Outcault, Richard Felton
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{{epname|Outcault, Richard Felton}} | {{epname|Outcault, Richard Felton}} | ||
| − | '''Richard Felton Outcault''' (January 14, 1863-September 25, 1928) was an American [[comic strip]] scriptwriter, sketcher and painter in the early 20th century. Popularly known as R.F. Outcault, he is considered the inventor of the modern comic strip and credited for making comic strips a lasting part of American society. Starting out as a technical illustrator for [[Thomas Edison]], Outcault wrote articles for humor magazines, which spawned his career in creating series of comic strips for newspapers. | + | '''Richard Felton Outcault''' (January 14, 1863-September 25, 1928) was an American [[comic strip]] scriptwriter, sketcher and painter in the early 20th century. Popularly known as R.F. Outcault, he is considered the inventor of the modern comic strip and credited for making comic strips a lasting part of American society. Starting out as a technical illustrator for [[Thomas Edison]], Outcault later wrote articles for humor magazines, which spawned his career in creating series of comic strips for the ''New York World'' and the ''New York Herald'' newspapers. In 1895, Outcault introduced his popular comic strip ''Hogan's Alley'' featuring his famous ''Yellow Kid'' cartoon character. "The Yellow Kid" was the first recurring comic strip character, and his yellow colored nightshirt ushered in the era of colored comic strips. Outcault later introduced the popular cartoon''Buster Brown''in 1902. "The Yellow Kid" and "Buster Brown" cartoon characters eventually led to a line of products, toys, whiskey, and even shoes (Buster Brown). |
[[Image:Richard Felton Outcault.jpg|thumb| Richard Felton Outcault]] | [[Image:Richard Felton Outcault.jpg|thumb| Richard Felton Outcault]] | ||
==Life== | ==Life== | ||
| − | '''Richard Felton Outcault''' was born on January 14, 1863 in [[Lancaster, Ohio]], the son of Jesse and Catherine Outcault. He demonstrated artistic talent at a young age, and in 1878 at | + | '''Richard Felton Outcault''' was born on January 14, 1863 in [[Lancaster, Ohio]], the son of Jesse and Catherine Outcault, a wealthy family in [Lancaster]. He demonstrated an artistic talent at a young age, and in 1878 at the age of fifteen began studying art at the School of Design at McMicken University in [[Cincinnati, Ohio]]. After studying there for 3 years, Outcault started working as a painter, yet soon found himself doing technical illustrations for [[Thomas Edison's]] Edison Laboratories. As a traveling artist for Edison, Outcault spent time in [[Paris, France]] while he was working at the World's Fair, and studied art in the Latin Quarter. Outcault enjoyed his stay in [[Paris]], and discovered a love for berets and capes. |
| − | When he returned to the United States, Outcault settled in New York City, and married Mary Jane Martin on Christmas Day 1890. | + | When he returned to the United States, Outcault settled in New York City, and married Mary Jane Martin on Christmas Day 1890. They had two children, who Outcault would use as models for his "Buster Brown" & "Mary Jane" cartoon characters when he created the famous ''Buster Brown'' comic strip in 1902. In New York, he did freelance illustrator jobs and started working at ''Electrical World'' magazine, which stimulated his creativity and desire to produce comic strips. Outcault then proceeded to work for several different newspapers, where he created the famous comics "The Yellow Kid" and "Buster Brown." |
| − | + | In 1909, Outcault helped his son establish the Outcault Advertising agency in [[Chicago, Illinois]]. | |
| + | |||
| + | During his retirement, Outcault spent time painting portraits and landscapes. | ||
Outcault died on September 25th, 1928 in [[Flushing, New York]] at the age of 65, and bequeathed his advertising agency to his son. | Outcault died on September 25th, 1928 in [[Flushing, New York]] at the age of 65, and bequeathed his advertising agency to his son. | ||
==Work== | ==Work== | ||
| − | [[Image: | + | [[Image:Yellow kid phonograph.jpg|thumb|300px|left|The Yellow Kid]] |
| − | Outcault began his career in 1881 as a painter for the Hall Safe and Lock Company. In 1888, [[Thomas Edison]] hired Outcault to produce sophisticated | + | Outcault began his career in 1881 as a painter for the Hall Safe and Lock Company. In 1888, [[Thomas Edison]] hired Outcault to produce sophisticated technical illustrations for the Edison Laboratories this electric light display of the Exposition of the Ohio Valley and Middle Atlantic States in [[Cincinnati, Ohio]]. Edison was so impressed with the quality of Outcault's work, that Edison hired him to work in his [[West Orange, New Jersey]] |
facilities. | facilities. | ||
| − | Outcault returned to [[New York City]] and did some humoristic sketches for the magazines | + | Outcault returned to [[New York City]] and did some humoristic sketches for the magazines such as ''Judge'', ''Life'', and ''Truth'', but soon joined [[Joseph Pulitzer|Joseph Pulitzer's]] ''[[New York World]]''. Pulitzer used Outcault's comics in an experimental color supplement, using a single-panel color cartoon on the front page called ''Hogan's Alley,'' depicting an event in a fictional slum, was based on life in New York City. A character in the panel, The Yellow Kid, was a bald kid named Mickey Dugan, living in the street, whose oversize nightshirt always had some kind of saying written on it. ''Hogan's Alley'' debuted May 5, 1895. The color yellow was picked because it was difficult to print at the time, and one of the foremen at the newspaper wanted to try yellow on the kid's nightshirt as a simply a test. Outcault loved it and "The Yellow Kid" became a very successful comic strip in the Sunday newspapers. Average readers loved the cartoon, but the comic strip was not without controversy. New York elites were upset about the depiction of New York City slums in ''Hogan's Alley''. Nonetheless, Outcault had the ingenuity and artistic talent which combined to depict situations in New York which people could make people laugh. "The Yellow Kid" brought humor to the social and political concerns of the day and at the same time this memorable cartoon character was the first recurring cartoon in newspapers, and ushered in the era of a colorful comics section of the newspapers. |
| − | + | The popularity of "The Yellow Kid" fueled a bitter battle between rival publishers over property rights. | |
| − | + | In October 1896, Outcault defected to [[William Randolph Hearst|William Randolph Hearst's]] ''[[New York Journal]]''. The result of a lawsuit awarded the title "Hogan's Alley" to the ''World'' and "The Yellow Kid" to the ''Journal''. The combination of Hearst's sensational journalism and the "The Yellow Kid" comic strip associated with his newspaper gave rise to the phrase "[[yellow journalism]]". | |
| − | In October 1896, Outcault defected to [[William Randolph Hearst|William Randolph Hearst's]] ''[[New York Journal]]''. The result of a lawsuit awarded the title "Hogan's Alley" to the ''World'' and "The Yellow Kid" to the ''Journal''. | ||
| − | By 1901 Outcault had become weary of legal battles and created the comic strip ''Poor L'L Mose'' for the ''New York Herald''. | + | By 1901 Outcault had become weary of legal battles between the ''New York World'' and ''New York Herald'' so he created the comic strip ''Poor L'L Mose'' for the ''New York Herald''. |
| − | In 1902, Outcault introduced "Buster Brown", a mischievous boy dressed in Little Lord Fauntleroy style, and his dog Tige. The bulldog in the cartoon was created out of the likeness of Outcault's pet bulldog. The Buster Brown comic was featured weekly every Sunday until 1920 in the ''New York Journal''. | + | In 1902, Outcault introduced "Buster Brown", a mischievous boy dressed in Little Lord Fauntleroy style, and his dog Tige. The bulldog in the cartoon was created out of the likeness of Outcault's pet bulldog. The Buster Brown comic was featured weekly every Sunday until 1920 in the ''New York Journal''.The strip and characters were very popular and Outcault eventually licensed the name for a number of consumer products, most notably Buster Brown shoes. For example, a hosiery manufacturer used the image of Buster Brown's Tige unsuccessfully trying to rip his socks in order to demonstrate the strength of his product. In the ''Journal,'' Outcault began experimenting with using multiple panels and speech balloons. Although he was not the first to use either technique, his use of them created the standard by which comics are measured. |
[[Image:Buster Brown rubber boots.jpg|thumb|right|250 px| Buster Brown]] | [[Image:Buster Brown rubber boots.jpg|thumb|right|250 px| Buster Brown]] | ||
| − | In 1909 Outcault partnered with his son to create the Outcault Advertising Agency. | + | Because Outcault wisely protected his property rights to his cartoon characters, by 1905 he was earning more by selling cartoon character clothing and paraphernalia than he was making as a cartoonist. In 1909 Outcault partnered with his son to create the Outcault Advertising Agency, and by 1910 Outcault had accumulated a great deal of wealth. |
| − | Outcault also created other comic strips | + | Outcault also created other comic strips during his career such as "Tommy Dodd" and "Ophelia" |
in the [[New York Herald]] in 1904, and another called "Bobby Tucker." | in the [[New York Herald]] in 1904, and another called "Bobby Tucker." | ||
==Legacy== | ==Legacy== | ||
| − | + | Richard Felton Outcault was a gifted newspaper comic artist, painter, and sketcher, who combined his talents to pioneer the creation of the modern comic strip. He created the first recurring comic strip character in 1896, the Yellow Kid of Hogan's Alley. He also created "Buster Brown" in 1902. Although Outcault was not the first cartoonist to utilize dialog boxes or panel strips, he popular comic strips set the industry standard for "funny pages" in newspapers. | |
| − | His pioneering work demonstrated that comic strips could increase newspaper revenues and also spawn sales of associated toys and | + | His pioneering work demonstrated that comic strips could increase newspaper revenues and also spawn sales of associated toys and paraphernalia. Outcault created two of the most popular comic strip characters, The Yellow Kid, and Buster Brown. the Yellow Kid appeared in 2 New York papers from 1895-1989, and was incredibly successful. There were even lines of toys and products developed as a result. In 1902, Outcault created Buster Brown, a cartoon about a rich yet mischievous boy and his bulldog Tige. They were so popular that they also spawned many associated products. In 1904 Outcault sold the license for Buster and Tige to the Buster Brown Shoes company, which became a very popular brand. Outcault's cartoon genius led to the birth and development of comic strips, which have and continue to influence our culture. |
==Publications== | ==Publications== | ||
Revision as of 22:54, 16 December 2007
Richard Felton Outcault (January 14, 1863-September 25, 1928) was an American comic strip scriptwriter, sketcher and painter in the early 20th century. Popularly known as R.F. Outcault, he is considered the inventor of the modern comic strip and credited for making comic strips a lasting part of American society. Starting out as a technical illustrator for Thomas Edison, Outcault later wrote articles for humor magazines, which spawned his career in creating series of comic strips for the New York World and the New York Herald newspapers. In 1895, Outcault introduced his popular comic strip Hogan's Alley featuring his famous Yellow Kid cartoon character. "The Yellow Kid" was the first recurring comic strip character, and his yellow colored nightshirt ushered in the era of colored comic strips. Outcault later introduced the popular cartoonBuster Brownin 1902. "The Yellow Kid" and "Buster Brown" cartoon characters eventually led to a line of products, toys, whiskey, and even shoes (Buster Brown).
Life
Richard Felton Outcault was born on January 14, 1863 in Lancaster, Ohio, the son of Jesse and Catherine Outcault, a wealthy family in [Lancaster]. He demonstrated an artistic talent at a young age, and in 1878 at the age of fifteen began studying art at the School of Design at McMicken University in Cincinnati, Ohio. After studying there for 3 years, Outcault started working as a painter, yet soon found himself doing technical illustrations for Thomas Edison's Edison Laboratories. As a traveling artist for Edison, Outcault spent time in Paris, France while he was working at the World's Fair, and studied art in the Latin Quarter. Outcault enjoyed his stay in Paris, and discovered a love for berets and capes.
When he returned to the United States, Outcault settled in New York City, and married Mary Jane Martin on Christmas Day 1890. They had two children, who Outcault would use as models for his "Buster Brown" & "Mary Jane" cartoon characters when he created the famous Buster Brown comic strip in 1902. In New York, he did freelance illustrator jobs and started working at Electrical World magazine, which stimulated his creativity and desire to produce comic strips. Outcault then proceeded to work for several different newspapers, where he created the famous comics "The Yellow Kid" and "Buster Brown."
In 1909, Outcault helped his son establish the Outcault Advertising agency in Chicago, Illinois.
During his retirement, Outcault spent time painting portraits and landscapes.
Outcault died on September 25th, 1928 in Flushing, New York at the age of 65, and bequeathed his advertising agency to his son.
Work
Outcault began his career in 1881 as a painter for the Hall Safe and Lock Company. In 1888, Thomas Edison hired Outcault to produce sophisticated technical illustrations for the Edison Laboratories this electric light display of the Exposition of the Ohio Valley and Middle Atlantic States in Cincinnati, Ohio. Edison was so impressed with the quality of Outcault's work, that Edison hired him to work in his West Orange, New Jersey facilities.
Outcault returned to New York City and did some humoristic sketches for the magazines such as Judge, Life, and Truth, but soon joined Joseph Pulitzer's New York World. Pulitzer used Outcault's comics in an experimental color supplement, using a single-panel color cartoon on the front page called Hogan's Alley, depicting an event in a fictional slum, was based on life in New York City. A character in the panel, The Yellow Kid, was a bald kid named Mickey Dugan, living in the street, whose oversize nightshirt always had some kind of saying written on it. Hogan's Alley debuted May 5, 1895. The color yellow was picked because it was difficult to print at the time, and one of the foremen at the newspaper wanted to try yellow on the kid's nightshirt as a simply a test. Outcault loved it and "The Yellow Kid" became a very successful comic strip in the Sunday newspapers. Average readers loved the cartoon, but the comic strip was not without controversy. New York elites were upset about the depiction of New York City slums in Hogan's Alley. Nonetheless, Outcault had the ingenuity and artistic talent which combined to depict situations in New York which people could make people laugh. "The Yellow Kid" brought humor to the social and political concerns of the day and at the same time this memorable cartoon character was the first recurring cartoon in newspapers, and ushered in the era of a colorful comics section of the newspapers. The popularity of "The Yellow Kid" fueled a bitter battle between rival publishers over property rights. In October 1896, Outcault defected to William Randolph Hearst's New York Journal. The result of a lawsuit awarded the title "Hogan's Alley" to the World and "The Yellow Kid" to the Journal. The combination of Hearst's sensational journalism and the "The Yellow Kid" comic strip associated with his newspaper gave rise to the phrase "yellow journalism".
By 1901 Outcault had become weary of legal battles between the New York World and New York Herald so he created the comic strip Poor L'L Mose for the New York Herald.
In 1902, Outcault introduced "Buster Brown", a mischievous boy dressed in Little Lord Fauntleroy style, and his dog Tige. The bulldog in the cartoon was created out of the likeness of Outcault's pet bulldog. The Buster Brown comic was featured weekly every Sunday until 1920 in the New York Journal.The strip and characters were very popular and Outcault eventually licensed the name for a number of consumer products, most notably Buster Brown shoes. For example, a hosiery manufacturer used the image of Buster Brown's Tige unsuccessfully trying to rip his socks in order to demonstrate the strength of his product. In the Journal, Outcault began experimenting with using multiple panels and speech balloons. Although he was not the first to use either technique, his use of them created the standard by which comics are measured.
Because Outcault wisely protected his property rights to his cartoon characters, by 1905 he was earning more by selling cartoon character clothing and paraphernalia than he was making as a cartoonist. In 1909 Outcault partnered with his son to create the Outcault Advertising Agency, and by 1910 Outcault had accumulated a great deal of wealth.
Outcault also created other comic strips during his career such as "Tommy Dodd" and "Ophelia" in the New York Herald in 1904, and another called "Bobby Tucker."
Legacy
Richard Felton Outcault was a gifted newspaper comic artist, painter, and sketcher, who combined his talents to pioneer the creation of the modern comic strip. He created the first recurring comic strip character in 1896, the Yellow Kid of Hogan's Alley. He also created "Buster Brown" in 1902. Although Outcault was not the first cartoonist to utilize dialog boxes or panel strips, he popular comic strips set the industry standard for "funny pages" in newspapers. His pioneering work demonstrated that comic strips could increase newspaper revenues and also spawn sales of associated toys and paraphernalia. Outcault created two of the most popular comic strip characters, The Yellow Kid, and Buster Brown. the Yellow Kid appeared in 2 New York papers from 1895-1989, and was incredibly successful. There were even lines of toys and products developed as a result. In 1902, Outcault created Buster Brown, a cartoon about a rich yet mischievous boy and his bulldog Tige. They were so popular that they also spawned many associated products. In 1904 Outcault sold the license for Buster and Tige to the Buster Brown Shoes company, which became a very popular brand. Outcault's cartoon genius led to the birth and development of comic strips, which have and continue to influence our culture.
Publications
- Outcault, Richard Felton.1995.R.F. Outcault's the Yellow Kid: A Centennial Celebration of the Kid Who Started the Comics. Kitchen Sink Press. ISBN 0878163794 ISBN 978-0878163793
- Outcault, Richard Felton.1977.Buster Brown: An Original Compilation, First Collection in Full Continuity of a Complete Year from the Sunday Strip.Hyperion Pr. ISBN 088355660X ISBN 978-0883556603.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Bowling Green State University, Richard Felton Outcault, The Creator of the "Yellow Kid". [1] Retrieved December 16, 2007.
- Campbell, W. Joseph. 2003, Yellow Journalism: Puncturing the Myths, Defining the Legacies. Praeger Paperback. ISBN 0275981134
- Comic Art and Graffix Gallery Biographies,Richard Felton Outcault. [2] Retrieved December 16, 2007.
- Encyclopedia Britannica Online, Richard Felton Outcault.[3] Retrieved December 16, 2007.
- Lambiek.net Artists,R.F.Outcault[4] Retrieved December 16, 2007.
- Olson, Richard D., R.F.Outcault, The Father of the American Sunday Comics, and the Truth About the Creation of the Yellow Kid.[5] Retrieved December 16, 2007.
- Who2 biography of R.F. Outcault, R.F. Outcault, Cartoonist/Illustrator[6] Retrieved December 16, 2007.
External links
Credits
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