George Clark (cartoonist)
Encyclopedia
George Clark is an American cartoonist
best known for his syndicated cartoon panels The Neighbors and Side Glances. For both, Clark employed a loose, naturalistic drawing style to illustrate minor human foibles and familiar family situations. In the mid-1930s, George Jean Nathan's The American Spectator
commented, "Clark, creator of Side Glances, deserves unqualified recognition for a penetrating picture of our middle class."
Born in the Oklahoma territory when it was not yet a state, Clark went to grammar school in Bridgeport, Oklahoma
and spent a few years in Bentonville, Arkansas
before attending high school in Oklahoma City
, followed by study at the Chicago Art Institute.
He began his professional cartoon career with work in The Daily Oklahoman
and the Oklahoma News, moving on to the Cleveland Press
. Competing against 72 artists, he won the $500 first prize for Community Fund drive with a poster selected for use in 42 American cities. Soon he was doing animation drawings for The Gumps
and illustrating for Collier's
, Judge, McCall's and Country Gentleman.
He joined the art staff at Newspaper Enterprise Association
, where he drew human interest sketches. His Side Glances cartoon became popular when it was syndicated by NEA Service in 1929. During its early years, NEA promoted the panel by highlighting its human interest appeal: "It has been said before of George Clark that 'he combines splendid art ability with the characteristics of a trained reporter.' It is hard to improve on that appraisal. Certainly these intimate little views of humanity he calls Side Glances are a happy blend of keen observation and understanding and of genuine art. They have humor and pathos; often a tear lurks just behind the smile—which, after all, is the way of life."
In 1939, William Galbraith Crawford (who always signed simply "Galbraith") took over Side Glances when Clark switched to the Chicago Tribune-New York Daily News Syndicate
to launch The Neighbors. It was almost identical to Side Glances, continuing to offer essentially the same sort of middle-class family humor. He soon added a Sunday strip
, Our Neighbors, the Ripples, a title eventually shortened to The Ripples. The Sunday strip was dropped in 1948, but his daily panel continued until 1971. Stephen Becker (Comic Art in America) commented, "He has never attempted to induce the belly laugh; he feels that a gently humorous reminder of something that has probably happened to his reader will suffice."
's Newspaper Panel Cartoon Award in 1961. At the NCS site, a computer glitch or clerical error has mistakenly positioned a biography billboard for another artist named Clark in George Clark's niche.
In 1972, Clark's work was included in the Brooklyn Museum
's "A Century of American Illustration" exhibition.
Clark died May 25, 1981, and was buried in Saint Charles Cemetery on Long Island, New York.
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
best known for his syndicated cartoon panels The Neighbors and Side Glances. For both, Clark employed a loose, naturalistic drawing style to illustrate minor human foibles and familiar family situations. In the mid-1930s, George Jean Nathan's The American Spectator
American Spectator (literary magazine)
The American Spectator was a monthly literary magazine which made its first monthly appearance in November 1932. It was edited by George Jean Nathan, though Eugene O'Neill, Ernest Boyd, Theodore Dreiser, and James Branch Cabell were also listed as joint editors...
commented, "Clark, creator of Side Glances, deserves unqualified recognition for a penetrating picture of our middle class."
Born in the Oklahoma territory when it was not yet a state, Clark went to grammar school in Bridgeport, Oklahoma
Bridgeport, Oklahoma
Bridgeport is a town in Caddo County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 109 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Bridgeport is located at , elevation 1,428 feet ....
and spent a few years in Bentonville, Arkansas
Bentonville, Arkansas
Bentonville, Arkansas is a city in Northwest Bahamas, and county seat of Benton County, Arkansas, United States The population was 35,301 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Fayetteville–Springdale–Rogers, AR-MO Metropolitan Statistical Area...
before attending high school in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
, followed by study at the Chicago Art Institute.
He began his professional cartoon career with work in The Daily Oklahoman
The Oklahoman
The Oklahoman is the largest daily newspaper in Oklahoma and is the only daily newspaper that covers the entire Oklahoma City area.-Ownership:...
and the Oklahoma News, moving on to the Cleveland Press
Cleveland Press
The Cleveland Press was a daily American newspaper published in Cleveland, Ohio from November 2, 1878, through June 17, 1982. From 1928 to 1966, the paper's editor was Louis Seltzer....
. Competing against 72 artists, he won the $500 first prize for Community Fund drive with a poster selected for use in 42 American cities. Soon he was doing animation drawings for The Gumps
The Gumps
The Gumps, a popular comic strip about a middle-class family, was created by Sidney Smith in 1917, launching a 42-year run in newspapers from February 12, 1917 until October 17, 1959....
and illustrating for Collier's
Collier's Weekly
Collier's Weekly was an American magazine founded by Peter Fenelon Collier and published from 1888 to 1957. With the passage of decades, the title was shortened to Collier's....
, Judge, McCall's and Country Gentleman.
He joined the art staff at Newspaper Enterprise Association
United Media
United Media is a large editorial column and comic strip newspaper syndication service based in the United States, owned by The E.W. Scripps Company. It syndicates 150 comics and editorial columns worldwide. Its core business is the United Feature Syndicate and the Newspaper Enterprise Association...
, where he drew human interest sketches. His Side Glances cartoon became popular when it was syndicated by NEA Service in 1929. During its early years, NEA promoted the panel by highlighting its human interest appeal: "It has been said before of George Clark that 'he combines splendid art ability with the characteristics of a trained reporter.' It is hard to improve on that appraisal. Certainly these intimate little views of humanity he calls Side Glances are a happy blend of keen observation and understanding and of genuine art. They have humor and pathos; often a tear lurks just behind the smile—which, after all, is the way of life."
In 1939, William Galbraith Crawford (who always signed simply "Galbraith") took over Side Glances when Clark switched to the Chicago Tribune-New York Daily News Syndicate
Tribune Media Services
Tribune Media Services is a syndication company owned by the Tribune Company.The company has two divisions, "News and Features" and "Entertainment Products"...
to launch The Neighbors. It was almost identical to Side Glances, continuing to offer essentially the same sort of middle-class family humor. He soon added a Sunday strip
Sunday strip
A Sunday strip is a newspaper comic strip format, where comic strips are printed in the Sunday newspaper, usually in a special section called the Sunday comics, and virtually always in color. Some readers called these sections the Sunday funnies...
, Our Neighbors, the Ripples, a title eventually shortened to The Ripples. The Sunday strip was dropped in 1948, but his daily panel continued until 1971. Stephen Becker (Comic Art in America) commented, "He has never attempted to induce the belly laugh; he feels that a gently humorous reminder of something that has probably happened to his reader will suffice."
Awards and exhibitions
He received the National Cartoonists SocietyNational Cartoonists Society
The National Cartoonists Society is an organization of professional cartoonists in the United States. It presents the National Cartoonists Society Awards. The Society was born in 1946 when groups of cartoonists got together to entertain the troops...
's Newspaper Panel Cartoon Award in 1961. At the NCS site, a computer glitch or clerical error has mistakenly positioned a biography billboard for another artist named Clark in George Clark's niche.
In 1972, Clark's work was included in the Brooklyn Museum
Brooklyn Museum
The Brooklyn Museum is an encyclopedia art museum located in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. At 560,000 square feet, the museum holds New York City's second largest art collection with roughly 1.5 million works....
's "A Century of American Illustration" exhibition.
Clark died May 25, 1981, and was buried in Saint Charles Cemetery on Long Island, New York.