Jack Markow (1905-1983) was an American cartoonist who also wrote instructional books about cartooning,
comic strips and comic art. For three years, he was the cartoon editor of ''
Argosy''.
Born in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, Markow was a New Yorker from the age of two. He took art courses at the High School of Commerce (later Louis D. Brandeis High School), where he drew for the school magazine. His high school drawings landed him a job doing layouts and paste-ups in the sales promotion department of the Fleishmann Yeast Company, where he also illustrated for the company's house organ. He later studied drawing and painting at the
Art Students League
The Art Students League of New York is an art school at 215 West 57th Street in Manhattan, New York City, New York. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists.
Although artists may stu ...
.
[National Cartoonists Society: Jack Markow]
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His cartoons were published in books, greeting cards, calendars, advertising campaigns and major magazines, including ''The Saturday Evening Post
''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine, currently published six times a year. It was issued weekly under this title from 1897 until 1963, then every two weeks until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely ...
'' and ''The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
''. He was a long-time columnist for ''Writer's Digest
''Writer's Digest'' is an American magazine aimed at beginning and established writers. It contains interviews, market listings, calls for manuscripts, and how-to articles.
History
''Writer's Digest'' was first published in December 1920 under ...
'' and ''Cartoonist Profiles''.
School of Visual Arts
Markow was one of the first faculty members at New York's School of Visual Arts
The School of Visual Arts New York City (SVA NYC) is a private for-profit art school in New York City. It was founded in 1947 and is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design.
History
This school was started by ...
, where he originated the magazine cartooning course and taught for eight years.
Books
In addition to his ''Cartoon Consultants Calendar'' (Cartoon Consultants, 1952), Markow wrote four how-to books: ''Cartoonists and Gag Writers Handbook'', ''Drawing and Selling Cartoons'' (Pitman Publishing, 1956), ''Drawing Comic Strips'' and ''Drawing Funny Pictures''.[
]
Exhibitions
As a painter and graphic artist, Markow had three one-man shows in New York and was exhibited in group shows of major museums. His lithographs are in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum, the New Jersey State Museum, the Smithsonian, the Library of Congress, the New York Public Library, the Brooklyn Museum, the University of Georgia, the University of Oregon and City College. He was included in ''50 Best American Prints, 1933-38''.[
Markow lived in ]Manasquan, New Jersey
Manasquan (, ) is a borough in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, on the Jersey Shore. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 5,938, an increase of 41 (+.7%) from the 2010 census count of 5,897, which ...
, where he died in 1983.
Awards
He received the National Cartoonists Society's 1979 Gag Cartoon Award and a prize at Montreal's 1972 International Cartoon Show.
References
External links
NCS AwardsMetropolitan Museum of Art: Jack Markow
{{DEFAULTSORT:Markow, Jack
1905 births
1983 deaths
American cartoonists
People from Manasquan, New Jersey
Federal Art Project artists