Robert Brown (cartoonist)
Encyclopedia
Robert "Buck" Brown was an African American
painter and cartoonist best known for creating Playboy Magazine's naughty "Granny" character.
Brown was born in Morrison, Tennessee
in the 1930s and moved to Chicago
as a child. He graduated from Englewood High School
in 1954. He joined the United States Air Force
and later studied at the University of Illinois.
Brown started to develop a reputation as a cartoonist and sold his first cartoon to Playboy in 1962. "Granny" was his first color work for the magazine published in 1966. In all, Brown had more than 600 cartoons published by the magazine.
Brown also had thousands of other drawings published by publications such as Esquire
, Ebony
and Jet
. Many of his cartoons were filled with commentary on civil rights
issues affecting African Americans. Brown was also a painter of what he described as "soul genre paintings" depicting humorous images of everyday life.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
painter and cartoonist best known for creating Playboy Magazine's naughty "Granny" character.
Brown was born in Morrison, Tennessee
Morrison, Tennessee
Morrison is a town in Warren County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 684 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Morrison is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , all of it land....
in the 1930s and moved to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
as a child. He graduated from Englewood High School
Englewood Technical Prep Academy
Englewood Technical Prep Academy or sometimes referred to as simply Englewood High School , part of the Chicago Public School system, served the Englewood community on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois....
in 1954. He joined the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
and later studied at the University of Illinois.
Brown started to develop a reputation as a cartoonist and sold his first cartoon to Playboy in 1962. "Granny" was his first color work for the magazine published in 1966. In all, Brown had more than 600 cartoons published by the magazine.
Brown also had thousands of other drawings published by publications such as Esquire
Esquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
, Ebony
Ebony (magazine)
Ebony, a monthly magazine for the African-American market, was founded by John H. Johnson and has published continuously since the autumn of 1945...
and Jet
Jet (magazine)
Jet is an American weekly marketed toward African-American readers, founded in 1951 by John H. Johnson of Johnson Publishing Company in Chicago, Illinois...
. Many of his cartoons were filled with commentary on civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
issues affecting African Americans. Brown was also a painter of what he described as "soul genre paintings" depicting humorous images of everyday life.