tuberculosis. Edson won third prize at his school. 

The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, July 6, 1918, said many of the prize-winning posters, including Edson’s, were purchased and sent on a touring exhibition. 

Edson signed his World War I draft card on September 12, 1918. He was a student at Pratt Institute, and lived with his parents at 1338 Bergen Street in Brooklyn, New York. His description was medium height, slender build with gray eyes and dark hair.

Edson’s New York military service card said he was inducted on October 1, 1918, and served in the Students Army Training Corps at Pratt Institute. He was a private who did not serve overseas. Some biographies said he served in Australia. Edson was honorably discharged on December 9, 1918. 

Edson has not yet been found in the 1920 census. 

The Encyclopedia of American Biography (1934) said Edson’s career as a cartoonist began in 1920. In 1925, he was sports cartoonist on the New York Evening Graphic. (Professionally, he changed his name from Edelstein to Edson in the mid-1920s.) He joined the Paul Block chain of newspapers in 1928. Edson’s cartoons appeared on the sports page of the New York Evening Post from 1929 to 1930. He moved to the King Features Syndicate and worked as a feature cartoonist from 1930 to 1931. Edson returned to sports cartooning with the New York Daily News from 1931 to 1935. 

Brooklyn Standard Union, 9/11/1928

According to American Newspaper Comics (2012), Edson created the strip, Lottie Pep, in 1924. Editor & Publisher, October 25, 1924, listed the series as a property of the Thomson Feature Service, Inc. Editor and Publisher, August 29, 1925, said 

“Lottie Pep,” formerly a two-column comic art feature distributed by the Graphic Syndicate, New York, has been changed to five-column strip form with Gus Edelstein as artist, T. O. Davidson, syndicate manager announced this week. ...

Edson also did illustrations that appeared in newspapers such as the Portsmouth Daily Times (Ohio) in its November 11, 1924 issue.

The New York, New York Marriage License Index, at Ancestry.com, said Edson and Gladys Cedar obtained marriage license number 17221 in Brooklyn on October 3, 1922. Their Brooklyn marriage was on November 4, 1922. (Biographies said the marriage was on February 4, 1922.)

The 1927 and 1928 Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island telephone directories had this listing: “Edelstein Gus Edson r 3223 Glenwood rd MAN sfield-2454”.

In the 1930 census, Edson and Gladys had two children. His occupation was newspaper cartoonist. They were Brooklyn residents at 231 Ocean Avenue, which was about half-a-mile from his parents. Also in the same apartment building, apparently next door, was Charles R. Macauley. This census marked the last time Edson gave his birth surname, Edelstein, to census enumerators.

Editor and Publisher, August 30, 1930, printed a full-page King Features Syndicate advertisement for Edson’s Here’s How. 

American Newspaper Comics said Edson created the strip, Streaky, which he drew from October 1, 1933 to 1936. The series was continued by Loy Byrnes. 

The Gumps creator, Sidney Smith, died on October 20, 1935. Edson was chosen to continue the series. The topper, Cousin Juniper, was added in 1944. It was replaced with Grandpa Noah in the mid-1950s. R.C. Harvey named Ray Bailey as Edson’s assistant for about the first six years. Alberto Becattini said Sam Hale was an assistant around 1945. 

In 1937, Edson and his wife vacationed in Bermuda. They returned to the port of New York on August 25. The passenger list said their address was Bradley Street in Westport, Connecticut. Their second trip to Bermuda was in 1938. On April 13, they arrived in New York and made their way home to 199 Greenway South, Forest Hills, New York. The third Bermuda vacation was in 1939. The passenger list said they returned on July 15 and lived on Brookside Drive in Darien, Connecticut. 

Newspaper cartoonist Edson had the same Darien address in the 1940 census. His highest level of education was the fourth year of high school. In 1939 he earned $5,000. His three children were David, Russell and Patricia.

On February 16, 1942, Edson signed his World War II draft card. His address was 200 Weed Avenue, in Stamford. He worked for the Chicago Tribune-New York News Syndicate Inc. Edson was described as five feet eight inches, 185 pounds, with gray eyes and brown hair.

The 1942 and 1943 Stamford, Connecticut city directories listed Edson at 200 Weed Avenue.

The Evening Star (Washington, DC), October 3, 1949, said Edson was one of several cartoonists to sketch President Truman. Their efforts were televised the following day. 

Edson’s address, in the 1950 census, was 149 Weed Avenue in Stamford. 

Who’s Who in America Volume 28 (1954) said Edson was a member of the Society of Illustrators, National Cartoonists Society, Society of the Silurians, Artists and Writers Association, and Banshee. 

Dondi debuted on September 26, 1955 with Edson writing and Irwin Hasen drawing. Bob Oksner assumed the creative chores on April 23, 1967. Edson was the producer and screenwriter of the 1961 film adaptation. 

Edson passed away on September 26, 1966 in Stamford. 

Further Reading

Newsweek, December 12, 1936, Ghost Cartoonists Assure Immortality to Strips 

The Quill, August 1937, Gangway for the Gumps!

Evening Star (Washington, DC), July 1, 1963, ‘Dondi’ Creator Once Drew ‘The Gumps’ 

Syracuse University Library, Gus Edson