David Gantz (December 6, 1922 – December 14, 2007) was an American artist and

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

who illustrated

children's books A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younge ...

and worked as a

newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as p ...

cartoonist.

Biography

Gantz graduated from

The High School of Music & Art The High School of Music & Art, informally known as "Music & Art" (or "M&A"), was a public specialized high school located at 443-465 West 135th Street in the borough of Manhattan, New York, from 1936 until 1984. In 1961, Music & Art and the High ...

in New York City, the

National Academy of Design The National Academy of Design is an honorary association of American artists, founded in New York City in 1825 by Samuel Morse, Asher Durand, Thomas Cole, Martin E. Thompson, Charles Cushing Wright, Ithiel Town, and others "to promote the f ...

Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the ...

.Gantz entry
''Who's Who of American Comic Books 1928–1999. Accessed Nov. 3, 2018. He penciled and inked comic books in the 1940s and 1950s, working for

Timely Comics Timely Comics is the common name for the group of corporations that was the earliest comic book arm of American publisher Martin Goodman, and the entity that would evolve by the 1960s to become Marvel Comics. "Timely Publications became the name ...

's humor features like

Gandy Goose Gandy Goose is a Terrytoons cartoon character who first appeared in the 1938 short ''Gandy the Goose''. He is frequently paired with Sourpuss, a cat, beginning in the 1939 short ''Hook Link and Sinker''. Sourpuss' first appearance was in the 193 ...

, Sharpy Fox,

Mighty Mouse Mighty Mouse is an American animated anthropomorphic superhero mouse character created by the Terrytoons studio for 20th Century Fox. The character was originally called Super Mouse, and made his debut in the 1942 short ''The Mouse of Tomorro ...

Patsy Walker Patricia "Patsy" Walker is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stuart Little and Ruth Atkinson, Patsy Walker first appeared in ''Miss America Magazine'' #2 (November 1944), published by Marvel precu ...

, and Super Rabbit. In the latter half of the 1950s he worked for Gilberton on ''

Classics Illustrated ''Classics Illustrated'' is an American comic book/magazine series featuring adaptations of literary classics such as ''Les Misérables'', '' Moby-Dick'', ''Hamlet'', and '' The Iliad''. Created by Albert Kanter, the series began publication ...

''. From 1950 to 1959, he assisted

Charles M. Schulz Charles Monroe "Sparky" Schulz (; November 26, 1922 – February 12, 2000) was an American cartoonist and the creator of the comic strip ''Peanuts'', featuring what are probably his two best-known characters, Charlie Brown and Snoopy. He is wi ...

on scripts for ''

Peanuts ''Peanuts'' is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run extended from 1950 to 2000, continuing in reruns afterward. ''Peanuts'' is among the most popular and infl ...

''. Beginning in 1975, Gantz co-created the comic strip ''Don Q.'', the first strip syndicated by The New York Times Special Features Syndicate. (The other co-creator was Syndicate general manager John Osenenko.) ''Don Q.'' was a satirical strip featuring characters from

Miguel de Cervantes Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 NS) was an Early Modern Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelists. He is best kno ...

' ''

Don Quixote is a Spanish epic novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts, in 1605 and 1615, its full title is ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'' or, in Spanish, (changing in Part 2 to ). A founding work of West ...

'', with commentary on contemporary politics and daily life.Levere, Jane. "New York Times Promotes its First Comic Strip," ''Editor & Publisher'' (June 11, 1977)
Archived at ''Stripper's Guide''
Accessed Nov. 3, 2018. ''Don Q.'' was syndicated until 1981.
Lambiek's ''Comiclopedia''. Accessed Nov. 3, 2018. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s he illustrated children's books. Gantz authored the

editorial cartoon A political cartoon, a form of editorial cartoon, is a cartoon graphic with caricatures of public figures, expressing the artist's opinion. An artist who writes and draws such images is known as an editorial cartoonist. They typically combine a ...

''Gantz' Glances'' for '' Newsday'' from 1997 to 1999; he received the National Cartoonists Society Newspaper Panel Cartoon Award in 1997 for it. In retirement, Gantz wrote and drew ''The History of Jews in America'', and devoted much of his time to sculpture.

Bibliography

Comic strips

* ''Dudley D.'' (1961–1964; New York Herald-Tribune Syndicate, 1961–1963; Publishers Syndicate, 1963–1964) * ''Don Q.'' (The New York Times Special Features Syndicate, 1975–1981) * '' Nancy'' (

United Feature Syndicate United Feature Syndicate (UFS) is a large American editorial column and comic strip newspaper syndication service based in the United States and established in 1919. Originally part of E. W. Scripps Company, it was part of United Media (along ...

, mid-1980s) — 3 months ghosting the strip

Books

* ''Wheels Wacker Incomplete Car Catalogue'' (Scholastic, 1980) * ''The History of Jews in America'' (self-published, 2002)

References

External links

NCS Awards
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gantz, Dave 1922 births 2007 deaths American cartoonists American comics artists American children's book illustrators 20th-century American sculptors Comics inkers The High School of Music & Art alumni Iowa State University alumni