Jerry Dumas
Encyclopedia
Jerry Dumas is an American
cartoonist, best known for his Sam and Silo
comic strip
. Dumas is also a writer and essayist, and a columnist for the Greenwich Time
.
, where he contributed drawings to the State Press
, he worked as a text editor on Mort Walker
's comic strips (Hi and Lois
and Beetle Bailey
).
Together with Walker, he created Sam's Strip in 1961. It only lasted until 1963 but was resurrected as Sam and Silo
in 1977, still with Walker. Dumas continued the comic strip on his own from 1995 on. In 1968, he also cooperated on all aspects of Boner's Ark
. Apart from his work with Walker, Dumas also worked on other comic strips like Benchley with Mort Drucker and Rabbits Rafferty and McCall of the Wild with Mel Crawford.
In between his comics work, Dumas made numerous illustrations and cartoons. First selling them to the local Teen magazine, he soon was published in magazines and newspapers like The Washington Post
, The New Yorker
and The New York Times
. As a writer, he contributed essays to the Atlantic Monthly, the Smithsonian
, and The Connoisseur
. He also published a childhood memoir, An Afternoon in Waterloo Park.
Dumas lives in Greenwich, Connecticut
with his wife Gail and their three sons.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cartoonist, best known for his Sam and Silo
Sam and Silo
Sam and Silo is a comic strip created by Mort Walker and Jerry Dumas. The series first ran as Sam's Strip from 1961 to 1963 and was resurrected as Sam and Silo in 1977...
comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
. Dumas is also a writer and essayist, and a columnist for the Greenwich Time
Greenwich Time (newspaper)
Greenwich Time is a daily newspaper based in Greenwich, Connecticut, USA. The paper shares an editor and publisher with The Advocate of nearby Stamford, Connecticut...
.
Biography
Born in Detroit, Dumas started drawing cartoons when he was nine years old. In 1954, after acquiring a degree in English from Arizona State UniversityArizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
, where he contributed drawings to the State Press
State Press
The State Press is the independent, student-operated newspaper of Arizona State University. It publishes a free newspaper every weekday.-History:...
, he worked as a text editor on Mort Walker
Mort Walker
Addison Morton Walker , popularly known as Mort Walker, is an American comic artist best known for creating the newspaper comic strips Beetle Bailey in 1950 and Hi and Lois in 1954. He has signed Addison to some of his strips.Born in El Dorado, Kansas, he grew up in Kansas City, Missouri...
's comic strips (Hi and Lois
Hi and Lois
Hi and Lois is a comic strip about a suburban family. Created by Mort Walker and illustrated by Dik Browne, it debuted on October 18, 1954, distributed by King Features Syndicate.-Characters:...
and Beetle Bailey
Beetle Bailey
Beetle Bailey is an American comic strip set in a fictional United States Army military post, created by cartoonist Mort Walker. It is among the oldest comic strips still being produced by the original creator...
).
Together with Walker, he created Sam's Strip in 1961. It only lasted until 1963 but was resurrected as Sam and Silo
Sam and Silo
Sam and Silo is a comic strip created by Mort Walker and Jerry Dumas. The series first ran as Sam's Strip from 1961 to 1963 and was resurrected as Sam and Silo in 1977...
in 1977, still with Walker. Dumas continued the comic strip on his own from 1995 on. In 1968, he also cooperated on all aspects of Boner's Ark
Boner's Ark
Boner's Ark was an American comic strip created by Mort Walker, also the creator of Beetle Bailey. Walker debuted the strip under the pseudonym "Addison" on March 11, 1968. The title is a reference to Noah's Ark of Abrahamic religions....
. Apart from his work with Walker, Dumas also worked on other comic strips like Benchley with Mort Drucker and Rabbits Rafferty and McCall of the Wild with Mel Crawford.
In between his comics work, Dumas made numerous illustrations and cartoons. First selling them to the local Teen magazine, he soon was published in magazines and newspapers like The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
, The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
and The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. As a writer, he contributed essays to the Atlantic Monthly, the Smithsonian
Smithsonian (magazine)
Smithsonian is the official journal published by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The first issue was published in 1970.-History:...
, and The Connoisseur
The Connoisseur
The Connoisseur The Connoisseur The Connoisseur (by Mr. Town [pseud.], Critic, and Censor-General. 2 vols. 140 nos. (31 January 1754 – 30 September 1756), was a London weekly eighteenth century newspaper founded and chiefly run by George Colman the Elder and the parodist Bonnell Thornton as a...
. He also published a childhood memoir, An Afternoon in Waterloo Park.
Dumas lives in Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich, Connecticut
Greenwich is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 61,171. It is home to many hedge funds and other financial service companies. Greenwich is the southernmost and westernmost municipality in Connecticut and is 38+ minutes ...
with his wife Gail and their three sons.
Awards
- 1971: In his spare time, Dumas is devoted mostly to sports. A talented handballAmerican handballAmerican handball is a sport in which players hit a small rubber ball against a wall using their hands.- History :...
player, Dumas has won numerous titles, including the New EnglandNew EnglandNew England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
championship in 1971. - 1985: Adamson Award for his work on Sam's Strip and Sam and Silo
- 2005: Convocation Speaker of the Arizona State University College of Liberal Arts & Sciences