A Cartoonist with a Dream that Never Died

Article reprinted from Senior Moments, August 2004 issue 5

Every life is filled with hard times. Hard times can come about through a difficult childhood, an uncertain world situation, hard economic times, a negative work environment, poor health... and the list can go on and on. One of the best antidotes to hard times can be humor. Finding humor during life’s hard times is not always an easy task, but losing yourself, even for a brief period of time, in a humorous story, movie, television show, or a simple but succinct cartoon, can provide a welcome, much-needed diversion from the adversities that take place in our lives. Humor, and the pleasure it can bring us, should be celebrated and embraced, and the people that provide this humor, often do so while living a life complete with their own hard times.

His business card reads "Wally Littman, Humorous Illustrator", but after spending some time with Wally talking about his life, the simplicity of this title, and the long and varied path that brought him to this point, it is a story that is anything but simple. What is most surprising about Wally is his continued that positive outlook, his lifelong tenacity about success, and his courage as he pursues the career he has been dreaming of since he was a young boy. Wally Littman was born in Newark at the height of the depression. Due to hard economic times, by the time he was 12, Wally’s family had moved 17 times.

Whether from the stresses of life during these times, or just from a poor union, his parents fought constantly, creating a household environment of never-ending instability, criticism, and anger. Wally’s escape was through drawing. Initially he drew what most young boys of his day drew — German dive bombers, SS troops, and other signs of the times — all in cartoon form. He found that humor was a great escape from the world around him, and eventually started drawing gag cartoons. By the time he was 16, he had gag cartoons circulating the market, and his first sale, at 17, was to The Model Railroader. Despite the fact that his mother felt that his dreams were "no way to make a living," he got a full time job as an associate editor with Hillman Periodicals, a comic book publisher with titles such as Airboy, The Heap, Crime Detective, and Western Fighters. His duties included copy editing, proofreading, and providing filler pages when a story came up short.

As often happens in life, this smooth start to a career goal was interrupted by a political curveball. The war in Korea was heating up, and Wally’s draft number was called. During basic training at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, he submitted some cartoons to the camp newspaper, and was soon the camp cartoonist. He provided a weekly comic strip, entertaining his fellow soldiers with the amusing points of army life. Satisfied that he had secured himself a safe position in the armed forces, complete with American soil underfoot, Wally was about to learn an important life lesson. In one of his weekly comic strips, he poked fun at the camp commander. The very next day, he was ordered to Korea, having learned a valuable lesson — Never make fun of the boss.

Finding himself in Korea, Wally used his networking skills to see if his artistic talents could find a spot in a war zone. As good fortune would have it, he found an opening at a broadcast and leaflets outlet, and was sent to serve in Tokyo, Japan. He provided gag cartoons for two English language newspapers — Tokyo Tickles Me and Jabberwocky Japanese. He also provided caricatures for the movie reviews in The Pacific Stars and Stripes.

Upon his discharge, Wally took advantage of the GI Bill, and enrolled at Pratt Institute in New York City. He successfully completed a double major in Fine Arts/ Illustration and Advertising Design. During his freshman year at Pratt, he met his partner for life — a lovely, sensitive woman from Albany, New York named Rosemary Cheris. They married while still in school, and their first child was born during Wally’s senior finals.

Wally knew that with a wife and child to support, he could no longer continue as a struggling cartoonist. Putting his dreams on the shelf, he set his sights on the advertising world. He began his career as a graphic designer, and has worked at many different positions within advertising, art, commercials, television, print, etc. All along, supporting his growing family. Advertising can be a highly competitive, demanding business. Oftentimes, it is necessary to switch jobs and agencies in order to move forward and advance. A good campaign can make you a hero. A bad campaign can send you to the street. Late evenings and constant travel are often the norm, and family life is frequently put on the back burner.

Over the years, Wally has worked with some big clients on well-known national accounts.

He has worked in some of the largest New York agencies and also some smaller ones. He has partnered with others in his own agency, taken one public, been part of some buyouts, and worked freelance. Sometimes he left... sometimes he was let go. This can be the nature of advertising. Through it all, as anyone in any high pressure, fast-paced job can understand, some aspects of life are going to be neglected. He has also had two ulcers, gall bladder trouble, and what appeared to be peritonitis. He is quick to note that — money isn’t everything.

About three years ago, Wally decided that advertising was no longer for him. Most of his contacts had retired, changed their line of work, or passed away. Finally, it was time. Time to give cartoons another try. Wally is now a full time gag cartoonist. He is attacking this new career, at 72, with the same work ethic he always maintained throughout his advertising career. Despite, as he puts it, “collecting rejection slips by the carload,” he continues to persevere. He has had some success. He has been published in some magazines and newspapers, and even made it into Reader’s Digest. He networks, belongs to trade associations, collects advice and encouragement from successful cartoonists, and maintains contact with old friends. Hundreds of his cartoons are out there, circulating throughout the market, with the hope of being picked-up for publication.

These days, Wally has a fantastic attitude toward life, what’s important, and the people he loves. He gives all of the credit to Rosemary for the three wonderful, productive children he has, and speaks fondly of his grandchildren. He has come full circle in the hopes and dreams of his life, and he understands and appreciates his blessings. Most important, Wally Littman continues to promote humor, its healing effects, and the very necessary role it plays in our lives.
 

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