Morrie Turner facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Morrie Turner |
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Turner in 2005
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| Born | Morris Nolton Turner December 11, 1923 Oakland, California |
| Died | January 25, 2014 (aged 90) Sacramento, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Area(s) | Cartoonist |
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Notable works
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Wee Pals |
| Awards | full list |
Morris Nolton Turner (December 11, 1923 – January 25, 2014) was an African American cartoonist best known for creating Wee Pals, the first nationally syndicated comic strip in the U.S. to feature a racially and ethnically diverse cast of characters. Turner used his work to address issues like racism, sexism, and disability rights. His work broke significant racial barriers in the comic industry.
Biography
Turner was raised in Oakland, California, the youngest child of a Pullman porter father and a homemaker and nurse mother. He attended Cole Elementary School and McClymonds High School in Oakland and Berkeley High School.
During World War II, where he served as a mechanic with Tuskegee Airmen, his illustrations appeared in the newspaper Stars and Stripes. After the war, while working for the Oakland Police Department, he created the comic strip Baker's Helper.
When Turner began questioning why there were no minorities in cartoons, his mentor, Peanuts cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, suggested he create one. Morris' first attempt, Dinky Fellas, featured an all-black cast, but found publication in only one newspaper, the Chicago Defender. Turner integrated the strip, renaming it Wee Pals, and in 1965 it became the first American syndicated comic strip to have a cast of diverse ethnicity. Although the strip was only originally carried by five newspapers, it was picked-up by more than 100 after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in April 1968.
As the comic strip continued, Turner added characters of more ethnicities, as well as a child with a physical disability. He also adapted Wee Pals into a children's TV show, Kid Power, and a musical play.
Personal life
Turner married Letha Mae Harvey on April 6, 1946. Morrie and Letha had one son, Morrie Jr; Letha died in 1994. Late in life, Turner's companion was Karol Trachtenburg of Sacramento. Turner died on January 25, 2014, at age 90.
Awards
In 2003, the National Cartoonists Society recognized Turner for his work on Wee Pals and others with the Milton Caniff Lifetime Achievement Award.
Throughout his career, Turner was showered with awards and community distinctions. For example, he received the Brotherhood Award from the National Conference of Christians and Jews and the Inter-Group Relations Award from the Anti-Defamation League of Bnai Brith. In 1971, he received the Alameda County (California) Education Association Layman's Annual Award.
In 2000, the Cartoon Art Museum presented Turner with the Sparky Award, named in honor of Charles Schulz.
Turner was honored a number of times at the San Diego Comic-Con: in 1981, he was given an Inkpot Award; and in 2012 he was given the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award.
Interesting facts about Morrie Turner
- Turner began drawing at age 10. By 14, he decided to become a professional cartoonist.
- He got his first training in cartooning via a correspondence course.
- Turner collaborated with his wife, Letha, on Soul Corner, a segment highlighting notable African American figures.
- During the Vietnam War, Turner and five other members of the National Cartoonist Society traveled to South Vietnam, where they spent a month drawing more than 3,000 caricatures of service personnel.
- In 1967, cartoonist Bil Keane created the Family Circus character Morrie based on Turner.
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