George Fisher (cartoonist)

Fisher died on 15 December 2003 at his home after completing a Christmas cartoon for the Arkansas Times.

This article is originated from Internet-Encyclopedia, December 22, 2003.

His wife died in 1983, but Fisher continued to hide her nickname in his cartoons as a tribute.

In 1972, Fisher began drawing cartoons twice per week for the statewide Arkansas Gazette and became the newspaper's official cartoonist in 1976. Fisher gained a very active following in the state of Arkansas and became an Arkansas institution. Fisher's work was never syndicated, because he preferred to focus mostly on affairs in his home state, but many of his cartoons were reprinted nationally.

Fisher attended Beebe College for one year, after which he withdrew to join the United States Army. Fisher entered the service on June 6, 1943, under the branch of Cannon Co. 417th Infantry, 76th Division. He trained at Camp Roberts (California) and Camp McCoy (Wisconsin) and was engaged in the Argonne Forest, Rhineland and Central Europe. Fisher reached the rank of Staff Sergeant before his discharge on April 8, 1946, as well as a Bronze Star. Fisher served in Europe as an infantryman and participated in the Battle of the Bulge. While in service, Fisher kept a daily cartoon diary of his experiences and drew cartoons for his regimental newspaper.

George Fisher (8 April 1923 – 15 December 2003) was an American political cartoonist.

George Fisher was born at Beebe, Arkansas, on 8 April 1923, the son of Charles W. and Gladys Fisher. George's father was born in Tennessee and was a home builder and business owner. Fisher's mother died when he was 5 years old and his father never remarried. Fisher's father encouraged George's artistic ability and suggested political subjects for him to draw. Fisher had his first cartoon published in 1944 lampooning Arkansas governor Homer Martin Adkins for claiming credit for wartime factory construction in Arkansas.