Chester Commodore facts for kids

Chester Commodore was a very talented African-American cartoonist. He was born on August 22, 1914, and passed away on April 10, 2004. Chester drew many political cartoons and comic strips. These drawings often shared important messages about society. He won many awards for his amazing work between 1972 and 1980.

Chester's Early Life

Chester Commodore was born in Racine, Wisconsin. His family had a special history. He was related to Peter D. Thomas, who was once enslaved. Peter Thomas later became the first African-American elected official in Wisconsin.

When Chester was nine, his parents moved to Chicago. But Chester and his older brother stayed in Racine. They lived with their grandmother in her boarding house. Chester moved to Chicago in 1927.

From a young age, Chester loved comics and art. His uncle, John Prophet, really encouraged him. Living with his grandmother, Chester met many famous Black musicians and entertainers. These artists often couldn't stay in hotels owned by white people in Chicago or Milwaukee.

Starting His Career

Chester kept practicing his art while studying at Tilden Technical High School. After finishing school, he worked different jobs. He was a chauffeur and a mechanic. He also worked for the Pullman Company. Chester was always drawing. He would even put his drawings on the company's bulletin boards.

In 1938, a lawyer named James Rice saw Chester's art. He was very impressed! Rice suggested Chester for a job at the Minneapolis Star newspaper. The newspaper offered Chester the job. But when he arrived, they took back the offer. This happened because they didn't know he was African-American. This was a sad example of unfair treatment at the time.

Drawing for The Chicago Defender

In 1948, a big strike by printers created a job opening at The Chicago Defender. This was an important newspaper for the Black community. Chester got a job doing layout, even though he had no printing experience. Soon, he started drawing cartoons for the paper.

His first comic strip, in 1948, was called The Sparks. In the early 1950s, he took over Jay Jackson's strip, Bungleton Green. He also drew for other cartoon features like The Ravings of Professor Doodle and So What?. When Jay Jackson passed away in 1954, Chester took over drawing the main political cartoons for the paper. This was just before the important Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court case.

After the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, Chester focused more on social issues. He drew about poverty and the lack of political power for the African-American community. From 1974, he drew a weekly full-page caricature for the cover of the Defender's arts section, Accent. This series lasted for over five years. While at The Defender, Chester also helped another artist, Marie Antoinette Merriweather. She later started her own company.

Later Life and Legacy

Chester and his wife retired to Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1981. But in 1992, he started working for the Defender again. He drew a weekly cartoon until he passed away in 2004. Chester also appeared in a 1998 documentary called The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords.

Chester Commodore's work was very important. He showed African-Americans in a respectful and human way. His drawings helped move away from harmful racial stereotyping of African-Americans in comics. In 2007, Chester's step-daughter donated his artwork, letters, and awards to the Chicago Public Library. The next year, the library held a free exhibition. It was called "Chester Commodore, 1914-2004: The Work and Life of a Pioneering Cartoonist of Color."

Awards and Honours

Chester Commodore won many awards for his work. He was even nominated for a Pulitzer Prize 12 times!

Exhibitions

• "Chester Commodore, 1914-2004: The Work and Life of a Pioneering Cartoonist of Color". Carter G. Woodson Regional Library. 2008.