Mort Drucker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mort Drucker |
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Drucker in November 2000
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| Born | Morris Drucker March 22, 1929 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | April 9, 2020 (aged 91) Woodbury, New York, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Area(s) | Cartoonist, artist |
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Notable works
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Mad |
Morris "Mort" Drucker (March 22, 1929 – April 9, 2020) was a famous American caricaturist and comics artist. He was best known for his work in Mad, where he drew funny parodies of popular movies and TV shows for over 50 years.
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Early Life and Family
Mort Drucker was born in Brooklyn, New York City, in 1929. His parents were Sarah and Edward Drucker. He went to Erasmus Hall High School in Brooklyn. There, he met his future wife, Barbara. They got married after she graduated.
The couple moved to Long Island, living in Syosset. They raised two daughters, Laurie and Melanie. Later, their family grew to include three grandchildren.
Mort Drucker's Career
Mort Drucker started his career in comics when he was 18 years old. In 1947, he helped Bert Whitman with a newspaper comic strip called Debbie Dean. This opportunity came from a recommendation by the famous cartoonist Will Eisner.
After that, Drucker joined DC Comics as a retoucher. He also secretly drew "The Mountain Boys," a funny cartoon panel for Esquire magazine. In the early 1950s, Drucker became a freelance artist. This meant he worked for many different comic book publishers. He drew for companies like Dell, Atlas, and St. John's.
Working for Mad Magazine
In 1956, Mort Drucker started working for Mad magazine. This was shortly after Mad's first editor, Harvey Kurtzman, left. The story goes that when Drucker first visited the Mad offices, publisher Bill Gaines told him he'd get a job if the Brooklyn Dodgers won a baseball game. The Dodgers won, and Drucker got the job! Gaines later said they would have hired him anyway because he was so talented.
When Drucker first joined Mad, he brought samples of his work. These included drawings from his Hopalong Cassidy comic book and some "Mountain Boys" strips. He also drew a funny scene with The Lone Ranger and Tonto just for the interview. The Mad staff liked his work.
Drucker said he just wanted to be an artist and get paid for drawing. He started focusing on caricatures because he got more assignments for them. He realized that drawing caricatures was his special talent. At the time, Mad magazine didn't regularly make fun of TV shows and movies. Editor Al Feldstein said that Drucker's unique drawing style made them decide to feature these parodies in every issue.
For many years, it was hard for Mad to get photos for Drucker to use as references. So, his colleague Angelo Torres would sneak a camera into movie theaters. He would take pictures of the screen for Drucker to use. Later, some Mad fans grew up and became Hollywood publicists. This made it much easier for Drucker to get the photos he needed.
Mort Drucker worked for Mad for 55 years. He had the longest continuous time working for the magazine as an artist. He drew over 400 articles, more than any other Mad artist who didn't also write their own material.
Other Art Projects
Besides Mad, Drucker also worked for DC Comics. He drew for War Stories and, starting in 1959, spent four years drawing The Adventures of Bob Hope comic book. He felt this job helped him become even better at drawing caricatures.
In 1962, Drucker worked with writer Paul Laikin on the very popular JFK Coloring Book. It sold 2.5 million copies! Years later, he drew similar coloring books about Ollie North and Ronald Reagan.
Drucker also created movie posters, like the one for Universal's American Graffiti (1973). He even drew the high school yearbook pictures used in the film's trailer.
His art appeared on magazine covers, including Time magazine. Some of his Time covers are now in the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution. He also designed album covers for bands like The Bears and Anthrax. He illustrated many books, including children's books and humor books.
From 1984 to 1987, Drucker worked on a daily comic strip called Benchley. It was set in the White House and featured a character named Benchley, who was an assistant to President Ronald Reagan.
In 1990, Drucker designed the Supercup for Target. The next year, he helped create characters called the Frugies to promote fresh fruits and vegetables.
Praise for Mort Drucker
Many famous people admired Mort Drucker's work. When Mad magazine published a parody of The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, the movie's creator, George Lucas, loved it! He sent a letter praising Drucker and writer Dick DeBartolo. Lucas even wrote, "Special Oscars should be awarded to Drucker and DeBartolo." Later, when Lucas's lawyers tried to stop Mad from selling the issue, Mad publisher Bill Gaines simply sent them a copy of Lucas's praise letter. Nothing else was said about it.
In 1985, on Tonight Show, host Johnny Carson asked actor Michael J. Fox when he knew he had "made it" in show business. Fox replied, "When Mort Drucker drew my head." This shows how respected Drucker was.
Charles Schulz, the creator of Peanuts, said he didn't know how Drucker did his amazing work. He added that Drucker drew everything the way everyone wished they could draw.
Awards and Recognition
Mort Drucker received many awards for his incredible art. His Time magazine covers are part of the collection at the National Portrait Gallery.
He won the National Cartoonists Society Special Features Award several times (1985, 1986, 1987, 1988). He also received the prestigious Reuben Award in 1987. In 2010, he was inducted into the Eisner Award Hall of Fame. In 2017, he was inducted into the National Cartoonists Society's Hall of Fame. He also received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree and the Inkpot Award in 1996.
Later Life and Passing
Mort Drucker passed away on April 9, 2020, at his home in Woodbury, New York. He was 91 years old.
See also
In Spanish: Mort Drucker para niños
