Roy Nelson (May 17, 1905 – September 14, 1956) was a

cartoonist A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comics illustrators/artists in that they produce both the litera ...

and caricaturist. His talent for drawing was recognized at an early age, and after high school in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

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, he was accepted into the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts (1922-1925). After graduation, Roy joined the staff of '' The Chicago Daily News'' as an artist-reporter, contributing caricatures, cartoons and comics. He created caricatures of many celebrities who visited Chicago. During this period, Roy also contributed many cartoons to ''Esquire'' magazine starting with the first issue in October 1933. Roy left the ''Chicago Daily News'' briefly in the early 1930s and joined the staff of The Walt Disney Studios, producing publicity artwork and assisting in drawing the daily

Mickey Mouse Mickey Mouse is an American cartoon character co-created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. The longtime icon and mascot of the Walt Disney Company, Mickey is an anthropomorphic mouse who typically wears red shorts, large shoes, and white ...

newspaper strip. After several months he returned to Chicago and the ''Daily News''. Roy worked for the ''Chicago Daily News'' for over 14 years before entering the

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

in 1943. He served for years, stationed in southern California creating illustrations for army training books, and after the end of the war returned to the ''Chicago Daily News''. In 1950, Roy married Marcella Colberg and returned to his home town in Virginia, Minnesota for one year where he resumed his career as a cartoonist, working freelance for various clients including ''

The Sporting News ''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...

'',

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and Saalfield books. In 1951 they moved to Sarasota, Florida for one year, creating a daily cartoon strip called ''Dot, Mot and Tot''. After they moved to Minneapolis, MN, Roy created a series of children's coloring books. Three years after their marriage, Roy was diagnosed with lung cancer and entered a VA hospital for treatment. Roy died in 1956 as reported in the ''Tower News'' upon Marcella's recent death (March 2011). Roy Nelson's work is currently showcased on the webpag
Cartoonretro.com
Cartoonretro president Shane Glines, author of ''Tophats and Flappers: The Art of Russell Patterson'', is currently writing a major monograph on the life and work of Roy Nelson titled ''Roy Nelson: The Art of Appeal''.

Notes

American caricaturists 1905 births 1956 deaths People from Virginia, Minnesota American magazine cartoonists Esquire (magazine) people Walt Disney Animation Studios people American comics artists Disney comics artists American comic strip cartoonists American humorists American children's book illustrators {{US-cartoonist-stub