Mike Lynch Cartoons: Remembering Bill Mauldin 1921

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Remembering Bill Mauldin 1921 - 2003

William Henry Mauldin, better known as Bill Mauldin, was born on this day in 1921. He would win two Pulitzers for his cartoons. The first award was at the age of 23, which was for his wartime body of work. (Six cartoons a week for Stars and Stripes.) The cartoon above, "'Fresh, spirited American troops, flushed with victory, are bringing in thousands of hungry, ragged, battle-weary prisoners ... ' (News Item)," is typical his sardonic take on American newspaper headlines with the reality of the life of a soldier.

From his Wikipedia page:

In 1959, Mauldin won a second Pulitzer Prize, while working at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, for a cartoon depicting Soviet author Boris Pasternak in a Gulag, asking another prisoner, "I won the Nobel Prize for literature. What was your crime?"^[12] Pasternak had won the Nobel Prize for his novel Doctor Zhivago, but was not allowed to travel to Sweden to accept it. The following year Mauldin won the National Cartoonist Society Award for Editorial Cartooning. In 1961, he received their Reuben Award as well.

Here are a few photos and links celebrating the life and legacy of Bill Mauldin.

Below: 1958 cover story "Bill Mauldin Takes You on a Family Tour" from the Sports Illustrated Web site.

"LOS ANGELES, Oct. 23 1945 -- MAULDINS IN HAPPIER TIMES -- William H. (Bill) Mauldin, 24-year-old cartoonist and Pulitzer Prize winner, greets his wife Norma Jean, and their son, Bruce, 2, after his release from the army. Yesterday, he charged his wife with adultery in a divorce suit here, in which he asked for custody of his son. AP Wirephoto."

"February 8, 1965 - Sun-times cartoonist Bill Mauldin (left) admires the helicopter pilot helmet awarded to his son Bruce upon Bruce's graduation last year from the U.S. Army's Aviation Center, Fort Rucker, Ala. Mauldin was visiting Bruce with the 52d Aviation Battalion, when the Viet Cong attacked Saturday."

"October 28, 1965 - AUTOGRAPH PARTY - Bill Mauldin, Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist of the Sun-Times, autographs copies of his new book "I've Decided I Want My Seat Back." The autographing party was held at Barbara's Bookstore, 1434 N. Wells. The new book contains cartoons and commentary. (Sun-Times Photo by Bob Kotalik.)"

"March 17, 1966 -- Bill Mauldin, Sun-Times editorial cartoonist, and Paul Ghali, Daily News Paris correspondent, exchange greetings and discuss Mauldin's work in the gallery of the Sun-Times and Daily News building. The exhibit of original Mauldin cartoons will continue until the end of March and is open to the public without charge."

"May 3, 1966- Sun-Time cartoonist Bill Mauldin (left) is notified that he'll receive the "Communicator of the Year" award next Wednesday at the 19th annual communications division dinner of the Combined Jewish Appeal of Metropolitan Chicago. With Mauldin are Larry Fanning (center), of the Publishers Newspaper Syndicate, and Morris Rotman, Chairman of the CJA division. Sun-Times photo."