Ron Vivian (19 February 1914 – 5 September 1973) was an Australian cartoonist who is perhaps best known as having drawn Ginger Meggs after the original creator, Jimmy Bancks died in 1952.
| Ron Vivian | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ronald Charles Vivian 19 February 1914 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Died | 5 September 1973 (aged 59) St Leonards, New South Wales, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
Notable works | Ginger Meggs |
Biography
editRonald Charles Vivian was born on 19 February 1914 in Sydney, New South Wales,[1] to Charles Cecil Vivian and Vida Francis.[2]
Vivian enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in January 1942 and served in Australia and New Guinea during the Second World War.[3] Vivian was awarded the 1939-45 Star, Pacific Star, War Medal 1939-45 and Australian Service Medal 1939-45.[3] Upon his return he was appointed to the Victorian Air Board where he illustrated many RAAF magazines before returning to civilian life.[1]
He worked as an artist for Sir Frank Packer's Australian Consolidated Press (ACP), drawing political cartoons for The Daily Telegraph, illustrations for The Australian Women's Weekly[4] and other Consolidated Press publications. When Jim Bancks died suddenly of a heart attack in 1952, Packer held a competition among several artists to select a suitable person to continue to draw Ginger Meggs.[5][6] Numerous artists submitted trial pages and in the end Vivian's entry was chosen over others including Dan Russell[7] (whom Packer thought that his brother Jim Russell had drawn instead).[8] He then drew the comic for ACP's Sunday Telegraph from April 1953 for the next twenty one years, until his death in early 1973.[6] Vivian remained true to the Bancks style and concept[7] and the only difference was the signature, with the strip carrying the identification 'Created by Bancks', as he was not permitted to put his name to the drawings.[8][9]
References
edit- ^ a b Kerr, Joan (19 October 2011). "Ron Vivian". Design and Art Australia Online. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
- ^ "Vivian, Ronald Charles". NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
- ^ a b "War Service Record – Vivian, Ronald Charles". National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
- ^ "Have a Good Time!". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 30 November 1946. p. 35. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
- ^ The World of Comic Art. Vol. 2. Hawthorne, California: World of Comic Art Publications. 1966. p. 34.
- ^ a b Laws, John; Stewart, Christopher Robert (2004). There's Always More to the Story : John Laws' Favourite Australian Stories. Sydney, NSW: Pan Macmillan. pp. 261–262. ISBN 978-1-4050-3628-3.
- ^ a b Ryan, John (1979). Panel by Panel – An Illustrated history of Australian Comics. Cassell Australia. p. 78. ISBN 978-0-7269-7376-5.
- ^ a b Foyle, Lindsay. "Ginger Meggs – History". Jason Chatfield. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
- ^ "99/4/78 Minnie Peters, Ginger Meggs girlfriend, doll/ figure, plastic/ metal, Australia, 1921–1952". Powerhouse Museum – Collection. Retrieved 3 December 2013.
External links
edit- Journalists' Club. Journalists' Club (Sydney, N.S.W.) : Australian Gallery File. Sydney, N.S.W. Retrieved 2 December 2013.
- Rae, Richard (1983). Cartoonists of Australia. Marrickville, NSW: View Productions. pp. 82–88. ISBN 978-0-908240-38-8.