Jack Beaumont Hamm (March 5, 1916 – December 22, 1996) was an American artist from

Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had ...

who is recognized both for his Christian-themed artwork and

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 ...

s, and for his books on drawing technique. He both studied and taught at the Frederic Mizen Academy of Art. As a cartoonist and comic strip

letterer A letterer is a member of a team of comic book creators responsible for drawing the comic book's text. The letterer's use of typefaces, calligraphy, letter size, and layout all contribute to the impact of the comic. The letterer crafts the comi ...

, he worked on the ''

Bugs Bunny Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon character created in the late 1930s by Leon Schlesinger Productions (later Warner Bros. Cartoons) and voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his starring roles in the '' Looney Tunes'' and '' ...

'', ''

Alley Oop ''Alley Oop'' is a syndicated comic strip created December 5, 1932, by American cartoonist V. T. Hamlin, who wrote and drew the strip through four decades for Newspaper Enterprise Association. Hamlin introduced a cast of colorful characters an ...

'', and ''

Boots and Her Buddies ''Boots and Her Buddies'' was an American comic strip by Edgar Martin that ran from 1924 to 1968, syndicated by the Newspaper Enterprise Association. Some newspapers presented the strip under the shortened title ''Boots''. The character of Boots ...

'' comic strips''Drawing Toward God: The Art and Inspiration of Jack Hamm'', Droke House, 1968 before attending

Baylor University Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of the fir ...

to study theology. He taught at Baylor both before and after he graduated in 1948."Baylor grad Jack Hamm combined faith with love of illustrating"
wacotrib.com Hamm started drawing at 5 years old."Jack Hamm Biography"
Baylor University He attended Frederick Mizen Academy of Art c. 1936-1941. After finding success in cartoons, he was offered the chance to publish his own creation, but turned that down in order to study ministry at Baylor University from 1945 to 1948. Hamm hosted an early TV drawing program, ''The Jack Hamm Show'', in Texas and conceived of what became ''

The New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Christi ...

from 26 Translations'', published by

Zondervan Zondervan is an international Christian media and publishing company located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Zondervan is a founding member of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA). They are a part of HarperCollins Christian Publ ...

. His work drew praise from such diverse individuals as "Peanuts" creator

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 ...

Norman Vincent Peale Norman Vincent Peale (May 31, 1898 – December 24, 1993) was an American Protestant clergyman, and an author best known for popularizing the concept of positive thinking, especially through his best-selling book ''The Power of Positive ...

, and FBI director

J. Edgar Hoover John Edgar Hoover (January 1, 1895 – May 2, 1972) was an American law enforcement administrator who served as the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He was appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation � ...

. By the end of his life, Jack Hamm's artwork could be found in over 25 books. His papers are stored at Baylor University.Executive Summary, October 2008
W.R. Poage Legislative Library

Select bibliography

Teaching books

, Droke House, c1968 Library of Congress Catalog: 68-16896 * ''How to Draw Animals,'' Perigree Trade, first copyright 1969 * ''Drawing Scenery: Landscapes and Seascapes'', Penguin Group, Perigree Series, first copyright 1972 * ''First Lessons in Drawing and Painting'', Perigree Trade, , originally named ''Still Life Drawing and Painting'', Penguin Group(USA), c1976

Illustrations

* ''Pornography: The Sexual Mirage'' by John W. Drakeford, c1973, * ''Did Genesis Man Conquer Space'', by Emil Gaverluk, c1974, * ''I, Golgotha'' by James R. Adams, c1987, * ''Robed in Light'' by Alexandria Uriel, c1990,

External links

Frederick MizenWho's who in the South and Southwest: 1971-1972, Volume 12

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamm, Jack 1916 births 1996 deaths American Christians American cartoonists Artists from Wichita, Kansas Christian comics creators