Doug Wright (cartoonist)
Encyclopedia
Douglas Austin Wright was an English
-born Canadian cartoonist. Creator of the long-running comic strip Doug Wright's Family, or Nipper, he is the namesake for the Canadian Wright Awards.
After emigrating to Canada
in 1938, Wright worked as an illustrator at an insurance company before serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force
during World War Two. It was here that his cartoons of fellow servicemen first drew the eye of a magazine editor. After his discharge, Wright began freelancing for Montreal papers and struggled to get various strip concepts off the ground.
In 1948, he took over the reins of Juniper Junction, the most popular Canadian comic strip of its day, after its creator, Jimmy Frise
, died suddenly. A year later, Wright hit paydirt again when a wordless gag strip about a mischievous toddler caught on with readers of the Montreal Standard
. The feature would eventually adopt the name Nipper (later changed to Doug Wright's Family).
Nipper was a wordless masterpiece, capturing suburban Canadian life with wit and a keen eye, and ran uninterrupted for more than three decades. Wright also drew several other lesser-known strips, including a series of editorial cartoons which were collected during the seventies.
Wright moved from Montreal to Burlington, Ontario in 1966.
In 2005, the Doug Wright Awards
recognizing Canadian cartoonists and graphic novelists, were founded, named in Wright's honour.
In Spring 2009, Drawn and Quarterly
Books published the first volume of a two-volume retrospective of Wright's life and career. Designed and compiled by Guelph, Ontario
-based cartoonist Seth
, the project (Doug Wright: Canada's Master Cartoonist) contains a biographical essay on Wright, and is the first book-length study of the prolific artist. They also published strip reprints of Nipper, starting in 2011. One volume covers 1963-64, another 1965-66.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
-born Canadian cartoonist. Creator of the long-running comic strip Doug Wright's Family, or Nipper, he is the namesake for the Canadian Wright Awards.
After emigrating to Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 1938, Wright worked as an illustrator at an insurance company before serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
during World War Two. It was here that his cartoons of fellow servicemen first drew the eye of a magazine editor. After his discharge, Wright began freelancing for Montreal papers and struggled to get various strip concepts off the ground.
In 1948, he took over the reins of Juniper Junction, the most popular Canadian comic strip of its day, after its creator, Jimmy Frise
Jimmy Frise
Canadian cartoonist Jimmy Frise was born James Llewellyn Frise on Scugog Island, Ontario. It was a stroke of fate that Frise would endure in cartooning as long as he did, after maiming his left hand in a munitions accident during the Battle of Vimy Ridge in World War I.His career began during a...
, died suddenly. A year later, Wright hit paydirt again when a wordless gag strip about a mischievous toddler caught on with readers of the Montreal Standard
Montreal Standard
The Montreal Standard was a newspaper in Montreal, Quebec from 1905-1951 and founded by Hugh Graham, 1st Baron Atholstan. It began in 1905 as a Saturday-only newspaper on the model of the Illustrated London News; that is, current events using photographs and news stories. The Standard became more...
. The feature would eventually adopt the name Nipper (later changed to Doug Wright's Family).
Nipper was a wordless masterpiece, capturing suburban Canadian life with wit and a keen eye, and ran uninterrupted for more than three decades. Wright also drew several other lesser-known strips, including a series of editorial cartoons which were collected during the seventies.
Wright moved from Montreal to Burlington, Ontario in 1966.
In 2005, the Doug Wright Awards
Doug Wright Awards
The Doug Wright Awards are literary awards handed out annually to Canadian cartoonists, honouring excellence in works published in English. The awards are named for Canadian cartoonist Doug Wright...
recognizing Canadian cartoonists and graphic novelists, were founded, named in Wright's honour.
In Spring 2009, Drawn and Quarterly
Drawn and Quarterly
Drawn and Quarterly is a Canadian comic book publishing company, headed by Chris Oliveros, and based in Montreal, Quebec. Its focus is on graphic novels and underground or alternative comics. Drawn and Quarterly was also the title of the company's flagship quarterly anthology during the 1990s...
Books published the first volume of a two-volume retrospective of Wright's life and career. Designed and compiled by Guelph, Ontario
Guelph, Ontario
Guelph is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Known as "The Royal City", Guelph is roughly east of Waterloo and west of downtown Toronto at the intersection of Highway 6 and Highway 7. It is the seat of Wellington County, but is politically independent of it...
-based cartoonist Seth
Seth (cartoonist)
Seth is the pen name of Gregory Gallant , a Canadian comic book artist and writer. He is best known for comics such as Palookaville.Born in Clinton, Ontario, Seth attended the Ontario College of Art in Toronto...
, the project (Doug Wright: Canada's Master Cartoonist) contains a biographical essay on Wright, and is the first book-length study of the prolific artist. They also published strip reprints of Nipper, starting in 2011. One volume covers 1963-64, another 1965-66.