On this day, April 29, 1995, illustrator Gerald McCann died in Spring Valley, New York. McCann studied at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. In 1939 McCann began creating story illustrations for pulp magazines. After WWII McCann also drew and inked comic books and some Classics Illustrated Comics.
On this day, April 28, 1878, illustrator Sidney Armer was born in San Francisco, California. Following his studies at the Mark Hopkins Institute, Armer worked at Dickman-Jones Lithograph Company created fine art prints and advertising illustrations, and calendar illustrations for other companies. Armer also collaborated with his wife Laura Armer for whom he did illustrations of
On this day, April 27, 1898, writer and illustrator Ludwig Bemelmans was born in Meran, Austria-Hungary. He emigrated to the U. S. in the early decades of the20th century. Bemelmans began publishing children’s books in the 1930s and his own first Madeline book was published in 1939.
On this day, April 26, 1916, illustrator Eyvind Earle was born New York and then raised in Hollywood. By the 1940s Earle was creating card designs for the American Artist Group. In the 50s, Earle was working for Disney as a background painter. Among his contributions were the backgrounds for Disney’s Peter Pan and for Sleeping Beauty
On this day, April 25, 1926, comic book artist Johnny (John Thomas Alexis) Craig was born Pleasantville, New York. While studying at the Art Students League of New York, Craig began working as an assistant to Harry Lampert, co-creator of the Flash. After his war service Craig began drawing for EC Comics eventually he worked as
On this day, April 24, 1913, The Woolworth Building in New York was opened. Designed by architect Cass Gilbert, a rental prospectus with this illustrated drawing of the skyscraper was offered with the comment that this soon to be opened building was the “HighestBuilding in the World.”
On this day, April 23, 2009, fashion illustrator Kenneth Paul Block died. Trained at the Parsons School of Design, Block was an in-house artist for Fairchild Publications for nearly 40 years. Block’s distinctive drawing reflect his approach. As he said, “Gesture to me is everything in fashion.”
On this day, April 22, 1887, illustrator Kurt Wiese was born in Minden, Germany. Wiese began his illustration career in Brazil and in 1927 he moved to the U. S. His first success came with the illustration he created for Felix Salten’s Bambi in 1929. He subsequently won Caldecott Honors and Newbery Awards.
On this day, April 21, 1966, cartoonist and illustrator Tim Hamilton was born. Hamilton has drawn comics such as The Trouble with Girls and he has adapted and illustrated classics such as Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451.
On this day, April 20, 1968, comic strip artist Rudolph Dirks died in New York City. In 1897 Dirks created The Katzenjammer Kids for the New York Journal. In 1914 Dirks moved to work for Pulitzer’s New York World where he produced Hans and Fritz and then The Captain and the Kids.