Mort Walker’s 40th Birthday Bash
This one-of-a-kind photo from the personal collection of Bob Gustafson shows a stellar gathering of newspaper cartoonists on the occasion of Mort Walker‘s 40th birthday, on September 3, 1963. The picture was taken at the Milbrook Country Club in Greenwich, Connecticut during the time when Gustafson was assisting Walker with his strips Beetle Bailey and Hi and Lois. The cartoonists shown: (front kneeling) Jack Tippit, Bill Yates, Frank Roberge, Tony DiPreta, John Cullen Murphy, Gill Fox and in the center, Dik Browne; (standing) Bud Jones, Frank Johnson, Orlando Busino, Jerry Dumas, Mort Walker, Jerry Marcus, Dick Cavalli, Bob Weber, and Pulitzer winning editorial cartoonist, John Fischetti. According to notes, everyone made a drawing for Mort, and from the looks of the faces in the photo, all had a great time!
Mort Walker’s 40th Birthday – Collection of Bob Gustafson
Discussion (13) ¬
Who is the guy in the hat? haha
That is the man of the hour, my good Bearman. That legendary cartoonist has had 48 more birthdays since that pic was taken, and is still goin’. I’ve always said cartoonists live forever because they love what they do so much.
I’m sort of surprised that Sparky wasn’t there!
That would have been the icing on the cake! Did you notice the uber-young Dik Browne in the center? He’s a far cry from looking like Hagar the Horrible, which he did later in life.
Wasn’t there a bit of a riff between them? I think Mort got Sparky into the union, but there seemed to be a lifelong rivalry between them.
Daryl Heine over at dailycartoonist said that Walt Kelly, Chic Young, V.T. Hamlin, and Charles Schulz were all snubbed out of Mort Walker’s 40th birthday celebration.
I know there was a bit of a rivalry… Sparky introduced the concept of the security blanket when he did because he thought if he didn’t use it. Mort Walker would… although, I’m not sure how he would’ve.
I remember when Sparky died how Mort Walker recounted an incident at the NCS where Sparky came out and said that something Walker said was the “stupidest idea he ever heard”. Supposedly, Schulz came back later and apologized by saying “Sorry… that was the Lucy in me.”
For as modest a guy as people have made Sparky out to be, I think in reality he did have a bit of an ego. I remember on an interview with Charlie Rose in a less modest moment, how he said something to the effect that some people consider Krazy Kat the greatest strip ever written, but he thought that his own strip was.
That’s very interesting. I hadn’t heard much about that before. I guess if Schulz felt he had the greatest strip he could probably back it up with cold, hard cash!
He could certainly do that… even without all of that money, it would still be an extremely valid claim.
In terms of popularity, yea. What do you think of Schulz’s work? I remember some of the first art I ever drew was copying Snoopy. I’ve held his strips in my hands and gotten a really good look. He never fails to amaze me with his simple line and layout. Like cartoon haiku.
Bob Gustafson was one of the nicest guys around — and was actually one heck of a fine photographer. He did many photos (and cartoons) for his local newspaper in Ridgefield, Conn. back in the 50s and 60s.
Hello Jack! Did you know Bob Gustafson? I’d love to hear more about him, I’m a big fan.