A. S. Paterson (1955)
New Zealand cartoonist A.S. Paterson was born today in 1902. Paterson was the first staff artist for the national New Zealand paper The Dominion starting in 1925 and working until 1950 with a brief break during the war years. Paterson produced daily cartoons for the paper, often focused on wry observations of New Zealand life, rather than any deep political commentary. Paterson also produced book illustrations, advertisements, and work for magazines including the New Zealand Sports digest and The New Zealand Artist's annuals of the late 1920's and 1930's.
From Susan E. Foster's Profile at Te Ara,
"Paterson worked his cartoons out in his mind at night, then drew them in the morning, usually taking 1½ to two hours. In his early drawings the influence of Phil May and a young David Low can be seen before he developed his own fluid, economical style."
Over the years Paterson also illustrated many books and publications for A. W. Reed depicting the life and times of New Zealand in the early twentieth century.
As well as his skill as a cartoonist Paterson was an accomplished water colourist with three books of watercolour work published posthumously that saw multiple printings with sales of over 100,000 copies.
From NZ Herald cartoonist G. E Minhinnick. O.B E. foreword to Paterson's book of watercolour puns, The Bull Pen,
"His friends will remember him as a gentle and whimsical philosopher, with a glorious sense of the absurd. They will remember him, too as an artist an illustrator of distinction and a quiet man."
Below: Collections of A.S. Paterson's Dominion strips.
