CSBG Archive
Stars of Political Cartooning – Vaughn Shoemaker
Each day this month I will be profiling a notable political cartoonist. Since the choices are vast, I’ve decided to slim the numbers down a bit and eliminate living cartoonists. Perhaps I will do a current political cartoon stars in the future.
Here‘s an archive of the artists mentioned already.
Today we look at a cartoonist who created the character “John Q. Public.”
Enjoy!
Vaughn Shoemaker was born in 1902, and by the age of 22, he was the head cartoonist for the Chicago Daily News, a position he would hold for almost thirty years before moving on to various other papers before his retirement in 1972.
Shoemaker used very clean lines, and was a favorite of many of his fellow cartoonists, including Herb Block.
Here’s one of his early cartoons, where we see Shoemaker harken back to the days of Nast and Tammany Hall, in discussing New York Democrats…
Early on in his career, Shoemaker developed a character named John Q. Public who worked as the personification of the typical US citizen. Many other cartoonists took this idea, as well, and the name soon became synonymous with “average US citizen.”
Shoemaker was highly critical of Hitler, as these cartoons show…
I particularly enjoy the one about how the Nazi leaders did not look like the Aryan “supermen” that they wanted of the German race.
Shoemaker was not initially a Democrat supporter, but like many, he got behind FDR…
Here he shows FDR stewarding the ship during war…
And here is a cartoon arguing for the drafting of young men for the war efforts.
Here is a neat cartoon he did late in career showing what problems Vietnam was causing LBJ….
Shoemaker was a devout Christian, and he claimed to kneel and pray before beginning every cartoon.
Shoemaker died in 1991.
9 Comments
Journalista - the news weblog of The Comics Journal » Blog Archive » Oct. 23, 2008: Testing 1-2-3
October 23, 2008 at 2:26 am
[...] [Comics] Vaughn Shoemaker Link: Brian Cronin [...]
Apodaca
October 23, 2008 at 9:08 am
Dear lord, please let me request the involuntary commission of our youth to die on my behalf, with a caricature and a “clever” turn of phrase. Amen.
THE LORD
October 23, 2008 at 10:05 am
Dear Apodaca, He’s a political cartoonist, not an op ed writer or a politician.
Respectfully, God
(but really joshschr)
Apodaca
October 23, 2008 at 11:41 am
No duh. If it was really God, his omniscience would prevent such a clueless comment. Are you saying that his opinion shouldn’t be criticized? Are you saying that it’s not ridiculous to kneel and pray before drawing a cartoon that espouses that opinion?
Because those are the only two things I’m saying.
Ted
October 23, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Our behalf Apodaca, our behalf
joshschr
October 27, 2008 at 8:49 am
You said them poorly, Dan. I won’t try putting word’s into the guy’s mouth, but it’s just as likely that he was asking for wisdom to ply his trade and articulate his position in a sensitive yet powerful way. I’m fine with questioning whether a draft is fair, but you’re skewing his religion and political views to paint him to be a warmongering coward.
STWALLSKULL » HEY! KIDS! COMICS! : Floyd Gottfredson’s Mickey Mouse in The Gypsies at Rodney Bowcock’s Comics and Stories : October 29th, 2008
October 29, 2008 at 3:41 pm
[...] Stars of Political Cartooning – Vaughn Shoemaker from Comics Should Be Good! [...]
ps
July 9, 2010 at 11:49 am
I have a book of cartoons by Shoemaker titled ‘ 41 and 42 AD’. Anyone know any thing about it?
Shoemaker cartoonist | Abidallo
May 1, 2012 at 6:13 am
[...] Stars of Political Cartooning – Vaughn Shoemaker | Comics Should …Oct 22, 2008 … Vaughn Shoemaker was born in 1902, and by the age of 22, he was the head cartoonist for the Chicago Daily News, a position he would hold … [...]