Les Dixon
Encyclopedia
Leslie "Les" Dixon was an Australia
n cartoonist and commercial artist.
Dixon was born Leslie Charles Brailey in Sydney, New South Wales on 25 July 1910 and adopted by Charles and Lillian Dixon when he was only six months old. He attended primary schools in the Sydney suburbs of Drummoyne
and Balmain
before moving to Corbargo
in 1918 with his family, on a venure of stripping wattle bark, trapping rabbits and share dairy farming. During this time he completed most of his schooling via correspondence from the Plunkett Steet School in Sydney. He commenced his formal art training in 1924 when, at age 14, he signed up for an art correspondence course promoted by the Australian painter Harry J. Weston. In 1929 Dixon returned to Sydney working as a blacksmith
's striker for six months before joining the Vacuum Oil Company as a truck driver. He continued to take art lessons by correspondence.
In 1931 he married Ella May Laws (d. 1975) in South Balmain, New South Wales
.
At the age of 28, he was involved in a traffic accident in Erskineville
, sustaining a fracture at the base of the skull and dislocating his spine. As a result of his injuries he was forced to leave the oil company. While on the dole
, he studied life drawing at the Catholic Guild, Sydney. During this time he became a freelance artist, selling illustrations and comics to magazines such as Smith's Weekly
, The Bulletin
and Rydges Business Journal and drew comic stories for Frank Johnston Publications.
He enlisted in the Australian army
in 22 January 1942 in Gladesville, New South Wales
but was discharged three months later on 5 May 1942 as his earlier injuries prevented him from wearing a tin hat.
Dixon then joined the staff of Smith's Weekly
in 1942 and remained there until 1949 just before folded in October 1950. When Jim Russell
left Smith's he was appointed the Art Editor but the position was never ratified before the paper closed down. He then became Art Editor for the Sydney Production unit of The Courier-Mail
, where he remained until February 1957 when he took over responsibility for Bluey and Curley
, following the death of Norman Rice in a car accident on 31 December 1956. Rice having succeeded from the strip’s creator, Alex Gurney
in 1956. He continued to produce the comic strip
for eighteen years until it was retired on 26 July 1975. During his time on Bluey and Curley Dixon gradually altered the art style and introduced new characters including 'Jazzer', a swagman
; and 'Trotters', an old reprobate, to assist in the strip's popularity. Dixon also created the comic strips, Little Trump and Phill Dill (about a man "whose life zigzags from one bumbling crisis to another").
In his retirement Dixon drew a strip, Sandy Lakes, about a hale and hearty pensioner
, which was published in the The Central Coast Express Advocate in 1976 and ran for thirteen years.
Dixon was made a life member of the Australian Black and White Artists’ Club in 1991 and was awarded a Silver Stanley in 1994 for his contribution to Australian cartooning.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n cartoonist and commercial artist.
Dixon was born Leslie Charles Brailey in Sydney, New South Wales on 25 July 1910 and adopted by Charles and Lillian Dixon when he was only six months old. He attended primary schools in the Sydney suburbs of Drummoyne
Drummoyne, New South Wales
Drummoyne is a suburb in the inner west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 6 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Canada Bay....
and Balmain
Balmain, New South Wales
Balmain is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Balmain is located slightly west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt....
before moving to Corbargo
Cobargo, New South Wales
Cobargo is a village in the south-east area of the state of New South Wales in Australia in Bega Valley Shire. In 2006, Cobargo had a population of 426 people. It is 386 km south of Sydney on the Princes Highway between Narooma and Bega....
in 1918 with his family, on a venure of stripping wattle bark, trapping rabbits and share dairy farming. During this time he completed most of his schooling via correspondence from the Plunkett Steet School in Sydney. He commenced his formal art training in 1924 when, at age 14, he signed up for an art correspondence course promoted by the Australian painter Harry J. Weston. In 1929 Dixon returned to Sydney working as a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
's striker for six months before joining the Vacuum Oil Company as a truck driver. He continued to take art lessons by correspondence.
In 1931 he married Ella May Laws (d. 1975) in South Balmain, New South Wales
Balmain, New South Wales
Balmain is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Balmain is located slightly west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt....
.
At the age of 28, he was involved in a traffic accident in Erskineville
Erskineville, New South Wales
Erskineville is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Erskineville is located about 3 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney...
, sustaining a fracture at the base of the skull and dislocating his spine. As a result of his injuries he was forced to leave the oil company. While on the dole
Dole
Dole may refer to:*The Grain supply to the city of Rome in ancient times.* Since the early 20th Century, a colloquial term referring to government public assistance programs; see Unemployment benefits. Originally it referred to any charitable gift of food, clothing or money. The dole has taken on...
, he studied life drawing at the Catholic Guild, Sydney. During this time he became a freelance artist, selling illustrations and comics to magazines such as Smith's Weekly
Smith's Weekly
Smith's Weekly was an Australian tabloid newspaper published from 1919 to 1950. An independent weekly published in Sydney, but read all over Australia, Smith’s Weekly was one of Australia’s most patriotic newspaper-style magazines....
, The Bulletin
The Bulletin
The Bulletin was an Australian weekly magazine that was published in Sydney from 1880 until January 2008. It was influential in Australian culture and politics from about 1890 until World War I, the period when it was identified with the "Bulletin school" of Australian literature. Its influence...
and Rydges Business Journal and drew comic stories for Frank Johnston Publications.
He enlisted in the Australian army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
in 22 January 1942 in Gladesville, New South Wales
Gladesville, New South Wales
Gladesville is a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Gladesville is located 9 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government areas of the City of Ryde and the Municipality of Hunter's Hill and is part of the Northern Suburbs area.Gladesville prides...
but was discharged three months later on 5 May 1942 as his earlier injuries prevented him from wearing a tin hat.
Dixon then joined the staff of Smith's Weekly
Smith's Weekly
Smith's Weekly was an Australian tabloid newspaper published from 1919 to 1950. An independent weekly published in Sydney, but read all over Australia, Smith’s Weekly was one of Australia’s most patriotic newspaper-style magazines....
in 1942 and remained there until 1949 just before folded in October 1950. When Jim Russell
Jim Russell
James Newton Russell AM MBE was an Australian cartoonist who drew The Potts for 62 years. Jim's brother Dan Russell was also a cartoonist.-Biography:...
left Smith's he was appointed the Art Editor but the position was never ratified before the paper closed down. He then became Art Editor for the Sydney Production unit of The Courier-Mail
The Courier-Mail
The Courier-Mail is a daily newspaper published in Brisbane, Australia. Owned by News Limited, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner northern suburbs, and it is printed at Murarrie, in Brisbane's...
, where he remained until February 1957 when he took over responsibility for Bluey and Curley
Bluey and Curley
Bluey and Curley is an Australian newspaper comic strip written by the Australian artist, caricaturist, and cartoonist Alex Gurney.Few original Bluey and Curley strips are held in public collections, because, throughout his lifetime, Alex Gurney was renowned for his generous habit of giving the...
, following the death of Norman Rice in a car accident on 31 December 1956. Rice having succeeded from the strip’s creator, Alex Gurney
Alexander George Gurney
Alexander George "Alex" Gurney was an Australian artist, caricaturist, and cartoonist born at Pasley House, Stoke, Devonport , England.-Family:...
in 1956. He continued to produce the 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....
for eighteen years until it was retired on 26 July 1975. During his time on Bluey and Curley Dixon gradually altered the art style and introduced new characters including 'Jazzer', a swagman
Swagman
A swagman is an old Australian and New Zealand term describing an underclass of transient temporary workers, who travelled by foot from farm to farm carrying the traditional swag...
; and 'Trotters', an old reprobate, to assist in the strip's popularity. Dixon also created the comic strips, Little Trump and Phill Dill (about a man "whose life zigzags from one bumbling crisis to another").
In his retirement Dixon drew a strip, Sandy Lakes, about a hale and hearty pensioner
Pensioner
In common parlance, a pensioner is a person who has retired, and now collects a pension. This is a term typically used in the United Kingdom and Australia where someone of pensionable age may also be referred to as an 'old age pensioner', or OAP. In the United States, the term retiree is more...
, which was published in the The Central Coast Express Advocate in 1976 and ran for thirteen years.
Dixon was made a life member of the Australian Black and White Artists’ Club in 1991 and was awarded a Silver Stanley in 1994 for his contribution to Australian cartooning.