Loughman, William

Walt McDougall:

Walter Hugh McDougall was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1858. He developed an interest in art through his father who was a painter. McDougall began his career in the 1870s as an engraver for the New York Graphic, America's first illustrated daily newspaper. Soon afterward he sold cartoons to publications such as The Extra, Harper's Weekly, and Puck magazine.

McDougall had the distinction to have the first cartoon printed in color in an American newspaper on May 21, 1893. In 1894 his collaboration with cartoonist Mark Fenderson "The Unfortunate Fate of a Well-Intended Dog," became the first color comic strip in an American newspaper. In 1898, McDougall drew the largest single-panel cartoon ever for The Humorist, which was spread over two full pages. In addition to drawing full-page color cartoons for The New York World, he also illustrated Bill Nye's weekly editorial column for the American Press Association, making him the first syndicated newspaper artist.

One of McDougall's most well-known cartoons appeared on the front page of The New York World on October 30, 1884. The cartoon illustrated Republican presidential candidate James G. Blaine dining at a New York City restaurant with wealthy businessmen. The caption read: "The Royal Feast of Belshazzar Blaine and the Money Kings." This work has been noted by historians as one of the main reasons Blaine was defeated in the election five days later. Many historians believe that "The Royal Feast" was a historically important to the development and evolution of political cartoons as was Thomas Nast's caricatures of Boss Tweed and Benjamin Franklin's famous "Join or Die" cartoon created in 1754 at the beginning of war with France.

Walt McDougall also produced hundreds of full-age one-shot gags for Sunday comic sections as well as numerous Sunday comic strips including "Fatty Felix," "Peck's Bad Boy," "The Wizard of Oz," and "Handsome Hautrey" for the Philadelphia North American . He also created "Hand the Hermit" and "Animal Friends" for the Western Newspaper Syndicate. His daily comics included "Absent Minded Abner," "Teddy in Africa," Gink and Book," and "The Radio Buggs."

After spending the last 20 years of life in seclusion in Connecticut, Walt McDougall committed suicide in March 1938 at the age of 80.

Valerian Gribayedoff:

Valerian Gribayedoff was born in Kronstadt, Russia in 1858. He was educated in St. Petersburg, England, France, and Germany. Gribayedoff later came to America to work as a journalist and rose to prominence by recreating drawings from photos to be included in the newspapers. His portraits were considered more lifelike than others in the field. His last work for an American newspaper was covering the Russo-Japanese War as a correspondent in Siberia. He died in Paris in 1908.

Bill (William) Loughman:

Is an avid collector of cartoon history.