J. R. Williams facts for kids
Quick facts for kids J. R. Williams |
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J. R. Williams and his horse Lizard
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| Born | 30 March 1888 Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Died | 17 June 1957 (aged 69) Pasadena, California |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Area(s) | Cartoonist |
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Notable works
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Out Our Way |
James Robert Williams (born March 30, 1888 – died June 17, 1957) was a talented Canadian cartoonist. He signed his work as J. R. Williams. He was best known for his popular daily comic panel called Out Our Way. Many people loved his cartoons so much that they would cut them out and save them from the newspaper. In the 1930s, some newspapers even compared his work to famous poets!
J. R. Williams' Early Life
Williams was born in Nova Scotia, Canada. When he was young, his family moved to Detroit, in the United States. At age 15, he left school to work as a machinist's helper in Ohio. He then traveled around Arkansas and Oklahoma for about six years. During this time, he sometimes worked on ranches. He also spent three years serving in the U.S. Cavalry.
Later, Williams returned to Ohio. He married Lida Keith and got a steady job at a company that made cranes. There, he drew pictures for the company's catalogs. In his free time, he created cartoons about ranch life and people working in machine shops. He started sending his drawings to newspaper companies. Eventually, he received an offer from the Newspaper Enterprise Association to publish his work.
The Story of Out Our Way
The comic panel Out Our Way first appeared in newspapers on March 20, 1922. This single-panel series showed many different characters. Some of these included a cowboy named Curly and a ranch bookkeeper named Wes. Soon, a Sunday comic strip called Out Our Way with the Willets was also created.
Williams used Out Our Way as a main title for several different series. These series featured characters who appeared again and again. For example, Bull of the Woods was about the boss of a machine shop. Another series, Why Mothers Get Gray, showed funny moments of family life in a small town.
Williams often drew about places and experiences from his own life. These included factory floors, mechanic shops, and cattle ranches. Cowboys and ranch workers appeared so often that it was almost like a Western comic! He also drew a lot about family life and the adventures of boys in small towns.
Williams often used short, catchy phrases as captions for his cartoons. Some common ones were Born Thirty Years Too Soon and Heroes Are Made, Not Born. The Worry Wart was a caption often used for panels starring a boy around eight years old. The Worry Wart was one of several characters who appeared regularly.
By 1930, Williams' comics were read by 40 million people! He was so successful that he bought his own ranch in Prescott, Arizona. There, he rode his horse named Lizard. He later moved to Pasadena, California. His cartoons and strips continued to be popular for the next two decades. At their peak, they appeared in over 700 newspapers. His work was also collected in several books. In 1956, the Worry Wart even starred in his own comic book! Williams passed away the following year at age 69.
Out Our Way continued to be drawn by other cartoonists until 1977. Today, you can still find Williams' work reprinted in many books. These include collections like U.S. Cavalry Cartoons and Classic Cowboy Cartoons.
