Pioneer Cartoon Gallery 7

Sports Cartoons

During the segregated years of the 1900 through 1960s America, the Black Press offered comic strips that featured African American heroes & heroines in a wide variety of life situations. These characters were not confined to gritty 'inner-city' stories, poor 'ghetto' life or as one dimensional comic relief as today .

Just as the 'mainstream' carried illustrated sports features, the Black press also had sports graphic. Often the illustrations were created by a staff artist, but there were those who specialized in this art form & were syndicated nationally.

Often unmentioned in most comic histories as if it were of no consequence, is the work of over a dozen cartoonists & the sports features they produced. Here is your opportunity to not only see what as done, but learn a bit about the artist who created it.

Thanks to the Vivian Harsh Collection of Afro-American History located in the Carter G. Woodson Regional Branch of the Chicago Library-- I am able to present the cartooning work of our Pioneering Cartoonists of Color.

Copyright Notice !

Pioneering Cartoonists of Color is a publication of Creative License Studio Inc. Copyright © 1998 by Tim Jackson. All rights reserved worldwide. Original cartoons used in cartoonist's biographies are copyright © of the featured artists.

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(I regret that due to efforts to keep file sizes small, many of the cartoons may be difficult to read.)

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Charles Alston

caption top left: "Joe's medioric rise from the poverty and obsurity of an Alabama sharecropper's cabin to fame and fortune as the sports idol of a nation is an eloquent example of democracy in action."

caption lower left: "In one of the most magnificent gestures in the history of sportsmanship, the champ risked his most cherished possession, the world's Heaveyweight title, and donated his entire purse to the Army and Navy Releif funds!"

caption lower right: "Since his enlistment, Joe has been busy teaching his buddies how to slap the superiority of the Japanazis!"
(I don't write this stuff folks!)

An instructor at the Harlem Art Center & professional Muralist, Charles H. Alston created various illustrations from editorial cartoons to infromational material for the Office of War Informaton. This feature on Joe Louis appeared in the Chicago Bee, 9 January 1944. Although not drawn by Charles Alston, there is a comic strip titled Sergeant Joe that features the adventures of the champ during the war.

Sports Illustrator Ted Carroll created a series of such illustrations that appeared in a number of Black press papers. His art could also be seen along with papers that had their own artits to create similar features. Appeared in the Pittsburgh Courier, July 26, 1924.

Bill Chase was one of the early cartoonists for the New York Amsterdam News. Serving as staff artist, he produced editorial cartoons & at least one strip titled Pee Wee , as well as illustrations for short stories that appeared in the paper. Here is his contribution to the sports page as the football season bursts into the headlines. Appeared in the New York Amsterdam Star News in 1941.

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Burris Jenkins Jr.

The over all story concerns the boxer, Sam Langford who suffered sight loss.

caption center: "Sam beat wills twice-- third time, to facor his blind eye, he punched into a right and was K.O'd."

caption right: "He once fought Jack Johnson, weighing 137 lbs. To Johnson's 200 --and would have beaten Jack in a few more rounds.

caption lower left: Sam Langford, great old veteran of the ring, almost totally blind, has reached new your for the operation to restore his sight-- money for the trip frunished by wester fans, not his friends in the east where he was famous.

Burris Jenkins Jr. I have absolutly no information on this illustrator beyond seeing his signature on several other drawings during my research. He apparently was also a sports writer as well as an illustrator. Appeared in the Pittsburgh Courier, May 31, 1924.

caption lower left:John Henry Lewis from Phoenix Ariz. who finds himslef in the soplight as the leading contender for the light-heavyweight crown. Kayoed Emmett Rocco in seven rounds.

lower mid: One of the most promising fighter[s] of the 1934 season. Beat Frank Rowsey, Tom Patric and Drew with Fred Lenhart.

caption upper right: Lewis gave Slapsy-Maxie Rosenbloom the light-heavy title holder two of the worst defeats of the past year in over-weight matches.

Currently have no information on George Lee. But the cartoon titled Sproting Around was seen throughout the 30s & 40s.This illustration appeared in the Chicago Defender February 10, 1934.

And Phil Tewrranova--the speedy Bronx Feather, has plenty!!!

upper right: --Among outher things he plans to win the Featherweight title of the world.

lower left: But is was Bobby Burns (the poet, thot the fighter) who once wrote:--"The best laid plans of mice and men oft go astray"

--So the vet Chalky Wright will be out to upset Terranova's plans.

They meet at the Garden,June 4 - in 15 ros. --The winner to meet Champ Willie Pep!!

No information available on Nat Low. This illustration appeared in 1943.

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Melvin Tapley

"Baseball's Cousin"

Cricket, British Baseball

left: R.A. Wiles of N.Y. and the Metroplitan Distric Cricket Ass'n

right: Van Cortlandt Park, Randalls Island and other Ballfields re-echo with sound of enthusiastic fans rooting for Antigua, Renada, Montserrat, St. Kitts, Trinidad, and other champ Cricket teams.

low right: Edmund Holder or the Manhattan- Bklyn Team.

Melvin Tapley (aka TAP) joined the staff of the New York Amsterdam News in 1942 when his first cartoon tited The Brown Family appears that same year. By the end of the 1940s he has moved up to be the head cartoonist on staff, drawing the editorial cartoon & a number of comics and features. In the May 5, 1945 paper he is shown trying his hand at sports illustrations.

upper left: 1941 Thrid basman for East in East-West Classic. 47,863 fans.

mid-center: Monte was a puddin' for big league pitching--in 1949-- was sent down to Jersy City-- There hit 500! --came back, to be a hero.

mid-right: Then in 1951-- Monty found the range.

Became greatest world series hero since Pepper Martin --deadliest hitter any Yankees' World Series team ever faced. First to steal home! in World Series since 1921!

lower middle: One of the Games fice still gleaming pre-Pearl Harbor stars-- Bob Feller, Roy Campanella, Micky Vernon, Ted Williams!

Ric Roberts is best known t me as a sports illustrator, but at least one comic strip has been located that carries his name (see Ol' Hot). Still gathering bio information on Roberts. This illustration appeared in 1955.

More to come in the future.

I'm working on it !

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Copyright Notice !

Pioneering Cartoonists of Color is a publication of Creative License Studio Inc. Copyright © 1998 by Tim Jackson. All rights reserved worldwide. Original cartoons used in cartoonist's biographies are copyright © of the featured artists.