George Baker

March 22, 1915 (age 59)

Lowell, Massachusetts, United States

After six weeks of art training in a night school, he got a job as a commercial artist "but soon grew tired of drawing pots and pans for newspaper advertisements." He moved to California to pursue a minor league career. Instead, he was hired by Walt Disney in 1937, and assisted in the production of the studio's full-length animated features, including Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo and Bambi. His specialty was animation of thunderstorms, waterfalls and other effects. Five months prior to Pearl Harbor, Baker was drafted (June 1941) into the United States Army. To his surprise, he was assigned to Fort Monmouth for basic training and to create animation for Signal Corps training films. Life magazine printed some of his submissions, and he was hired by Yank, the Army Weekly, where he adapted his drawings of the misadventures of an army recruit into The Sad Sack. Drawn in pantomime, the strip became the magazine's most popular feature, as measured by the fan mail from servicemen who identified with the luckless private. In an official document, General George C. Marshall praised Sad Sack as a morale-booster for World War II troops. At the end of the war, the U.S. Army created an advertising campaign with the phrase: "Don't be a Sad Sack, re-enlist in the Regular Army". Discharged from military service, Baker returned to live in Los Angeles where he transformed the Sad Sack army cartoon into a syndicated comic strip and a comic book series aimed at younger readers. While Baker gave the job of writing the comic narrative to others, he continued to illustrate the Sad Sack comic book covers until the time of his death. The Sad Sack radio program was broadcast in 1946.

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George Baker

cartoonist

Background

George Baker was born on May 22, 1915 in Lowell, Massachusetts, United States; the son of Harry and Mary (Portman) Baker.

Education

George Baker was educated locally.

Career

After six weeks of art training in a night school, he got a job as a commercial artist "but soon grew tired of drawing pots and pans for newspaper advertisements." He moved to California to pursue a minor league career. Instead, he was hired by Walt Disney in 1937, and assisted in the production of the studio's full-length animated features, including Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo and Bambi. His specialty was animation of thunderstorms, waterfalls and other effects.

Five months prior to Pearl Harbor, Baker was drafted (June 1941) into the United States Army. To his surprise, he was assigned to Fort Monmouth for basic training and to create animation for Signal Corps training films.

Life magazine printed some of his submissions, and he was hired by Yank, the Army Weekly, where he adapted his drawings of the misadventures of an army recruit into The Sad Sack. Drawn in pantomime, the strip became the magazine's most popular feature, as measured by the fan mail from servicemen who identified with the luckless private. In an official document, General George C. Marshall praised Sad Sack as a morale-booster for World War II troops.

At the end of the war, the U.S. Army created an advertising campaign with the phrase: "Don't be a Sad Sack, re-enlist in the Regular Army". Discharged from military service, Baker returned to live in Los Angeles where he transformed the Sad Sack army cartoon into a syndicated comic strip and a comic book series aimed at younger readers. While Baker gave the job of writing the comic narrative to others, he continued to illustrate the Sad Sack comic book covers until the time of his death.

The Sad Sack radio program was broadcast in 1946.

Achievements

Baker won a cartoon contest, sponsored by the "Defense Recreation Committee", and received a portable typewriter as first prize. He was awarded Legion of Merit.