Don Martin
Overview
Don Martin was an American
cartoonist
whose best-known work was published in Mad
from 1956 to 1988. His popularity and prominence was such that the magazine promoted Martin as "Mad's Maddest Artist."
Born on May 18, 1931 in Paterson
, New Jersey
, Martin studied illustration and fine art at Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts
between 1949 and 1951 and subsequently graduated from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
in Philadelphia
in 1952. In 1953, he worked briefly as a window trimmer and frame maker before providing paste up
s and mechanicals for various offset printing
clients and beginning his career as freelance cartoonist and illustrator.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
whose best-known work was published in Mad
Mad (magazine)
Mad is an American humor magazine founded by editor Harvey Kurtzman and publisher William Gaines in 1952. Launched as a comic book before it became a magazine, it was widely imitated and influential, impacting not only satirical media but the entire cultural landscape of the 20th century.The last...
from 1956 to 1988. His popularity and prominence was such that the magazine promoted Martin as "Mad's Maddest Artist."
Born on May 18, 1931 in Paterson
Paterson, New Jersey
Paterson is a city serving as the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 146,199, rendering it New Jersey's third largest city and one of the largest cities in the New York City Metropolitan Area, despite a decrease of 3,023...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, Martin studied illustration and fine art at Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts
Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts
Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts was a city-run vocational and art school in Newark, New Jersey. Opened in 1882 as the Evening Drawing School, its name was changed in 1909 to the Fawcett School of Industrial Arts, and changed again in 1928 to the Newark Public School of Fine and...
between 1949 and 1951 and subsequently graduated from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is a museum and art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1805 and is the oldest art museum and school in the United States. The academy's museum is internationally known for its collections of 19th and 20th century American paintings,...
in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
in 1952. In 1953, he worked briefly as a window trimmer and frame maker before providing paste up
Paste up
Paste up refers to a method of creating or laying out publication pages that predates the use of the now-standard computerized page design desktop publishing programs. Completed, or camera-ready, pages are known as mechanicals or mechanical art...
s and mechanicals for various offset printing
Offset printing
Offset printing is a commonly used printing technique in which the inked image is transferred from a plate to a rubber blanket, then to the printing surface...
clients and beginning his career as freelance cartoonist and illustrator.
