Chase Craig
Encyclopedia
Chase Craig is an American writer-cartoonist who worked on comic strip
s and comic book
s. During the 1940s and 1950s, he was an editor and scripter for Western Publishing
.
Born in Ennis, Texas
, Craig studied in 1933-34 at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and then worked at The Christian Science Monitor
in Boston, where he drew Little Chauncey. Relocating to Hollywood in 1935, he was employed as an animator for Leon Schlesinger
and Walter Lantz
in the 1930s, followed by work on comic strips, including Hollywood Hams (for the Los Angeles Daily News) and Mortimer Snerd and Charlie McCarthy. With Fred Fox, he did the Odd Bodkins comic strip for Esquire Features (1941-42). He drew the Bugs Bunny
comic strip for the first six weeks in 1942.
He signed on with the Navy in 1942, and during World War II
, he worked as a training manual illustrator at Hollywood's Vine Street Pier. Craig married Mary Jane Green in 1943.
TV and comics scripter Mark Evanier
summarized Craig's career:
For Dell's Disney titles, he also scripted such characters as the Little Bad Wolf, Brer Rabbit, Bongo and José Carioca
. Craig was the editor of Dell/Western's Disney titles, including Walt Disney's Comics and Stories, Uncle Scrooge and Chip 'n' Dale.
In the 1960s, he was the Gold Key editor on Tarzan, Magnus Robot Fighter and Korak, Son of Tarzan. In the late 1970s, he was writer for Marvel's Hanna-Barbera titles.
A resident of Westlake Village, he died December 2, 2001, at Los Robles Regional Medical Center of complications after surgery.
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
s and comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
s. During the 1940s and 1950s, he was an editor and scripter for Western Publishing
Western Publishing
Western Publishing, also known as Western Printing and Lithographing Company was a Racine, Wisconsin firm responsible for publishing the Little Golden Books. Western Publishing also produced children's books and family-related entertainment products as Golden Books Family Entertainment...
.
Born in Ennis, Texas
Ennis, Texas
Ennis is a city in Ellis County, Texas, United States, and a southeastern suburb of Dallas. The population was 16,045 at the 2000 census.In 1871, the Houston and Texas Central Railroad purchased of land in Ellis County at a price of , establishing the line's northern terminus. On May 8, 1872,...
, Craig studied in 1933-34 at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and then worked at The Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science Monitor
The Christian Science Monitor is an international newspaper published daily online, Monday to Friday, and weekly in print. It was started in 1908 by Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of the Church of Christ, Scientist. As of 2009, the print circulation was 67,703.The CSM is a newspaper that covers...
in Boston, where he drew Little Chauncey. Relocating to Hollywood in 1935, he was employed as an animator for Leon Schlesinger
Leon Schlesinger
Leon Schlesinger was an American film producer, most noted for founding Leon Schlesinger Productions, which later became the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio, during the golden age of Hollywood animation.-Early life and career:...
and Walter Lantz
Walter Lantz
Walter Benjamin Lantz was an American cartoonist, animator, film producer, and director, best known for founding Walter Lantz Productions and creating Woody Woodpecker.-Early years and start in animation:...
in the 1930s, followed by work on comic strips, including Hollywood Hams (for the Los Angeles Daily News) and Mortimer Snerd and Charlie McCarthy. With Fred Fox, he did the Odd Bodkins comic strip for Esquire Features (1941-42). He drew the Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny is a animated character created in 1938 at Leon Schlesinger Productions, later Warner Bros. Cartoons. Bugs is an anthropomorphic gray rabbit and is famous for his flippant, insouciant personality and his portrayal as a trickster. He has primarily appeared in animated cartoons, most...
comic strip for the first six weeks in 1942.
He signed on with the Navy in 1942, and during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he worked as a training manual illustrator at Hollywood's Vine Street Pier. Craig married Mary Jane Green in 1943.
TV and comics scripter Mark Evanier
Mark Evanier
Mark Stephen Evanier is an American comic book and television writer, particularly known for his humor work. He is also known for his columns and blogs, and for his work as a historian and biographer of the comics industry, in particular his award-winning Jack Kirby biography, Kirby: King of...
summarized Craig's career:
- Chase was born in Texas and moved to Los Angeles in the thirties to get into the animation business. His fellow Texan, Tex AveryTex AveryFrederick Bean "Fred/Tex" Avery was an American animator, cartoonist, voice actor and director, famous for producing animated cartoons during The Golden Age of Hollywood animation. He did his most significant work for the Warner Bros...
, gave him a job in the story unit at Warner BrothersWarner Bros.Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
, where he worked for some time without—for some reason—ever getting a screen credit. After a few years, he decided to turn his attention to print cartooning and left... only to be quickly tapped by Western Printing and Lithography to write and draw stories for its first Bugs Bunny comics. Chase produced over half of the first issue of Looney Tunes and Merrie MelodiesLooney TunesLooney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
comics, issued under the DellDell ComicsDell Comics was the comic book publishing arm of Dell Publishing, which got its start in pulp magazines. It published comics from 1929 to 1973. At its peak, it was the most prominent and successful American company in the medium...
label, including the authorship of the Mary Jane & Sniffles strip. (Sniffles the Mouse had been a character in the cartoons, but Chase came up with the format for this long-running strip, naming the character of Mary Jane after his then-recent bride.) Western soon hired him as an editor and, through the mid-seventies, he worked out of their Los Angeles office, editing (at one point) a comic per day, at a time when it was not uncommon for one of their comics to sell over a million copies. He was the editor who kept Carl BarksCarl BarksCarl Barks was an American Disney Studio illustrator and comic book creator, who invented Duckburg and many of its inhabitants, such as Scrooge McDuck , Gladstone Gander , the Beagle Boys , The Junior Woodchucks , Gyro Gearloose , Cornelius Coot , Flintheart Glomgold , John D...
producing Donald DuckDonald DuckDonald Fauntleroy Duck is a cartoon character created in 1934 at Walt Disney Productions and licensed by The Walt Disney Company. Donald is an anthropomorphic white duck with a yellow-orange bill, legs, and feet. He typically wears a sailor suit with a cap and a black or red bow tie. Donald is most...
and Uncle ScroogeUncle ScroogeUncle Scrooge is a comic book with the stingy Scrooge McDuck "the richest duck in the world" as the main character. The series also featured Donald Duck and his nephews as supporting characters. The first 70 issues mostly consisted of stories written and drawn by Carl Barks, the creator of Scrooge...
stories, and Paul Murry doing Mickey MouseMickey MouseMickey Mouse is a cartoon character created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks at The Walt Disney Studio. Mickey is an anthropomorphic black mouse and typically wears red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves...
and so many others.
For Dell's Disney titles, he also scripted such characters as the Little Bad Wolf, Brer Rabbit, Bongo and José Carioca
José Carioca
José Carioca is a Disney cartoon character drawn as an anthropomorphized parrot from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil . José was created in 1943 for the movie Saludos Amigos as a friend of Donald Duck, described by Time as "a dapper Brazilian parrot, who is as superior to Donald Duck as the Duck was to...
. Craig was the editor of Dell/Western's Disney titles, including Walt Disney's Comics and Stories, Uncle Scrooge and Chip 'n' Dale.
In the 1960s, he was the Gold Key editor on Tarzan, Magnus Robot Fighter and Korak, Son of Tarzan. In the late 1970s, he was writer for Marvel's Hanna-Barbera titles.
A resident of Westlake Village, he died December 2, 2001, at Los Robles Regional Medical Center of complications after surgery.