Description
Gus Levy was a cartoonist, illustrator, graphic designer, art director and advertising executive. He began studying journalism and art at Louisiana State University in 1940, and finished in 1947 after serving three years in the U.S. Army during World War II. At LSU Levy studied under Ralph Wickiser. After the war, he served in the Amphibious, Transportation and Public Affairs units in the Army Reserve, retiring in 1966 with the rank of major. He also worked as a retoucher, cartoonist and magazine art director at the New Orleans Times Picayune, and produced art for television station WDSU. After a stint at the Godwin Advertising Agency as art director, he opened his own advertising and graphic design studio, Creative Services, among the first in New Orleans. Levy also drew the comic strip Crakbak for The Dallas Cowboys Magazine and Gridweek. His sense of humor is evident in a biography accompanying his contribution to Upton’s Series of New Orleans Places and Things by New Orleans Graphic Artists (1968) that concludes, “He is a water color hobbyist and a fisherman so awful that the only time he sees a redfish is when he paints one.”
Condition: Recently professionally cleaned, deacidified, with original folds flattened as backed on Japanese tissue, now very good with only minor remaining toning, soft creases, handling.
References:
Degg, D.D. “2012 Newspaper Comics — Debuts, Departures and the Dearly Departed.” Rec.arts.comic.strips discussion group. 31 December 2012. https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/rec.arts.comics.strips/j6E8yxfBDuY (27 February 2014).
“Gus Daniel Levy, art director and advertising executive: Obituaries today.” New Orleans Times-Picayune. 12 March 2012. http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2012/03/gus_daniel_levy_art_director_a.html (27 February 2014).
“The Upton Series Gus Levy.” History of Graphic Design in Southern Louisiana. http://www.louisianadesignhistory.com/_STUDENTS/HGDSL/adda/Upton_Series_Gus_Levy.html (27 February 2014).
