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George Wunder Cartoons

An inventory of his cartoons at Syracuse University

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Wunder, George,1912-1987.
Title: George Wunder Cartoons
Inclusive Dates: 1947-1970
Quantity: 27 linear ft.
Abstract: Original daily and Sunday cartoons from the newspaper adventure strip Terry and the Pirates (1947-1970) and original cartoons and proofs from the strip Our Guest Star (1955).
Language: English
Repository: Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
222 Waverly Avenue
Syracuse, NY 13244-2010
https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

George Wunder (1912-1987) grew up in Kingston, New York and studied art via correspondence courses. He began his career in 1936 with the art department of Associated Press in New York City. After a tour of duty in the army (1942-1946), he submitted his work for consideration as a replacement for Milton Caniff on Terry and the Pirates. He got the job and remained with the strip until it ended in 1973, thus working on it longer than its creator. Initially he copied Caniff's style but gradually evolved a distinctive look of his own. George Wunder died in 1987.

George Wunder was a member of the National Cartoonists Society and received its Silver T-Square Award in 1970.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The George Wunder Cartoons collection consists of more than 3,100 original daily cartoons and more than 240 original Sunday cartoons from Terry and the Pirates (1947-1970). Daily cartoons are approximately 7 1/2 x 23 inches, while Sunday cartoons are approximately 19 1/2 x 28 1/2 in. All show traces of graphite; text is on pasteovers (some of which are detaching) and art is brush, pen and ink on illustration board. There is also a single weekly proof sheet (covers May 5-10, 1958) which is 11 1/4 x 17 1/2 in.

The collection also contains 2 color proofs and 4 original cartoons from the strip Our Guest Star (1955). This was a promotional strip featuring characters from Terry and the Pirates with cameo appearances from movie stars and other celebrities. Color proofs are approximately 5 1/2 x 14 in. and the original art is approximately 7 x 23 in. Original art is brush, pen and ink on illustration board, with traces of graphite.

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Arrangement of the Collection

Daily and Sunday Terry and the Pirates cartoons are arranged separately in chronological order. The Our Guest Star cartoons are foldered separately and can be found at the head of the Sunday series.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Related Material

Terry and the Pirates material by Milton Caniff can be located in the Milton Caniff Collection and the Vernon Greene Papers.

Special Collections Research Center has collections of more than 150 cartoonists. Please refer to the SCRC Subject Index for a complete listing. In addition, the Rare Books holdings include a number of published reprint collections of Terry and the Pirates; please refer to the Classic Catalog and search on "Terry and the Pirates" as title.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Wunder, George, 1912-1987.

Corporate Bodies

Chicago Tribune-New York News Syndicate.

Associated Titles

Our guest star (comic strip)
Terry and the pirates (comic strip)

Subjects

Adventure stories -- Comic books, strips, etc.
American wit and humor, Pictorial.
Caricatures and cartoons -- United States.
Cartoonists -- United States.
Comic books, strips, etc. -- United States.

Genres and Forms

Cartoons (humorous images)
Proofs (printed matter)

Occupations

Cartoonists.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

George Wunder Cartoons
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of George Wunder, 1968-1969.

Terry and the Pirates, 7/20/1958, gift of Susan W. Price, 2015.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: [Summit record]
Date: 2001-01-01
Revision history: 23 Mar 2007 - converted to EAD (MRC); 2 Mar 2009 - revised (MD); 7 Apr 2009 - revised (MD); 29 Apr 2011 - revised related material (AM); 5 May 2017 - addition (MRC)

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Inventory

Our Guest Star comic strip
Cartoons
Oversize 1 Jan 27, 1955 Features Mary Martin
Oversize 1 Apr 19, 1955 Features Grace Kelly
Oversize 1 Oct 28, 1955 Features Bob Cummings
Oversize 1 Dec 29, 1955 Features Charlton Heston
Color proofs
Oversize 1 Jan 27, 1955 Features Mary Martin
Oversize 1 Apr 19, 1955 Features Grace Kelly
Terry and the Pirates comic strip
Click here for detailed inventory.
Daily cartoons
Box 1 Daily cartoons 1947 Aug-1953 Dec
Box 2 Daily cartoons 1954 Jan-1955 Aug
Box 3 Daily cartoons 1955 Sep-1956 Jan
Box 4 Daily cartoons 1956 Feb-1956 Jul
Box 5 Daily cartoons 1956 Aug-1957 Feb
Box 6 Daily cartoons 1957 Mar-1957 Oct
Box 7 Daily cartoons 1957 Nov-1958 Feb
Box 8 Daily cartoons 1958 Mar-1958 Jun
Box 9 Daily cartoons 1958 Jul-1958 Oct
Box 10 Daily cartoons 1958 Nov-1959 Mar
Box 11 Daily cartoons 1959 Apr-1959 Aug
Box 12 Daily cartoons 1959 Sep-1960 Jan
Box 13 Daily cartoons 1960 Feb-1960 Jun
Box 14 Daily cartoons 1960 Jul-1960 Dec
Box 15 Daily cartoons 1961 Jan-1961 Apr
Box 16 Daily cartoons 1961 May-1961 Aug
Box 17 Daily cartoons 1961 Sep-1961 Dec
Box 18 Daily cartoons 1962 Jan-1962 May
Box 19 Daily cartoons 1962 Jun-1962 Sep
Box 20 Daily cartoons 1962 Oct-1963 May
Box 21 Daily cartoons 1963 Jun-1963 Sep
Box 22 Daily cartoons 1963 Oct-1964 Jan
Box 23 Daily cartoons 1964 Feb-1964 Jun
Box 24 Daily cartoons 1964 Jul-1964 Nov
Box 25 Daily cartoons 1964 Dec-1965 Apr
Box 26 Daily cartoons 1965 May-1965 Aug
Box 27 Daily cartoons 1965 Sep-1966 Jan
Box 28 Daily cartoons 1966 Feb-1966 Sep
Box 29 Daily cartoons 1966 Oct-1966 Dec; 1968 Jan
Box 30 Daily cartoons 1968 Feb-1968 May
Box 31 Daily cartoons 1968 Jun-1968 Oct
Box 32 Daily cartoons 1968 Nov-1969 Feb
Box 33 Daily cartoons 1969 Mar-1969 Jun
Box 34 Daily cartoons 1969 Jul-1970 Jan
Sunday cartoons
Oversize 1 Sunday cartoons 1958 Feb-1959 Dec
Sunday cartoon dated 7/20/1958, gift of Susan W. Price, 2015.
Oversize 2 Sunday cartoons 1960 Jan-1961 Dec
Oversize 3 Sunday cartoons 1962 Jan-1963 Sep
Oversize 4 Sunday cartoons 1964 Jun-1965 Dec
Oversize 5 Sunday cartoons 1966 Jan-1966 Dec
Oversize 6 Sunday cartoons 1967 Jan-1967 Dec

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