Sam Gross (August 7, 1933 – May 6, 2023) was an American cartoonist, specializing in single-panel cartoons. He contributed to an array of publications, including The New Yorker.[2]
Sam Gross | |
|---|---|
 Gross in 2014 | |
| Born | August 7, 1933 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | May 6, 2023 (aged 89) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Cartoonist |
| Awards | Inkpot Award (1980)[1] |
History
editBorn in The Bronx, New York City, Gross was the son of Max and Sophie, who were Jewish immigrants to America. His mother was born in Iași, Romania and his father was born in Lithuania. His parents came to the United States as children around 1905. Gross said his mother's side of the family is artistic. His father was a CPA.[3]
Gross attended DeWitt Clinton High School, which at the time was an all-boys school. After he graduated, Gross went to City College. He started as a business major, then he wanted to be an accounting major, and finally an advertising major. Gross ended up taking a lot of art and history courses.[3]
Sam Gross began cartooning in 1962 and has continued ever since. His cartoons have appeared in numerous magazines, including Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Good Housekeeping, Harvard Business Review and The New Yorker.
Gross was cartoon editor for National Lampoon and Parents Magazine. Gross also became involved in electronic publishing ventures with cartoons playing an important role.[4]
Gross died on May 6, 2023, at the age of 89.[2]
Work habits
editEvery Wednesday Gross sat down to draw and, what he called, "trip". He claimed that he did not draw for magazines or newspapers, he just drew. Gross averaged 16–17 drawings a week, and numbered and dated every one. Once finished, he photocopied the drawings on forty-four-pound stock paper, then punched three holes and put them into loose-leaf books; Gross was afraid of losing his original copy and idea. In 2012, Sam Gross had a total of about 27,592 cartoons.[3]
Comic strips
editGross created the comic strip Cigarman.
Collections
editPublished collections of cartoons by Sam Gross include:
- How Gross! : The Collected Craziness of S. Gross (1973)
- I Am Blind and My Dog Is Dead (1978)[5]
- An Elephant Is Soft and Mushy (1982)[6]
- More Gross (1982)[7]
- Totally Gross (1984)[8]
- Love Me, Love My Teddy Bear (1986)[9]
- No More Mr. Nice Guy (1987)[10]
- Your Mother Is a Remarkable Woman (1992)[11]
- Catss by Gross (1995)[12]
- We Have Ways of Making You Laugh: 120 Funny Swastika Cartoons (2008)[13]
References
edit- ^ Inkpot Award
- ^ a b Degg, D. D. (May 8, 2023). "Sam Gross – RIP". www.dailycartoonist.com. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
- ^ a b c "Sam Gross: Sex, Race, and Frogs | The Comics Journal". The Comics Journal. 6 March 2011. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
- ^ "Comic creator: Sam Gross". Lambiek Comiclopedia. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
- ^ Gross, Sam (1978). I Am Blind and My Dog Is Dead. Avon Books. ISBN 978-0380401628.
- ^ Gross, Sam (1982). An Elephant Is Soft and Mushy. Avon Books. ISBN 978-0380576791.
- ^ Gross, Sam (1982). More Gross. Congdon & Weed. ISBN 978-0312925406.
- ^ Gross, Sam (1984). Totally Gross. Pocket Books. ISBN 978-0671507237.
- ^ Gross, Sam (1986). Love Me, Love My Teddy Bear. Putnam Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0399512308.
- ^ Gross, Sam (1987). No More Mr. Nice Guy. Perigee Books. ISBN 978-0399513961.
- ^ Gross, Sam (1992). Your Mother Is a Remarkable Woman. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0147788610.
- ^ Gross, Sam (1995). Catss By Gross. Ballantine Books. ISBN 978-0345392770.
- ^ Gross, Sam (2008). We Have Ways of Making You Laugh: 120 Funny Swastika Cartoons (1st; Hardcover ed.). Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1416556404.
External links
edit- The Comics Journal: Sam Gross interview
- Sam Gross discography at Discogs
- Sam Gross at IMDb
- CartoonBank: Sam Gross[permanent dead link]
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