24 Facts About Russell Patterson

Russell Patterson was an American cartoonist, illustrator and scenic designer.

Russell Patterson's family left his hometown of Omaha and settled in Montreal when he was still a boy.

Russell Patterson studied architecture briefly at McGill University, then became an undistinguished cartoonist for some newspapers in Montreal, contributing Pierre et Pierrette to La Patrie.

In 1924, Russell Patterson made an attempt to carve out a living as a fine artist.

In 1925, having arrived in New York City, Russell Patterson suddenly found his direction.

Russell Patterson put aside his fine arts ambitions and turned his talents toward illustration.

Russell Patterson had an on-screen part playing himself in, and created lifelike dolls he called "Personettes" for, the film Artists and Models, which starred Jack Benny.

Russell Patterson designed scenes and costumes for other films such as the Bob Hope and Martha Raye vehicle, Give Me a Sailor.

Russell Patterson designed Shirley Temple's wardrobe for her film, Baby, Take a Bow.

In 1929 Russell Patterson began illustrating Sunday newspaper magazine cover series for the Hearst chain.

Each series ran for several months, and Russell Patterson produced these on a semi-regular basis until 1933.

Russell Patterson returned to the newspaper fold as the 1940s approached.

Russell Patterson collaborated with writers Carolyn Wells and Percy Shaw on several series for the American Weekly Hearst Sunday magazine, all featuring the character Flossy Frills.

Russell Patterson's was perhaps the very last Sunday magazine comic strip series produced.

In 1951, Russell Patterson created the cartoon Mamie, a Sunday page for United Feature Syndicate.

Russell Patterson added a panel of paper dolls to many of these Sunday comics.

Russell Patterson began mentoring younger artists as a faculty member of the National Institute of Art and Design.

Waugh notes Don Flowers' statement that his being an "ardent admirer" of Russell Patterson should be readily apparent in his work.

Milton Caniff himself said that Russell Patterson held a "king-pin place among illustrators," and said that it was Russell Patterson who best defined the "strut and fret" of American life between the two World Wars.

Russell Patterson served as president of the National Cartoonist Society from 1952 to 1953.

Russell Patterson received the National Cartoonists Society's Advertising and Illustration Award for 1957 and the Elzie Segar Award in 1974.

Russell Patterson died in Atlantic City of heart failure on March 17,1977, as the Delaware Art Museum was preparing the first significant retrospective of his work.

In 2006, Fantagraphics published Top Hats and Flappers: The Art of Russell Patterson, edited by Shane Glines and Alex Chun, with a foreword by Armando Mendez.

Russell Patterson was honored posthumously as a Society of Illustrators 2007 Hall of Fame Inductee.