comics

Davenport in 1912

Homer Calvin Davenport (1867 – May 2, 1912) was a political cartoonist and writer from the United States. He is known for drawings that satirized figures of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, most notably Ohio Senator Mark Hanna. Although Davenport had no formal art training, he became one of the highest paid political cartoonists in the world. Davenport also was one of the first major American breeders of Arabian horses and one of the founders of the Arabian Horse Club of America.

A native Oregonian, Davenport developed interests in both art and horses as a young boy. He tried a variety of jobs before gaining employment as a cartoonist, initially working at several newspapers on the West Coast, including The San Francisco Examiner, purchased by William Randolph Hearst. His talent for drawing and interest in Arabian horses dovetailed in 1893 at the Chicago Daily Herald when he studied and drew the Arabian horses exhibited at the World's Columbian Exposition. When Hearst acquired the New York Morning Journal in 1895, money was no object in his attempt to establish the Journal as a leading New York newspaper, and Hearst moved Davenport east in 1885 to be part of what is regarded as one of the greatest newspaper staffs ever assembled. Working with columnist Alfred Henry Lewis, Davenport created many cartoons in opposition to the 1896 Republican presidential candidate, former Ohio governor William McKinley, and Hanna, his campaign manager. McKinley was elected and Hanna elevated to the Senate; Davenport continued to draw his sharp cartoons during the 1900 presidential race, though McKinley was again victorious.

• 1914: birth of Paul Norris, American comic book artist best known as creator of Aquaman
• 1916: birth of George Tuska, American comic book artist best known for his work on Captain Marvel and Iron Man
• 1924: birth of Victor Hubinon, Belgian comics artist best known for Redbeard and Buck Danny
• 1942: birth of Marty Greim, American writer, known for work on Archie Comics' short-lived superhero comic book line
• 1954: birth of Kerry Gammill, American artist who has worked in the fields of comic books, special effects, storyboards, and character designs
• 1955: birth of Brad W. Foster, American illustrator, cartoonist, writer, and publisher
• 1956: birth of François Schuiten, Belgian comics artist and author best known for Les Cités Obscures
• 1969: last publication of the first version of Eagle, the most popular British comic, selling over 2 miilion copies a week
• 1971: birth of Craig Rousseau, American comic book artist
• 1972: birth of John Paul Leon, American comic book artist best known for Earth X

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The word cartoon has various meanings, based on several very different forms of visual art and illustration. The term has evolved over time. The original meaning was in fine art of the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, where it referred to a preparatory drawing for a piece of art, such as a painting or tapestry.

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