Ace Reid was the creator of the cartoon Cowpokes and Western humorist. Cowpokes, at one time, ran in over 400 weekly newspapers across the United States. He produced many popular cartoon books and calendars during his lifetime.

He was born on March 10, 1925 at Lelia Lake

Lelia Lake, Texas

Lelia Lake is an unincorporated community in central Donley County, Texas, United States. It lies along U.S. Route 287 southeast of the city of Clarendon, the county seat of Donley County. Its elevation is 2,592 feet...

, Donley County, Texas

Donley County, Texas

Donley County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 3,828. It is named for Stockton P. Donley, a frontier lawyer. Its county seat is Clarendon....

 (near Amarillo). He was the son of Asa E. Reid, Sr., and Callie Miles Bishop. Shortly after his birth, the family moved to Electra

Electra, Texas

Electra is a city in Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Wichita Falls, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area. The United States Census Bureau counted Electra's population as 3,168 at the 2000 census and estimated it to be 2,891 as of 2006...

, Wichita County, Texas

Wichita County, Texas

As of the census of 2000, there were 131,664 people, 48,441 households, and 32,891 families residing in the county. The population density was 210 people per square mile . There were 53,304 housing units at an average density of 85 per square mile...

, where he grew up ranching and cowboying.

During World War II, he served as a Machinist's Mate

Machinist's Mate

Machinist's Mate is a rating in the United States Navy's engineering community.- Description :According to the Bureau of Naval Personnel , the job of an MM is to "operate, maintain, and repair ship propulsion machinery, auxiliary equipment, and outside machinery, such as: steering engine,...

 in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific aboard the USS Lanier (APA-125)

USS Lanier (APA-125)

USS Lanier was a of the US Navy. She was built during World War II and served in the Pacific Theater, seeing combat during the Battle of Okinawa. She was a Victory ship design type...

. It was on board the Lanier that "Cowpokes" was born. "The Sorry Salt" was a cartoon he drew for the ship's newspaper. After the War, "The Sorry Salt" became "Jake," his primary character.

On September 11, 1949, in Dallas, he married Madge Parmley, daughter of the doctor in Electra, T. H. Parmley. They moved to Kerrville, Kerr County, Texas

Kerr County, Texas

Kerr County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 49,625. Its county seat is Kerrville. Kerr County was named by Joshua D. Brown for his fellow Kentucky native, James Kerr, a congressman of the Republic of Texas...

 in 1952. Ace’s first cartoon appeared in West Texas Livestock Weekly that same year. Two years later, their son and only child, Stan, was born.

Ace and Madge were living in Kerrville at the time of his death on November 10, 1991. Madge, still lives in Kerrville and has kept Cowpokes going ever since Ace's death.

Published works

• "Cowpokes, Cow Country Cartoons" (1958) (forward by S. Omar Barker
  S. Omar Barker
  S. Omar Barker , an oft-recited cowboy poet, was born in a log cabin in New Mexico where he lived his entire life as a rancher, teacher and writer...
  
  ).
• "More Cowpokes" (1960).
• "Cowpokes Wanted" (1961) (introduction by Fred Gipson
  Fred Gipson
  Frederick Benjamin Gipson was an American author. He is best known for writing the 1956 novel Old Yeller, which became a popular 1957 Walt Disney film. Gipson was born on a farm near Mason in the Texas Hill Country, the son of Beck Gipson and the former Emma Deishler...
  
  ).
• "Them Cowpokes" (1962).
• "Draggin' S Ranch Cowpokes" (1964).
• "Cowpokes, Comin' Yore Way" (1966).
• "Cowpokes, Cookbook and Cartoons" (1969).
• "Cowpokes, Home Remedies" (1971).
• "Cowpokes Ride Again" (1974).
• "Cowpokes, Rarin' to Go" (1978).
• "Cowpokes, Ole Jake" (1987).
• "Cowpokes, Breakin' Out."
• "On the Hunt" (1992) (forward by Charles Schreiner III of Y.O. Ranch fame).
• "Cowpokes, Cartoons Recollections Exaggerations" (1995).

External links

• Asa Elmer (Ace) Reid, Jr. (1925-1991) at Handbook of Texas OnLine
• "About Ace Reid" from the Cowpokes Website