Sunday Funnies

I think a strong argument could be made that Bill Mauldin was the greatest of all American cartoonists. He first came to fame depicting his fellow soldiers in World War II for Stars and Stripes and other military papers, winning the Pulitzer Prize when he was still in the service (and still in his early twenties).

After the war he became an editorial cartoonist, winning another Pulitzer for his work in that area. The guy sure knew how to combine humor, compassion, and beautiful artwork to convey a message that spoke to the common humanity of both his subjects and his audience. He also wrote several really good books about his experiences-- especially The Brass Ring, a memoir of his wartime experiences.

One really gets a sense of what it was like to be stationed in the front lines of the war from his World War II cartoons, and he certainly provides a perspective that isn't always that found in the more traditional histories-- which is incredibly valuable, so I hope he and his work is never forgotten.