Victor Forsythe

Victor Clyde Forsythe, also known as Clyde or Vic Forsythe (August 24, 1885 – May 24, 1962), was an American artist, most known for his illustrations and desert paintings. He is the illustrator of many different comics, including Joe Jinks. He is also believed to be considered one of the original "Desert Painters".

Personal life Clyde Forsythe was born on August 24, 1885, in Orange, California, to W.B. and Alice Chandler-Forsythe. Prior to his birth, Clyde's parents had lived in Tombstone, Arizona, where they owned a store near the O.K. Corral, known as "Chandler & Forsythe's C.O.D. Store". According to Clyde's father, both W.B. and Clyde's uncle, Ira Chandler, were present at the time of the shootout that occurred between Wyatt Earp and his men and the Clanton-McLowery gang. Clyde's parents would eventually move to Southern California but this event would later influence Clyde's work.

In the 1890s, his family moved to Los Angeles, California. While living in California, Clyde would often take camping trips out to the desert and spent his time as a youth on a ranch in the Coachella Valley which would inspire his fascination with the desert landscape. Forsythe's "And They Thought We Couldn't Fight" poster for the Victory Loan drive. Forsythe was also responsible for various illustrations to war stories found in Boys' Life magazine throughout World War I and into the 1920s.

After World War I, Forsythe continued to work as a cartoonist. In 1918, he created his most famous cartoon, Joe's Car (later distributed by United Feature Syndicate), which was a comic about a man obsessed with his car. These artist are believed to have influenced a large number of "Desert Painters" and helped influence the desert painting movement.

In 1952, he painted Gunfight at O.K. Corral. The oil painting was regarded by some as the most accurate depiction of the gunfight for many years. Forsythe's father, William Bowen Forsyth and uncle, Ira Chandler owned a store, Chandler & Forsyth C.O.D., at 328 Fremont Street, west of the back entrance to the O.K. Corral, and one-half block from the site of the gunfight. They claimed that had been present and witnessed the shoot out. Newspaper accounts of the painting reported that Forsythe had interviewed Tombstone residents and examined many of the remaining buildings before beginning to plan his painting. In May 1988, his studio printed and sold a limited edition of 390 copies of the painting.

Comic strip bibliography Bibliography of Forsythe's comic strip work:

Flooey and Axel (aka Axel The White Dope), daily: April 22, 1911 - March 17, 1917 Bad Bill the Western Wildcat, weekdays: Nov 10 - Nov 29, 1911 Baseball Games in Moving Pictures, weekdays: April 12 - June 5, 1912 Tenderfoot Tim, Sunday: Oct 20, 1912 - March 15, 1914 It Can't Be Done, weekdays: Nov 25, 1912 - Dec 30, 1913 The Commuters' Saturday Night, weekly: Dec 6-20, 1913 I'm Falling in Love With Some One!, weekdays: Jan 7 - Feb 7, 1914 Vic Forsythe Comic Strip, daily: March 19 - June 2, 1917 Joe Jinks (aka Joe's Car), daily/Sunday: June 4, 1917 - Feb 20, 1938 Henry, Sunday: June 13, 1920 - Feb 6, 1921 Fussy Foursome, weekly panel: 1924 - April 26, 1931 Way Out West, Sunday: Jan 7, 1934 - Nov 22, 1936 Jimmy and the Tiger, daily: Nov 12, 1934 - Dec 5, 1936

Joe Jinks had a number of Sunday topper strips: Joe's Day Off: Dec 9, 1928 - March 10, 1929 This An' That: March 17, 1929 - March 2, 1930 Bozo's Diary: May 19, 1929 - Sept 28, 1930 It Seems That: March 16, 1930 - Jan 4, 1931 Divot Diggers: June 28, 1931 - 1941 Fussy Foursome: Nov 6, 1932 - Dec, 1933

Way Out West also had a Sunday topper: Bunker Bugs: Jan 7, 1934 - April 7, 1935 The Little Woman: April 21, 1935 - Nov 22, 1936