Stevens, Bob, 1923-

Robert Merrill Stevens (1923-1994), commonly known as Bob Stevens, was an American cartoonist and illustrator.

Bob Stevens, born in Iowa in 1923, became interested in drawing at age seven and graduated from Syracuse University with a B.A. Stevens joined the Air Force, as a pilot, and served for 22 years before retiring in 1964. During his military career, Stevens contributed cartoons to the Army Times and Stars and Stripes .

His comic strip, Clementine, distributed by the Lew Little Syndicate debuted in July 1965. He joined Copley Newspapers (publishers of the San Diego Union Tribune ) as an editorial cartoonist and his cartoons appeared in 300 papers. In 1972 he left Copley to pursue freelance work. Stevens, influenced by his Air Force career, was also known for his aviation cartoons which appeared in Private Pilot magazine in the 1970s and 1980s and in Professional Pilot . His published books include: There I Was, Flat On My Back (1968) and More There I Was (1974). He also served as the cartoon editor for Trailer Life Publications.

Stevens was a member of the National Cartoonists Society. He received five Freedoms Foundation awards and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.

Bob Stevens died in 1994.

From the guide to the Bob Stevens Papers., 1966-1970., (Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries)