A Crowded Life in Comics – Al Kilgore, Dik Browne, Bill Gallo, Dick Ayers, &c.

❄–Cartoonist Christmas Memories–❄

by Rick Marschall

The gracious John Adcock has been passing along Cartoonists’ Christmas Cards since Thanksgiving in Yesterday’s Papers, I hope fun for all. At last count, in my collection I have about 1250 or so of these, dating as far back as 1910 – not stationery-rack commercial cards, but greetings drawn for individual fans or fellow cartoonists. Pretty special.

Christmas is special too, part of the cartoonists’ motivations (looking your best to fellow artists!) but also… because Christmas IS special. Many memories of my crowded life in comics revolved around the holiday.

Besides the special cards, and my own memories of Christmas parties at homes of cartoonists in the “artists colony” in Connecticut when I lived there in the informal, fraternal golden age of the 1970s and ‘80s. The National Cartoonists Society used to bunch up special events during the Christmas season.

An annual get-together was always always held downstairs at the legendary Mama Leone’s restaurant in New York’s Theater District. Special entertainment (and carols sung by the boys from the nearby St Pancras Church and School – an Anglican saint, for the curious) were hallmarks. King Features hosted the Segar Award around Christmastime. And several syndicates had their own bashes, too.

One such event, around 1974 – I wish I could remember which event, which exact year – Al Kilgore was the MC. The Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoonist, one of the funniest and most talented men I ever met, called some of us at random from the tables, and we sang Christmas carols under his direction.

Here is a photo of Al at the left, brandishing his intimidating microphone; and me at far right, my frequent position, savoring the moment. The other carolers, from left, are Bill Gallo; Mort Walker’s mother-in-law; Dik Browne; Dick Ayers (whose vest, I remember, was bright Christmas-red); and Joan (Mrs John Cullen) Murphy.

“Happy days,” as I remember Dik Browne exclaiming, not only at Christmas, but whenever a dinner or party or even a phone conversation was pleasing to him.

I will share here two Christmas cards by a couple of my late friends in this photo. Al Kilgore and his wife Delores sent the Bullwinkle card in 1964.

The Dik Browne card was created the year that Hagar the Horrible had its debut, 1973. Dik drew special cards every year for decades, usually featuring his family. In 1986 he wanted to collect them all (40!) in a special reprint book for friends. He called me one afternoon in frustration. I will pause here for a moment.

How could he lose one of his own Christmas cards, so specially created? Well, like many cartoonists, Dik was not the greatest at Organization; and this extended, to the delight of friends and the exasperation of his dear wife Joan, to his typical wardrobe. Casual at best. 

The story was common among Fairfield County friends that one day Dik prepared to leave and have lunch with other cartoonists. Joan looked at his mis-matched socks, shirt tail hanging out, clashing patterns of shirt and pants, and said, “I hope you get lost. I would love to describe you to the police!”

Anyway, he could not find a card for his keepsake book of retrospective Christmas cards. Knowing that I was an inveterate saver as well as charter member of the Dik Browne adoration society, he assumed I could fill the gap, and I did. When he sent the reprint book, he tucked in the little calling-card inscribed to me and my wife Nancy whom he adored too. 

Dik and Joan were at our wedding. Special, but those Christmases, through the years, were special too. “Happy days!”

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