Education
Born in Alaska, from a mother with the maiden name Pavlof, Partch studied at the University of Arizona and the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Los Angeles
Born in Alaska, from a mother with the maiden name Pavlof, Partch studied at the University of Arizona and the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Los Angeles
Additionally, he created the newspaper comic strips Big George and The Captain"s Gig. He published 19 books of illustrations and drew art for children"s books Despite being a gagwriter for The New Yorker magazine, his own cartoons were rarely published there because, according to comics historian Bhob Stewart, "New Yorker editor Harold Ross couldn"t stomach Very Important Person"s drawing style."
He later worked for the Disney studios, where he was among those fired after taking part in the Disney animators" strike of 1941.
Soon he began selling gag cartoons to large-circulation magazines, including Collier"s, the New Yorker, Playboy, True.
After he left Disney, he worked briefly for Walter Lantz on Woody Woodpecker cartoons. Partch was drafted into the United States Army in 1944, and by the end of his two-year stint had been transferred from the infantry to become art director and cartoonist of the Army"s weekly newspaper, the Fort Ord Panorama.
Out of the Army, Partch freelanced for European Research Area Productions. He published a number of books of single-panel cartoons, some previously published, others done specifically for the books
His 1950 bestseller, Bottle Fatigue, focused on alcohol-themed humor, sold nearly 95,000 hardcover copies by the decade"s education
Later in his career Partch drew the successful syndicated comic strip Big George and created the strip, The Captain"s Gig (about a motley bunch of mariners and castaways), syndicated by Field Enterprises. He also illustrated several children"s books including The Dog Who Snored Symphonies and The Christmas Cookie Sprinkle Snatcher. From 1956, Partch lived in a house on the cliffs above Corona del March, Newport Beach.
He often joined the cartoonists who regularly met at midday in the bar at the White House restaurant on the Pacific Coast Highway in Laguna Beach: Philosophy and Frank Interlandi, Editor Nofziger, John Dempsey, Don Tobin, Roger Armstrong, Dick Shaw and Dick Oldden.
The gathering began after Philosophy Interlandi moved to Laguna Beach in 1952. "That was the first bar I walked into in Laguna," Interlandi explained in 1982, "and it became a habit."
With the onset of cataracts, Partch retired from cartooning in January 1984 and donated his collection of 3,700 original cartoons to the University of California, Irvine library.