At age 18 in 1937, Bud joined the Kudner Agency in New York City as paste-up boy. World War II came calling, taking the up-and-coming artist away into the infantry division for three years. He returned and continued his career with Kudner, rising to executive art director. Then, Bud had a change of mind about all those meetings, business drudgery and commuting. He went back to his heart's desire, the drawing board.
Leaving "good men and good pay" behind, Bud parted from his secure job with the ad agency to strike out as a cartoonist in 1965. He must have had creative bubbles waiting to burst out: he created a panel called "Ever Happen to You?" that was snapped up by King Features Syndicate, and drew freelance cartoons for commercial accounts and for prominent magazines. Bud's desire to cartoon culminated in the creation of a comic strip.
"Pencil in hand, he watched his children and the neighbourhood kids at play," notes the King Features web site. Tiger was born, a comic strip of kind, gentle humour that let happy, little kids be happy, little kids. The strip received syndication through King Features, with distribution that began in May, 1965.
The young characters of Tiger encompass the lead, Tiger, a kid who likes to play and fish; his younger brother, Punkinhead, who tries hard to follow along with his big brother; and several friends--some outspoken, some brainy, some just funny. Their actions and play are those of regular little kids--not showing off, not trying to be adult. Just kids being themselves. Tiger is reminiscent of what childhood should be, and could be again.
Go To Page: 1 2
