Mischa Richter facts for kids

Mischa Richter was a famous American cartoonist. He was best known for his many cartoons. These were published in The New Yorker magazine for many years.

Mischa Richter's Early Life

Mischa Richter was born in Kharkov, which was part of the Russian Empire at the time. His father worked for the city's water system. Young Mischa learned how to draw from art teachers. His family also took vacations to Berdyansk.

In 1917, his uncle died fighting in the Red Army. Because of the Russian Revolution, his parents decided to leave. They traveled by train to the Polish border. Then they went through a forest by cart. Finally, they crossed into Poland in a rowboat. Mischa kept studying art while they waited a year for a visa.

They arrived in the United States in 1922. Mischa was 11 years old then. He studied at the Museum School in Boston. There, he became friends with Will Barnet. In 1934, Richter graduated from Yale University. He then returned to Boston. He worked there as a muralist for a government art project called the WPA.

Family Life of Mischa Richter

Later, Will Barnet introduced Richter to his sister-in-law. Her name was Helen Sinclair Annand. She was also a painter. Mischa and Helen got married. In 1958, they moved to Provincetown, Massachusetts.

During the 1950s and 1960s, they took long trips. They visited France and Italy. They stayed together until Helen passed away in 1992. She had been battling multiple sclerosis. They had two sons. One son, Tom Richter, died when he was young. Their other son, Daniel Richter, became an actor and author.

Mischa Richter's Cartoons

Mischa Richter was a special cartoonist for The New Yorker. He also drew cartoons for other popular magazines. These included Collier's, The Saturday Evening Post, and This Week. He created his own cartoon panel called Strictly Richter. This was for King Features Syndicate.

For PM and The New York Times, Richter drew political cartoons. He also made small drawings called spot illustrations. He even illustrated a humor column. It was called "One Word Led to Another" by Bugs Baer. In the late 1930s, Mischa Richter's political cartoons often appeared in a political journal called "New Masses."

Books by Mischa Richter

Mischa Richter wrote several books. He wrote books for children. He also published collections of his cartoons. Some of these collections include This One's on Me! (1945). He also co-wrote The Cartoonist's Muse: A Guide to Generating and Developing Creative Ideas (1992).

Awards for Mischa Richter

Mischa Richter received important awards for his work. The National Cartoonists Society honored him. He won their Advertising and Illustration Award in 1979. He also won their Gag Cartoon Award in 1974.

Art Exhibitions of Mischa Richter

Mischa Richter had solo shows of his cartoons and paintings. These were held at various art places. They included the Hartford Atheneum and the Chrysler Museum. His art is also part of many collections. These include the Library of Congress. His work is also at the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum.

In 1999, an exhibition called Mischa Richter: A Retrospective was held. Jane Winter was the curator for this show. It took place at the Provincetown Art Association and Museum.

Images for kids

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  Mischa Richter