FEYER George
He was born on February 18, 1921 in Budapest Hungry. About age 15 years, he began submitting cartoons to magazines and newspapers. He was paid adult rates and earned a living though out the 1930’s. In 1939 World War Two began and there followed horrific experiences that left him traumatized for the rest of his life. In 1946, he escaped Hungry now controlled by the communists and walked to Vienna where he surrendered to British forces.
In 1948 he arrived in Toronto knowing only a smattering of English. He got a job in a quilt factory and began cartooning again. In 1949 he sold his first cartoon to Maclean’s magazine and his work appeared in Maclean’s for about fifteen years. He expanded to the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, Colliers, Punch and many others. By 1951 he was making enough money from his cartoons to quit his job in the quilt factory.
He developed what he called “pop art” in which he included in his drawings, real objects like stamps.
He became a television personality. The CBC noting his quick cartooning skills hired him for live programs. First during children’s shows he moved on to “The Midnight Club” hosted by Pierre Berton, and the “Wayne and Shuster Show”. In 1955, he did a high profile gig on “Hockey Night in Canada”. In the 1960’s he had become a celebrity cartoonist.
He moved to Los Angeles in 1965 where his income doubled but he found it “… superficial, heartless and insane.” He committed suicide March 31, 1967.
WORK:
CARTOONIST:
PERIODICAL TEXT ANTHOLOGY:
Content strip:
Weekend, 9-16, 1959 April 18: “Play”: 61.
SOURCE:
Article book :
The Hecklers. Writ. & Ed.., P. Desbarates & T. Mosher. McClelland & Stewart Ltd., 1979: 235-236.
Article periodical:
Canada’s History, Apr./May 2015: “The Twisted Genius of George Feyer.” Writ., Brad Mackay: 34-43.
Maclean’s, 17, Dec. 1981: “The brain drain, ‘pop art’ and George Feyer”: 22-23.
Maclean’s, 7 May 1960: “The impish artist who draws on everything.” Writ., McKenzie Porter: 20, 43,46,48,50.