George Booth

Born in Missouri in 1926, George Booth became one of America’s most distinctive cartoonists. He served in the Marines during World War II, studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and went on to build a career in magazines, advertising, and illustration before his work became a fixture in The New Yorker.

Booth’s cartoons are famous for their shaggy line work and their affectionate view of ordinary life. He loved drawing frazzled couples, overflowing apartments, and wonderfully odd cats and dogs, finding comedy in the mess and noise of everyday living.

Over the years, he also illustrated books, including work connected with children’s literature, and earned a reputation as a major influence on cartooning and humorous illustration. He died in 2022, but his work still feels lively and personal, full of sympathy for people doing their best in a chaotic world.