Darrell Craig McClure February 25,1903 Ukiah, California - February 27, 1987 Talmage, California, American cartoonist and illustrator. Best known for his work on the comic strip Little Annie Rooney from 1930-1966. This was an established strip, essentially a copy of Little Orphan Annie, but with a familiar name from an 1890s song by Michael Nolan and a silent film starring Mary Pickford as Little Annie Rooney.
After working as a tailor, lumberjack and merchant seaman, he began an apprenticeship as a cartoonist and animator. He never lost his love of the sea, living at times on his 45-foot yacht and illustrating articles for Yachting (magazine). He formally studied cartooning at a school in San Francisco and later at the California School of Fine Arts.
He moved to New York City and began working for King Features Syndicate. In the late 1920s his first strips Vanilla and the Villains and Hard Hearted Hickey appeared. Later after taking over Rooney (except for Sundays) from two previous artists for the New York Journal, he tried another strip of his own Donnie. These comic strips were short-lived.
During the height of Rooney's popularity, McClure built a house in Greenwich, Connecticut, home to many famous cartoonists, and lived and worked there from 1940-1947.
As adventure strips became less popular, McClure and Rooney retired in 1966.
He painted many sailing scenes, especially in the Bahamas. His paintings and drawings are in museums, galleries, and private collections; including the maritime museum in the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.
Collections
- The best of Darrel McClure: Cartoons including the adventures of Cautious Conrad and the McClure roundup by Darrell McClure; Yachting Pub. Corp (January 1, 1954)
- The gaff rigged yachtsman: Cartoons by Darrell McClure; Yachting Pub. Corp (January 1, 1944)
- Little Annie Rooney Wishing Book by Brandon Walsh (Author), Darrel McClure (Illustrator); McLoughlin Bros. Inc. (1932)
Sources
- McClure painting value complicated; Cincinnati Post; May 20, 2006
- Memories of Darrell McClure linger in his backcountry Greenwich home, Greenwich Time, Conn.; Sep 2, 2003
- Deaths Elsewhere; The Washington Post; Wash. D.C.; Mar 2, 1987
- Deaths elsewhere; Orlando Sentinel; Fla.: Mar 1, 1987
- Deaths The San Diego Union - Tribune; Calif.: Feb 28, 1987; p.A2
- Little Annie Rooney; (sheet music), Duke U. Historic American Sheet Music [1]
Links
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