George Fisher (cartoonist)
Encyclopedia
George Fisher was an acclaimed American
political cartoonist
.
, Arkansas
on 8 April 1923, the son of Charles W. and Gladys Fisher. George's father was born in Tennessee
and was a home builder and business owner. Fisher's mother died when he was 5 years old and his father never remarried. Fisher's father encouraged George's artistic ability and suggested political subjects for him to draw. Fisher had his first cartoon
published in 1944 lampooning Arkansas governor Homer Martin Adkins
for claiming credit for wartime factory construction in Arkansas.
. Fisher entered the service on June 6th, 1943 under the branch of Cannon Co. 417th Infantry, 76th Division. He trained at Camp Roberts (California) and Camp McCoy (Wisconsin)and was engaged in the Argonne Forest, Rhineland and Central Europe. Fisher reached the rank of Staff Sergeant before his discharge on April 8, 1946 as well as a Bronze Star. Fisher served in Europe as an infantry
man and participated in the Battle of the Bulge
. While in service, Fisher kept a daily cartoon diary of his experiences and drew cartoons for his regimental newspaper.
While stationed in Bournemouth, England Fisher met a female artist named Rosemary Snook. After the war, Fisher married Snook and began hiding her nickname, "Snooky", into most of his cartoons. Finding the hidden nickname became a favorite game for those who read his cartoons regularly.
and began drawing cartoons for the West Memphis News. The newspaper was run by former soldiers who had returned from the war and determined to stand up to the political machine
that controlled local and statewide politics at the time. Fisher worked for the newspaper until it was forced to close.
Fisher moved to Little Rock, Arkansas
and started doing commercial art
work for the Southwestern Bell Telephone Company. With the advent of television, Fisher and his wife sought out a job at the local ABC
affiliate KATV
and established a syndicated
puppet show called Phydeaux and His Friends which specialized in political satire
. Local political figures, including Governor Orval Faubus
, made guest appearances on the show.
Fisher convinced the weekly North Little Rock Times to start carrying his political cartoons and, before long, other newspapers began reprinting them in their Sunday editions.
In 1972, Fisher began drawing cartoons twice per week for the statewide Arkansas Gazette
and became the newspaper's official cartoonist in 1976. Fisher gained a very active following in the state of Arkansas and became an Arkansas institution. Fisher's work was never syndicated, because he preferred to focus mostly on affairs in his home state, but many of his cartoons were reprinted nationally.
cartoon for the Arkansas Times
.
His wife died in 1983, but Fisher continued to hide her nickname in his cartoons as a tribute.
Fisher's most famous statewide cartoon was a drawing of Governor Orval Faubus addressing a session of the Arkansas legislature where everyone present, even the mice and statues, had the face of Orval Faubus.
His most famous nationally reprinted cartoon was on the occasion of the Space Shuttle Challenger
disaster.
His work has been published in several anthologies and he has been acclaimed as one of the great cartoonists of the 20th century.
Fisher was buried at Beebe Cemetery in Beebe, Arkansas.
----
This article is originated from Internet-Encyclopedia, December 22, 2003.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
political cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
.
Early life
George Fisher was born at BeebeBeebe, Arkansas
Beebe, Arkansas is a city in White County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 4,930 at the 2000 census, making it the second most populous in the county after Searcy. The city is home to a branch campus of Jonesboro-based Arkansas State University. It was named for Roswell Beebe, a...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
on 8 April 1923, the son of Charles W. and Gladys Fisher. George's father was born in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and was a home builder and business owner. Fisher's mother died when he was 5 years old and his father never remarried. Fisher's father encouraged George's artistic ability and suggested political subjects for him to draw. Fisher had his first cartoon
Cartoon
A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or to the artistic style of such works...
published in 1944 lampooning Arkansas governor Homer Martin Adkins
Homer Martin Adkins
Homer Martin Adkins was the 32nd Governor of Arkansas. He was born near Jacksonville in Pulaski County, Arkansas. In 1908, he attended Draughon's Business College and graduated from the Little Rock College of Pharmacy in 1911 as a licensed pharmacist.Adkins served in the United States Army during...
for claiming credit for wartime factory construction in Arkansas.
Education and Participation in War
Fisher attended Beebe College for one year, after which he withdrew to join the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. Fisher entered the service on June 6th, 1943 under the branch of Cannon Co. 417th Infantry, 76th Division. He trained at Camp Roberts (California) and Camp McCoy (Wisconsin)and was engaged in the Argonne Forest, Rhineland and Central Europe. Fisher reached the rank of Staff Sergeant before his discharge on April 8, 1946 as well as a Bronze Star. Fisher served in Europe as an infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
man and participated in the Battle of the Bulge
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was a major German offensive , launched toward the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes mountain region of Wallonia in Belgium, hence its French name , and France and...
. While in service, Fisher kept a daily cartoon diary of his experiences and drew cartoons for his regimental newspaper.
While stationed in Bournemouth, England Fisher met a female artist named Rosemary Snook. After the war, Fisher married Snook and began hiding her nickname, "Snooky", into most of his cartoons. Finding the hidden nickname became a favorite game for those who read his cartoons regularly.
Career
At the conclusion of the war, Fisher returned to West Memphis, ArkansasWest Memphis, Arkansas
West Memphis is the largest city in Crittenden County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 27,666 at the 2000 census, with an estimated population of 28,181 in 2005, and 31,329 in 2011 ranking it as the state's 11th largest city, behind Hot Springs...
and began drawing cartoons for the West Memphis News. The newspaper was run by former soldiers who had returned from the war and determined to stand up to the political machine
Political machine
A political machine is a political organization in which an authoritative boss or small group commands the support of a corps of supporters and businesses , who receive rewards for their efforts...
that controlled local and statewide politics at the time. Fisher worked for the newspaper until it was forced to close.
Fisher moved to Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
and started doing commercial art
Commercial art
Commercial art is historically a subsector of creative services, referring to art created for commercial purposes, primarily advertising. The term has become increasingly anachronistic in favor of more contemporary terms such as graphic design and advertising art.Commercial art traditionally...
work for the Southwestern Bell Telephone Company. With the advent of television, Fisher and his wife sought out a job at the local ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliate KATV
KATV
KATV, channel 7, is an ABC affiliated television station serving the Little Rock television market and central Arkansas. The station is owned by Allbritton Communications Company....
and established a syndicated
Television syndication
In broadcasting, syndication is the sale of the right to broadcast radio shows and television shows by multiple radio stations and television stations, without going through a broadcast network, though the process of syndication may conjure up structures like those of a network itself, by its very...
puppet show called Phydeaux and His Friends which specialized in political satire
Political satire
Political satire is a significant part of satire that specializes in gaining entertainment from politics; it has also been used with subversive intent where political speech and dissent are forbidden by a regime, as a method of advancing political arguments where such arguments are expressly...
. Local political figures, including Governor Orval Faubus
Orval Faubus
Orval Eugene Faubus was the 36th Governor of Arkansas, serving from 1955 to 1967. He is best known for his 1957 stand against the desegregation of Little Rock public schools during the Little Rock Crisis, in which he defied a unanimous decision of the United States Supreme Court by ordering the...
, made guest appearances on the show.
Fisher convinced the weekly North Little Rock Times to start carrying his political cartoons and, before long, other newspapers began reprinting them in their Sunday editions.
In 1972, Fisher began drawing cartoons twice per week for the statewide Arkansas Gazette
Arkansas Gazette
The Arkansas Gazette, known as the oldest newspaper west of the Mississippi River, and located from 1908 until its October 18, 1991 closing at the now historic Gazette Building, was for many years the newspaper of record for Little Rock and the State of Arkansas...
and became the newspaper's official cartoonist in 1976. Fisher gained a very active following in the state of Arkansas and became an Arkansas institution. Fisher's work was never syndicated, because he preferred to focus mostly on affairs in his home state, but many of his cartoons were reprinted nationally.
Death
Fisher died on 15 December 2003 at his home after completing a ChristmasChristmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
cartoon for the Arkansas Times
Arkansas Times
Arkansas Times, a weekly alternative newspaper based in Little Rock, Arkansas, is a publication that has circulated for more than 35 years, originally as a magazine. Its current format stems from reaction to the Arkansas Democrat buyout of assets from Gannett's closure of the Arkansas Gazette in...
.
His wife died in 1983, but Fisher continued to hide her nickname in his cartoons as a tribute.
Fisher's most famous statewide cartoon was a drawing of Governor Orval Faubus addressing a session of the Arkansas legislature where everyone present, even the mice and statues, had the face of Orval Faubus.
His most famous nationally reprinted cartoon was on the occasion of the Space Shuttle Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger
Space Shuttle Challenger was NASA's second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, Columbia having been the first. The shuttle was built by Rockwell International's Space Transportation Systems Division in Downey, California...
disaster.
His work has been published in several anthologies and he has been acclaimed as one of the great cartoonists of the 20th century.
Fisher was buried at Beebe Cemetery in Beebe, Arkansas.
----
This article is originated from Internet-Encyclopedia, December 22, 2003.