NSW Black and White Artist's Association - Pix Magazine - September 7 1946

CHOICE of "Bambi" as winner of "Model of the Year" was made by Sydney commercial artist, from a number of photographs of different models which they themselves collected and assembled for criticism. Grouped round president of Black and White Artists Association, Stan Cross, pointing to photo, are: Syd Miller, Dorothy Wilson, George Aria, Trevor Wilson, Bob Whitmore, Charles Whitman, James Oink, Eric Langker, Emile Mercier and Eric Jollife.

The following article featured in Pix Magazine September 7 1946.

Artists Award "Oscar" To Model Of The Year

SCULPTURED by well known Sydney artist Lyndon Dadswell, a replica "Oscar" will be awarded annually by NSW black and white artists to the girl who, in their opinion, best merits the title of "Model of the Year." Winner of 1946 artist's model stakes is 19-year-old Patricia Tuckwell, violinist in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, whom flautist Neville Amadio has nick-named "Bambi" for her lustrous brown eyes and fawn-like grace. Presentation of the "Oscar," which will be a design based on similar lines to well-known Hollywood Academy Award, will be an annual event, scheduled to take place at yearly Artists' Ball, the first of which will be held at the Trocadero on September 10. Proceeds of Ball will be used by the sponsors to establish a Graphic Arts Centre in Sydney for the education and encouragement of progressive young illustrative artists. Winning models each year will retain her "Oscar," a duplicate being competed for in the following competitions.

CONCENTRATING on model "Bambi," a quintet of distinguished Sydney artists settles down to record individual ideas of the 1946 "Model of the Year." From left they are: Lahm, creator of “Snifter “; WEP, creator of "In and Out of Society"; John Baird, magazine and newspaper illustrator; popular "Sun" artist Jimmy Bancks (standing) father of the lovable "Ginger Meggs" comic strip; Will Mahoney (right foreground), cartoonist, magazine and commercial illustrator.

Patricia Tuckwell

Stan Cross (1888 – 1977)

Stan Cross portrait by Tony Rafty Source: http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn4305899

Stan Cross was born today in 1888. American by birth, Cross immigrated with his family from Los Angeles to Perth in 1892. Cross achieved fame as an Australian strip and political cartoonist with work in Smith’s Weekly, The Herald and Weekly Times. Cross is famous for his iconic 1933 “For gorsake, stop laughing: this is serious!” cartoon as well as creating the forerunner newspaper cartoons that spawned long running strips the Wally and the Major and The Potts. The Australian Cartoonist association of which Cross was a founding member and served as president for 1931 - 1954 named their annual awards the Stanleys after Cross.

Mp3 recordings of Stan Cross in interview with Hazel de Berg.

Stan Cross entry at The Australian Dictionary of Biography.

Stan Cross entry at Lambiek.

Above: Stan Cross (1888–1977), For Gorsake, Stop Laughing: This Is Serious! 1933, nla.cat-vn6816730

Nat Karmichael writes about the recent discovery of the original of Stan Cross' For Gorsake, Stop Laughing: this Is Serious!

Above cartoon and text below from introduction to Winks, Stan Cross' precursor strip to Wally and the Major, from the Adelaide Advertiser Tuesday 16 April 1940:

Stan Cross' Tonic - New Strip Will Be Gloom Antidote

To help Pop In chasing away gloom there will be a new daily strip cartoon in "The Advertiser" from next Saturday onwards. Stan Cross the Australian artist, has created an essential Australian family whom he has called Winks. For years Stan Cross has been depicting Australian life as he sees it, and hen-pecked father, whom you see here escaping from a motor car is one of eight characters. Whether Mother, the commander-In-chief of the family, or Wally, Father's old crony, becomes your favorite, you will find Stan Cross's tonic a a sure antidote to wartime worrying.

Winks daily strip from the Courier Mail (Brisbane) Sat 6th July 1940.

Above: Stan Cross Illustrations circa 1920's

Above: Original painting for 12th collection of Wally and the Major and published version.

Daniel Best writes about the destruction of Wally and the Major original artwork.

Stan Cross obituary from The Canberra Times, June 19, 1977.

Stan Cross Dies at 89

SYDNEY: Stan Cross, one of Australia's most famous cartoonists, died at Armidale on Thursday, aged 89. Mr Cross died in a nursing home after a brief illness. He is survived by a son, Stephen, a grazier of Guyra, near Armidale, and a daughter, Mrs Lorraine Boric. His wife died in 1972, Mr Cross is best known for his two comic strips 'The Potts' and 'Wally and the Major' He drew probably the most famous cartoon in the history of Australian comic art. A worker, clinging to a girder on a high building, is pleading to a worker hanging on to his trousers, to stop laughing. The caption is, "For gorsake stop laughing, this is serious". Mr Cross was born in Los Angeles in 1888 and came to Australia in infancy. He grew up in Perth and for a while worked in the State's railways as a cadet. He graduated as an art student in 1912 and went to London for a few years before returning to Australia and drawing for Smith's Weekly, now defunct. He drew several long running strips including You and me which was taken over by Jim Russell in 1940 and renamed 'The Potts'. Mr Cross left Smith's Weekly in 1940 and joined The Herald, Melbourne, where he launched the strip 'Wally and the Major'. He retired about 10 years ago and lived in Sydney.

Below: Wally and the Major collections.

Australian Cartoonists Art Dump #1

New Zealand born artist Unk White cover for The Australian Woman's Mirror, July 17, 1957. Unk White produced some of Australia's first full page colour comics and illustration in 1930's newspapers.

From interior credit:

Our Cover - Artist Unk White has captured what is perhaps half the delight of a holiday - the planning of it. Most of us of course can only dream of that voyage overseas; though we may still look at travel folders. All can really plan a holiday.

Serial adventure strip The Spanish Sword from Australian Woman's Mirror featured above. Artist unknown.

Edith Alsop (1871 - 1958) original painting mounted on board. Alsop was initially active as a cartoonist/illustrator in the early twentieth century before moving into printmaking and fine arts. I'm not sure what this illustration was from, possibly unpublished. Found a couple weeks ago in a basket of old English annuals at a local market.

Two stunning pages in sequence from Will Donald comic Perilous Journey. Scans courtesy of Geoff Harrison.

Original illustration accompanying one off book of Persian poetry by Will Donald. Photo courtesy family of Will Donald.

Original painted art board by English Illustrator Walt Howarth (1928 - 2008). Howarth produced numerous annual covers and illustrations over a sixty year career. Example above from a UK reprint comic of Australian character The Phantom Ranger originally published in Australia by Frew.

Two covers for western digest size story magazines by prolific golden age comics maker Peter Chapman (1925 - 2016).

Australian reprint of US newspaper strip Scorchy Smith. Cover artist unknown.

Three painted Wally and the Major covers by Stan Cross.

Stan Cross (3 December 1888 – 16 June 1977)

Stan Cross was born today in 1888. American by birth, Cross immigrated with his family from Los Angeles to Perth in 1892. Cross achieved fame as an Australian strip and political cartoonist with work in Smith’s Weekly, The Herald and Weekly Times. Cross is famous for his iconic 1933 “For gorsake, stop laughing: this is serious!” cartoon as well as creating the forerunner newspaper cartoons that spawned long running strips the Wally and the Major and The Potts. The Australian Cartoonist association of which Cross was a founding member and served as president for 1931 - 1954 named their annual awards the Stanleys after Cross.

Mp3 recordings of Stan Cross in interview with Hazel de Berg.

Stan Cross entry at The Australian Dictionary of Biography.

Stan Cross entry at Lambiek.

Stan Cross portrait by Tony Rafty Source: http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn4305899

Above cartoon and text below from introduction to Winks, Stan Cross' precursor strip to Wally and the Major, from the Adelaide Advertiser Tuesday 16 April 1940:

Stan Cross' Tonic - New Strip Will Be Gloom Antidote

To help Pop In chasing away gloom there will be a new daily strip cartoon in "The Advertiser" from next Saturday onwards. Stan Cross the Australian artist, has created an essential Australian family whom he has called Winks. For years Stan Cross has been depicting Australian life as he sees it, and hen-pecked father, whom you see here escaping from a motor car is one of eight characters. Whether Mother, the commander-In-chief of the family, or Wally, Father's old crony, becomes your favorite, you will find Stan Cross's tonic a a sure antidote to wartime worrying.

Winks daily strip from the Courier Mail (Brisbane) Sat 6th July 1940.

Above: Stan Cross Illustrations circa 1920's

Daniel Best writes about the destruction of Wally and the Major original artwork.

Stan Cross obituary from The Canberra Times, June 19, 1977.

Stan Cross Dies at 89

SYDNEY: Stan Cross, one of Australia's most famous cartoonists, died at Armidale on Thursday, aged 89. Mr Cross died in a nursing home after a brief illness. He is survived by a son, Stephen, a grazier of Guyra, near Armidale, and a daughter, Mrs Lorraine Boric. His wife died in 1972, Mr Cross is best known for his two comic strips 'The Potts' and 'Wally and the Major' He drew probably the most famous cartoon in the history of Australian comic art. A worker, clinging to a girder on a high building, is pleading to a worker hanging on to his trousers, to stop laughing. The caption is, "For gorsake stop laughing, this is serious". Mr Cross was born in Los Angeles in 1888 and came to Australia in infancy. He grew up in Perth and for a while worked in the State's railways as a cadet. He graduated as an art student in 1912 and went to London for a few years before returning to Australia and drawing for Smith's Weekly, now defunct. He drew several long running strips including You and me which was taken over by Jim Russell in 1940 and renamed 'The Potts'. Mr Cross left Smith's Weekly in 1940 and joined The Herald, Melbourne, where he launched the strip 'Wally and the Major'. He retired about 10 years ago and lived in Sydney.