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Wallace "Wally" Bishop collection of "Muggs and Skeeter" cartoon art and family papers, 1889-1982

 

Summary

Creator:
Bishop, Wallace ("Wally")
Abstract:
The Wallace "Wally" Bishop Collection of "Muggs and Skeeter" Cartoon Art and Family Papers in St. Petersburg, Florida has materials of art boards, proof sheets, personal and family photographs, scrapbooks, and correspondence.
Extent:
9 boxes
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

The Wallace "Wally" Bishop Collection of "Muggs and Skeeter" Cartoon Art and Family Papers collection, Nelson Poynter Memorial Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL.

Background

Biographical / historical:

Wally Bishop and his wife, Louise C. Bishop became leaders in a variety of social circles and cultural organizations in the greater St. Petersburg area. In the late 1930s, they bought the elaborate mansion constructed by C. Perry Snell on Brightwaters Boulevard at the mouth of Coffee Pot Bayou. In Louise's later life, her profound concern for ethics in undergraduate education led to the establishment of the Bishop Center for Ethical Leadership and Civic Engagement at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. The cartoons in this collection, part of the Bishop estate, were transferred to the Bishop Center with hopes that they may support the didactic and curricular needs of the Center.

The cartoonist, Wallace Bond "Wally" Bishop (1905‐1982), began the comic strip in 1927 under the name of "Muggs McGinnis." The name changed in 1936 to "Muggs and Skeeter" and became a staple if the cartoon pages until the strip ended publication in 1974. The proofs that exist in this particular collection span the years from 1962 through 1974. Missing from this collection are the years from 1927 through 1961. The cartoon's lifespan covers much of the mid‐ twentieth century, including major historical events such as the end of the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War, the assassinations of both President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, the Vietnam War, Civil Rights protests, White House sit‐ins, the Watergate Scandal, and much more.

Many of the comic strips are based on current events of the time. While it was not found to be the norm throughout the publishing life of the cartoon, the author did occasionally insert subtle references to his own feelings toward contemporary events. Indeed, there are three particular comics that one could construe as the author's way of mildly adding his political opinions; they took place during the tenure of President Richard Nixon. The first one dated June 1971 references citizens under watch and control of their government. The second one dated February/March 1972 refers to the desire for a new president, while the third, dated April 1972, mentions "invasion of privacy." These three comics actually reference a time when citizens strongly challenged governmental abuse of power and attempts to control the lives of ordinary citizens.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Terms of access:

None. The contents of the collection may be subject to copyright. Visit the United States Copyright Office's website at http://www.copyright.gov/ for more information.

Preferred citation:

The Wallace "Wally" Bishop Collection of "Muggs and Skeeter" Cartoon Art and Family Papers collection, Nelson Poynter Memorial Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL.

Location of this collection:
140 7th Avenue South
St. Petersburg
FL
33701
USA