Lou Skuce

Thomas Lewis Skuce (July 6, 1886 - November 20, 1951), more popularly known as Lou Skuce, was a Canadian comic strip and editorial cartoonist (much of it sports-related), who also appeared widely in movie theatres to entertain while producing cartoons that were projected onto the screen. He also worked in commercial illustration, owning his own studio serving advertising clients in Canada and the United States. During World War II, he also produced material that appeared in the Canadian Whites. and also opened Lou Skuce Studios, which had its offices at the Old Toronto Star Building at 80 King Street West. When The Mail and Empire was acquired by The Globe in 1936, he decided to work strictly freelance. and various publications, and were notable because Skuce drew them all in the living room of his home, relying solely on experience and memory.

Impact Writing about his style, Toronto Telegram columnist Ted Reeve once said, "Lou [Skuce] was a horse for work. Nothing was too much trouble, no detail in his work too small for him to look after."

Skuce's fame did not last long after his death, as he had focused strictly on cartooning unlike contemporaries such as C.W. Jefferys, and none of the characters he created remained in the public consciousness unlike those by James Simpkins or Doug Wright. Interest in his work revived in the 21st century, and a retrospective of it was shown at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival in 2016.

He was instrumental in pushing for the creation of the Lou Marsh Memorial Trophy, which is awarded annually to Canada's top athlete, whether professional or amateur.