Chic Young facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chic Young
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Chic Young "researching" at the beach in the 1930s with models Jane Lane and Gretchen Davidson
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| Born |
Murat Bernard Young
January 9, 1901 Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
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| Died | March 14, 1973 (aged 72) St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S.
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| Occupation | Cartoonist |
| Known for | Blondie, Dumb Dora |
| Spouse(s) |
Athel Lindorff
(m. 1927) |
| Children | 3, including Dean Young |
| Relatives | Lyman Young (brother) |
Murat Bernard "Chic" Young (January 9, 1901 – March 14, 1973) was a famous American cartoonist. He is best known for creating the popular comic strip Blondie. His nickname, "Chic," came from his high school days. At one point, over 52 million people read his comics every day! Another cartoonist, Stan Drake, called Young "one of the geniuses of the industry."
Becoming a Cartoonist
Chic Young was born in Chicago, Illinois. His mother was an artist, and she encouraged him to draw from a young age. Even though his father was a shoe salesman and didn't think much of art, all the Young children were creative. Chic's older brother, Lyman Young, also drew a comic strip called Tim Tyler's Luck. Lyman was a big inspiration for Chic to keep drawing.
Chic grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. After high school, he went back to Chicago. He worked as a stenographer (someone who types notes) and took art classes at the Art Institute of Chicago at night.
In 1921, he heard that a company called Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) was looking for an artist. They wanted someone to draw a comic strip about a pretty young woman. Chic moved to Cleveland and started drawing The Affairs of Jane. This strip was about an actress who wanted to become a star. It only lasted for about five months.
After working at NEA, Chic moved to New York. There, he created another comic strip called Beautiful Bab in 1922. This strip also didn't last long, but it helped him get a job at King Features Syndicate. He worked as an assistant to another cartoonist, Jack Callahan, and learned a lot from him. In 1924, Chic started a new strip called Dumb Dora. It was about a brunette character who seemed "dumb" but was actually quite clever.
In 1927, Chic Young married Athel Lindorff, who was a professional harp player. Dumb Dora became very popular. In 1930, Chic wanted more money and to own his comic strip. Because of this, he decided to leave Dumb Dora and create something new.
Creating Blondie
In the summer of 1930, Chic Young created Blondie in his studio in Great Neck, New York. The comic strip first appeared on September 8, 1930. It quickly became one of the most popular comic strips in America. Readers loved it even more when Blondie and Dagwood Bumstead got married in 1933. Their son, Baby Dumpling (later known as Alexander), was born in 1934.
Sadly, Chic Young's first son, Wayne, passed away in 1937. This was a very difficult time for him, and it made it hard to draw Baby Dumpling. Chic and his wife took a year off to travel in Europe. When he returned, he started drawing Blondie again, which made many fans happy.
Blondie became a huge success. It was turned into movies, radio shows, and even TV shows. Many products were also made based on the characters. Chic Young drew more than 15,000 Blondie comic strips during his life. He also created another strip called Colonel Potterby and the Duchess, which appeared on the Blondie page for many years.
Chic Young worked with several assistants over the years. One of them was Jim Raymond, who eventually took over drawing the comic strip in 1950 when Chic's eyesight started to get worse.
Today, Blondie is still being made! Chic Young's son, Dean Young, writes the comic strip, and John Marshall draws it.
Chic Young's Life
Chic and Athel Young had two other children, Dean and Jeanne. In 1939, the family moved to California. This allowed Chic to be more involved with the popular Blondie movies made by Columbia Pictures. Later, in the early 1950s, the family vacationed in Paris. A few years after that, they moved to Florida. Chic once said that he enjoyed working on the strip from his home on a small island, watching porpoises and pelicans. He also enjoyed fishing, golf, and trying out Oriental cooking.
Chic Young passed away on March 14, 1973, in St. Petersburg, Florida, at the age of 72. He had been unwell for some time.
Awards and Recognition
Chic Young received many awards for his work. In 1948, he won the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award for Blondie. This is a very important award for cartoonists.
