ABSTRACT

Virgil Partch (1916–1984), better known as “Vip” was born in Alaska. After graduating from Chouinard Art Institute, was hired as an animation assistant for the Walt Disney Studio. A supporter of the Animators Strike against Disney in 1941, he was soon on the street. He began submitting his gag cartoons to magazines, getting his first one printed in 1942. Vip Partch's distinctive style, evoking Ronald Searle with a UPA flair, was soon appearing in newspapers and magazines across the U.S. It was said when Pablo Picasso died in 1973, on his nightstand next to his bed, was a paperback book of Vip Partch cartoons.