Pete Gray Cartoon

The Case:

A comic book collector in Brooklyn, NY owns several storyboards from a cartoon comic strip dating to the immediate post-World War II period. 

The strip relates the story of Pete Gray, the first one-armed major league baseball player who later became an icon for disabled WWII veterans. 

The cartoon world had its golden age from the late 1930’s through the 50’s, and although many period cartoonists were extraordinarily talented, they were also often moonlighting from work in advertising or more “respectable” trades and their identities were often not disclosed.

Who was the artist of this remarkable comic? And why does it feature a real-life human, rather than the more common superhero?

History Detectives examine how comic artists helped reframe popular culture in the mid-20th century.

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