Sid Couchey

In February 2012, Couchey was diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma. The aggressive cancer took hold quickly, and Couchey died on March 11, 2012, aged 92. He was survived by his wife of 52 years, Ruth; their two children, Brian and Laura; and many grandchildren.

The Heritage Society of Willsboro, New York, invited Couchey to use part of their newly renovated facility as a permanent home for the display of his paintings and drawings. The opening reception was held on Friday, June 6, 2008 in Willsboro.

The last cartoon of Rascal showed him with terminal rabies being helped to walk at his retirement party by Drinking Dog & Cool Cat. The reason was that Rascal was being permanently retired because a rabid raccoon bit a prominent Vermont doctor. (Source: Harveyville Fun Times Vol.12, #47, 2002)

In the early 1980s, Couchey provided spot illustrations for Good Old Days magazine. In the spring of 1994, Couchey received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Kansas City Comics Convention. The other honorees included John Byrne, George Pérez and Lee Falk.

In addition to his work with Champy, Couchey also contributed artwork to alcohol-awareness programs for the State of Vermont. In the mid-1980s, Dr. John K. Worden and his University of Vermont team invited Sid and Vermonter Jim Starbuck to create a “spokestoon” to deter alcohol abuse—thus, the noble character of Rascal Raccoon emerged. Around that time, Jim Heltz of Green Mountain Video worked with Couchey to create the “Drinking Dog/Cool Cat” series as part of an alcohol-awareness program for the State of Vermont. These characters were featured in various posters and animated TV spots to present an anti-alcohol message to children.

In 1964, Couchey was one of six founders of the Adirondack Art Association in Essex, New York.

In the April 1960 (Vol. 1, No. 55) issue of Little Dot, Sid Couchey appears in a Little Lotta strip, "Problem Child", along with his then-fiancée Ruth Horne. They were married on November 14, 1959. Sid and Ruth Couchey lived in Inman, South Carolina and Essex, New York.

In the early 1950s, Couchey worked on backgrounds for the Lassie, Big Town and Howdy Doody TV tie-in books. His first complete work was published in Hoot Gibson #6, and several Couchey-illustrated stories appear in New Heroic Comics, published by Eastern Color Printing. His stories were printed in issues #62, 70, 71, 74, 75, 76, 78, 80 and 82.

Couchey's break came when Harvey Comics advertised for cartoonists. A few of Couchey's fellow art school graduates, who had started an art studio of their own, told him about the advertisements. At Harvey, Couchey's artwork began appearing in the Little Dot, Little Lotta and Richie Rich titles throughout the 1950s and 1960s, with reprints appearing for many years. Couchey did not create these famous Harvey characters, but he did have the opportunity to change attitudes or events.

Sid Couchey (May 24, 1919 – March 11, 2012) was an American comic book artist best known for his work on the Harvey Comics characters Richie Rich, Little Lotta and Little Dot. His style is known for big, friendly faces and a sharp sense of visual humor.