Morrie Brickman (July 24, 1917 – March 15, 1994) was a cartoonist.
His nationally syndicated comic strip ''The Small Society'' was published in over 300 papers, including 35 foreign publications.
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Biography
Brickman was born in Chicago, Illinois
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
. His career as an artist began slowly, as he worked odd jobs selling and repairing shoes, as a housekeeper for ''Esquire
Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman ...
'' illustrator John Groth
John August Groth (February 26, 1908 – June 27, 1988) was an American illustrator and teacher. He gained recognition as a war correspondent-illustrator, where he incorporated a technique he called the "speed line". He was the first art director ...
, and an advertising designer. With the money saved from this work, Brickman took classes at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) is a Private university, private art school associated with the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) in Chicago, Illinois. Tracing its history to an art students' cooperative founded in 1866, which gr ...
. Brickman was a commercial artist, creating illustrations for many companies. His most recognizable is Mr. Yoyo, the brand character for Duncan yoyos. He also wrote and illustrated books, including ''Don't Do It Yourself'', about home repair.
Brickman created the acclaimed semi-autobiographical comic strip ''The Small Society'' in 1966, which ran in over 300 publications worldwide, distributed by the Washington Star Syndicate
''The Washington Star'', previously known as the ''Washington Star-News'' and the ''Washington'' ''Evening Star'', was a daily afternoon newspaper published in Washington, D.C., between 1852 and 1981. The Sunday edition was known as the ''Sunday ...
. According to his daughter, Harriet, the main character "Mensch was my father's alter-ego" and "Not incidentally, Mensch's wife's name was Shirl, the same as my mother's."[ In his profile in the July 1955 issue of '']Popular Science
Popular science (also called pop-science or popsci) is an interpretation of science intended for a general audience. While science journalism focuses on recent scientific developments, popular science is more broad ranging. It may be written ...
'', he noted that his home workshop was the source of many of his cartoons. When he retired in 1985,[ the strip continued with art and script by ]Bill Yates
Floyd Buford Yates (July 5, 1921 – March 26, 2001), better known as Bill Yates, was an American cartoonist who drew gag cartoons and comic strips before assuming the position of comic strip editor for King Features Syndicate in 1978.
Biograph ...
. Brickman wrote a play entitled ''Coming of Age'' based on his experiences after finishing '' The Small Society''.
Brickman married Shirley Kronenthal in 1945 and had two children: Harriet Brickman Raredon and ''Risky Business
''Risky Business'' is a 1983 American coming-of-age teen comedy film written and directed by Paul Brickman (in his directorial debut) and starring Tom Cruise and Rebecca De Mornay. It follows the sexual exploits of high school senior Joel G ...
'' writer/director Paul Brickman
Paul Brickman (born April 23, 1949) is an American screenwriter and film director. He is best known for writing and directing ''Risky Business''.
Early life
Brickman was born in Chicago and raised in suburban Highland Park, the son of Shirley ( ...
.Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, situated on the North Shore (Chicago), North Shore along Lake Michigan. A suburb of Chicago, Evanston is north of Chicago Loop, downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skok ...
, on March 15, 1994.
References
External links
Morrie Brickman Cartoons
at the Newberry Library
The Newberry Library is an independent research library, specializing in the humanities. It is located in Chicago, Illinois, and has been free and open to the public since 1887. The Newberry's mission is to foster a deeper understanding of our wor ...
Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum Art Database
American comics artists
1917 births
Artists from Chicago
1994 deaths
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