VIDEO BIOGRAPHY OF LEGENDARY POLITICAL CARTOONIST THOMAS NAST

 

'HOW SANTA CLAUS WON THE CIVIL WAR'

-- A SILLY TITLE FOR A SERIOUS PROFILE

by Rick Marschall

Two years ago I was featured in a television documentary on Thomas Nast. Fox Nation flew me and a case full of pictorial documentation to New York City, where over several days I was interviewed about the Father of American Political cartooning. 

As Christmas was a few months away -- around the corner, in TV-production time -- the producers determined that Nast's role in creating the popular image of Santa Claus would be the "hook." Somewhere along the line, possibly because me and the other guests spoke about Nast's contributions to the Northern cause in the Civil War, that conflict worked its way into the title. 

The documentary remains a decent piece on Nast's career and importance to the war effort, indeed; but also to American cartooning, his capturing of American social life, his substantial impact on politics, and, yes, his iconic design of the Santa we know today.

The taping was done at the clubhouse headquarters of the Society of Illustrators in New York City -- a perfect environment that could only have been surpassed by the Thomas Nast House museum in Morristown NJ.

Here is a production clip of the program, narrated by Brian Kilmeade, for scholars visiting Yesterday's Papers. Please consider responding by subscribing to Fox Nation (which now has a $1.99-a-month promotion) which will encourage them to produce similar programming.

Copy and paste this URL: 

https://app.box.com/s/0qfql8fiu733sg3cl03i70j1fhqhrcq9/file/1094753441781

Merry Christmas!