Pete Hoffman
Encyclopedia
Pete Hoffman is an American cartoonist. He is known for his work on the adventure strips Steve Roper (later Steve Roper and Mike Nomad
) and Jeff Cobb.
, the youngest of four children, Hoffman showed artistic talent in his boyhood. He attended the University of Toledo
, where he majored in advertising and marketing but also did editorial and commercial cartooning.
. Afterwards, he returned to Toledo and stopped by to see Steve Roper authors Allen Saunders
and Elmer Woggon
; he had met them as a student cartoonist and had been sending them additional sketches during the war. Liking his work, Saunders then hired him as a new ghost for Woggon because Publishers-Hall Syndicate
had complained that the artwork still looked too cartoonish for an adventure strip. To judge by the change in drawing style, Hoffman began in December 1945, and yet the strip continued to appear as "Steve Roper by Saunders and Woggon." Hoffman's name was seen in it just once (June 9-14, 1947) — when Roper's friend Sonny Brawnski wrestled "Poison Pete Hoffman" after threatening to throw him into Toledo's Maumee River
.
.) In a later interview, he modestly understated his contribution: "The strip was in a transition stage and a more illustrative style of drawing was desired. My style fit their needs. I enjoyed ghost-drawing the characters for nearly nine years." The ghost was no secret, however: a 1953 article on Steve Roper in the Toledo Blade
described Hoffman's role in the strip and pictured him working with Saunders and Woggon in their studio. At that time, ghosting was regarded as a new artist's apprenticeship until he could start his own strip. And following the two previous Steve Roper ghosts — Elmer Woggon's younger brother Bill Woggon
(Katy Keene
) and Don Dean (Cranberry Boggs)—Hoffman did just that in mid-1954, leaving Steve Roper to produce his own strip, Jeff Cobb. The parting was amicable, and Saunders and Woggon sponsored him when he joined the National Cartoonists Society
in 1955. Starting with the July 12, 1954 strip, his replacement on Steve Roper was William Overgard
, who put an end to the ghosting and boldly signed his artwork.
Steve Roper and Mike Nomad
Steve Roper and Mike Nomad was an American adventure comic strip that ran under various earlier titles from November 1936 to December 26, 2004...
) and Jeff Cobb.
Early years
Born in Toledo, OhioToledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
, the youngest of four children, Hoffman showed artistic talent in his boyhood. He attended the University of Toledo
University of Toledo
The University of Toledo is a public university in Toledo, Ohio, United States. The Carnegie Foundation classified the university as "Doctoral/Research Extensive."-National recognition:...
, where he majored in advertising and marketing but also did editorial and commercial cartooning.
WWII
Graduating in 1941, Hoffman served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War IIWorld 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...
. Afterwards, he returned to Toledo and stopped by to see Steve Roper authors Allen Saunders
Allen Saunders
Allen Saunders was an American writer, journalist and cartoonist who wrote the comic strips Steve Roper and Mike Nomad, Mary Worth and Kerry Drake...
and Elmer Woggon
Elmer Woggon
Elmer Woggon , who signed his art Wog, was the creator of an early newspaper comic strip that eventually developed into the long-running Steve Roper and Mike Nomad....
; he had met them as a student cartoonist and had been sending them additional sketches during the war. Liking his work, Saunders then hired him as a new ghost for Woggon because Publishers-Hall Syndicate
Publishers-Hall Syndicate
Publishers-Hall Syndicate was a newspaper syndicate founded in 1944 by Robert M. Hall, the company's president and general manager.Hall had worked for The Providence Journal during high school, followed by three years at Northeastern Law School and four years at Brown University...
had complained that the artwork still looked too cartoonish for an adventure strip. To judge by the change in drawing style, Hoffman began in December 1945, and yet the strip continued to appear as "Steve Roper by Saunders and Woggon." Hoffman's name was seen in it just once (June 9-14, 1947) — when Roper's friend Sonny Brawnski wrestled "Poison Pete Hoffman" after threatening to throw him into Toledo's Maumee River
Maumee River
The Maumee River is a river in northwestern Ohio and northeastern Indiana in the United States. It is formed at Fort Wayne, Indiana by the confluence of the St. Joseph and St. Marys rivers, and meanders northeastwardly for through an agricultural region of glacial moraines before flowing into the...
.
Giving up the ghost
Hoffman gave the postwar Steve Roper the more serious, consistent look it needed as it settled into a modern urban setting. He portrayed the main characters engagingly, and realistically showed them maturing in their lives and careers. (His villains, on the other hand, were grotesque or deformed, as in Dick TracyDick Tracy
Dick Tracy is a comic strip featuring Dick Tracy, a hard-hitting, fast-shooting and intelligent police detective. Created by Chester Gould, the strip made its debut on October 4, 1931, in the Detroit Mirror. It was distributed by the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate...
.) In a later interview, he modestly understated his contribution: "The strip was in a transition stage and a more illustrative style of drawing was desired. My style fit their needs. I enjoyed ghost-drawing the characters for nearly nine years." The ghost was no secret, however: a 1953 article on Steve Roper in the Toledo Blade
The Blade (newspaper)
The Blade is a daily newspaper in Toledo, Ohio, first published on December 19, 1835.- Overview :David Ross Locke gained national fame for the paper during the Civil War era by writing under the pen name Petroleum V. Nasby. Writing under the pen name, Locke wrote satires ranging on topics from...
described Hoffman's role in the strip and pictured him working with Saunders and Woggon in their studio. At that time, ghosting was regarded as a new artist's apprenticeship until he could start his own strip. And following the two previous Steve Roper ghosts — Elmer Woggon's younger brother Bill Woggon
Bill Woggon
William Woggon was an American cartoonist who created the comic book Katy Keene.Woggon was born the fourth of six children in Toledo, Ohio, and he grew up there. Fascinated by an art correspondence course that his older brother Elmer Woggon was taking, he became interested in drawing...
(Katy Keene
Katy Keene
Katy Keene, a character created by Bill Woggon, has appeared in several comic book series published by Archie Comics since 1945. She is a model/actress/singer known as America's Queen of Pin-Ups and Fashions....
) and Don Dean (Cranberry Boggs)—Hoffman did just that in mid-1954, leaving Steve Roper to produce his own strip, Jeff Cobb. The parting was amicable, and Saunders and Woggon sponsored him when he joined the National Cartoonists Society
National 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...
in 1955. Starting with the July 12, 1954 strip, his replacement on Steve Roper was William Overgard
William Overgard
William Overgard , was an American cartoonist and writer with a diverse opus, including novels, screenplays, animation, and the comic strips Steve Roper and Mike Nomad and Rudy. For a picture, see his biography card at ....
, who put an end to the ghosting and boldly signed his artwork.