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Strube: The World's
Most Popular Cartoonist
Author: Dr Tim Benson
Publisher: Political
Cartoon Society
ISBN: 0954900804
This first biography on the
life of Sidney Strube not only offers a cartoon
journey through 20th Century British History,
but also an insight into the world of editorial
cartooning during its heyday. Strube was the
editorial cartoonist of the Daily Express between
1912 and 1948. During these years, he assisted
in making the Daily Express the best selling
national newspaper in the world. In 1915, Strube
enlisted in the Artists Rifles Battalion and
served on the Western Front alongside other
artists and writers such as Paul Nash and Wilfred
Owen. Strube’s greatest creation was the
‘Little Man’, a figure large sections
of the population then identified with. During
the 1930s, Strube’s ridiculing of Hitler
and Mussolini led the Daily Express to being
banned in Germany and Italy. Strube’s name,
alongside many other prominent critics of Hitler’s
regime, was discovered on a Nazi hit list after
the war. The book is packed with not only many
of Strube’s most famous cartoons, but also
photographs and cartoon related images that
have never been published before.
Review by Dr Bex Lewis (2005-6)
Liberally scattered throughout
with illustrations, this book is a well-constructed
and informative read - based largely upon a
combination of Daily Express material
(the paper for which Strube was staff cartoonist
for 36 years (1912-1948)) and material provided
by Strube's son George.
The author, Dr Tim Benson,
wrote his PhD thesis on David
Low, and is the owner/founder of the Political
Cartoon Society based in central London.
Low was a close contemporary of Strube's - as
the book notes they often met each other on
the way to work across Hampstead Heath, discussing
ideas despite working for rival papers, although
this did not lead to plagiarism as they were
accused of.
The biography follows Sidney
'George' Strube from birth (1891), within the
sound of Bow Bells, through his marriage to
a fashion artist who gave up her work to support
his, to death (1956) following heart trouble
- a publicity shy man (see p40) who felt his
cartoons could be better understood if the cartoonist
was not known. The book is full of fascinating
details and provides insight to life of the
cartoonist, and the Daily Express newspaper.
Chapter 4, in particular,
paints a picture of a conscientious artist who
always felt he had to put time into his cartoons
- taking time on both the ideas and the execution
of them. He was very rude about Osbert Lancaster
who finished his work in 15 minutes. Strube,
like Zec,
was on the Nazi hitlist for the strong nature
of his cartons, something his son felt was 'a
mark of honour'.
Starting in technical drawings,
he turned to poster design under John Hassall,
before moving on to political cartoons, eventually
becoming in demand with the Daily Express, Even
those who he ridiculed, including Lloyd George,
approved that Strube gave them the ability to
laugh at themselves.
In the First World War humorous
cartoons were seen as inappropriate, so Strube
joined the 'Artists Rifles' with others such
as Bert
Thomas, Wyndham
Robinson and Fougasse.
The book particularly follows Strube through
the interwar years as he develops his 'Little
Man', a significant change from the powerful
'John Bull' to a character representative of
the 'the people' (something fully evident in
WW2 propaganda), although he was not the only
one to do so.
In the Second World War, Strube
was regarded as too old and too valuable to
enlist, a sure sign that the cartoonists role
was to be recognised as effective in boosting
public morale during wartime. Strube developed
his 'Little Man' as the population had to, his
'citizen' got tough in a wartime role, as did
Strube - sending his family to safety.
Towards the end of the war,
there were editorial changes at the Daily
Express, and with the arrival of 'Giles',
Strube produced less work, and 'retired' in
1948, continuing with freelance work.
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