On this day, March 22, 1929, caricaturist and comics artist Mort Drucker was born in Brooklyn, New York. When he was 18, Drucker began working for comic artist Bert Whitman. Shortly after Mad was founded, Drucker began working for the magazine. In addition to his work for various comics, Drucker also created caricatures for Time magazine
On this day, March 21, 1931, cartoonist and pulp illustrator Al Williamson was born in New York City. Williamson studied at Burne Horgarth’s Cartoonists and Illustrators School. He worked in the comics industry and creating sci-fi art for Weird Science and Weird Fantasy. In addition to working on a variety of other’s comics, Williamson also drew
During the 18th and well into the 19th century silhouette portraiture was a popular means for Americans to preserve likenesses of themselves. Often created by itinerate artists and with the aid of various devices, silhouettes were produced as unique works or at most in limited numbers of copies.* By mid-19th century photographic techniques rapidly displaced
On this day, March 20, 1975, illustrator, impressionist painter, and film director Harry B. Lachman died in Beverly Hills, California. After his studies at the University of Michigan, Lachman worked as a magazine and book illustration until 1911 when he moved to Paris to paint.
On this day, March 19, 1993, Alden Spurr McWilliams died in Stamford, Conecticut. McWilliams studied at the New York School of Fine and Applied Arts and was soon producing interior story illustrations for pulp magazines. After service in the Army in WWII, McWilliams returned to illustration and eventually also comic strip work. His memorable sci-fi strip was
On this day, March 18, 1935, comic artist Frank McLaughlin was born. Raised in Connecticut, McLaughlin studied at the University of Bridgeport and at the New Haven State Teachers College. After service in the army, he began working in comics, eventually working as art director at Charlton’s and then working freelance inking and drawing.
On this day, March 17, 1977, illustrator Russell Patterson died in Atlantic City, New York. Patterson studied at McGill University in Montreal. In Chicago he attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. In New York City, Patterson began providing illustrations for various magazines reflecting the Jazz Age. Patterson worked for department stores, on Broadway,
On this day, March 16, 1955, sci-fi and children’s book illustrator James Warhola was born in Smock (FayetteCounty), Pennsylvania. Warhola studied at Carnegie Mellon University and then at the Art Students League in New York. Warhola wrote and illustrated the book Uncle Andy’s about his famous uncle Andy Warhol.
On this day, March 15, 1937, Dan L. Adkins was born in Midkiff, West Virginia. Adkins worked as a draftsman when he served in the Air Force in the 50s. He launched his own fanzine and contributed to other publications working freelance for science fiction magazines and was an art director for biweekly medical journals. In
On this day, March 14, 1889, children’s book author and illustrator Marguerite de Angeli was born in Lapeer, Michigan. The daughter of a photographer/illustrator, Marguerite studied under illustrator Maurice Bower after her marriage and the birth of her children. By the 1920s he was working as an illustrator. The publication of her first book was in