Gilbert Bundy

Gilbert Bundy (1911 – November 21, 1955) was an American cartoonist and illustrator, particularly for Esquire, Life, Judge, and The Saturday Evening Post magazines. He killed himself on the 12th anniversary of a deeply traumatic experience as a war artist in the Battle of Tarawa.

Early life and career Bundy was born in Centralia, Illinois. His father was a scout for an oil company, so they lived in several oil boom towns across Oklahoma, with Bundy finishing high school in Winfield, Kansas.

Bundy's career started in Kansas City, working for an engraving company, and then he moved to New York City in 1929, to draw cartoons for Life and Judge magazines. According to Martin Plimmer, "Bundy's work was painstakingly researched, the result of numerous life studies, the final version being drawn from memory to add spontaneity."

On November 21, 1943, Bundy was on a small landing craft during the amphibious landing in the Battle of Tarawa, when a Japanese shell exploded, leaving him trapped under four dead Marines.