H. R. McBRIDE

When Illustration Meets the Comics No. 1

H. R. McBRIDE

Hubbel Reed McBride nasce il 21 maggio 1892 a Mifflin, presso Richland, Ohio. Suo padre è Washington McBride (1840-1907), coltivatore e più tardi detentore di azioni della Mansfield Savings Bank. Dal primo matrimonio di W. McBride con Mary Ann Swan (celebrato il 26 aprile 1860), nascono i quattro figli Franklin Elmer (1862-1890), William S. (1864-1888), Lily Almana e Lora Etta. Dopo la morte di Mary A. Swan, avvenuta il 22 gennaio 1873, McBride si risposa il 17 dicembre 1874 con Mary Ann Au (1852-1932), figlia di Jacob Au, uno dei più noti coltivatori terrieri di Mifflin. Da questo secondo matrimonio nascono dieci figli: Margaret Elizabeth (n. 1876), Martha Mariah May (n. 1878), Charles Washington (n. 1880), Curtis Garfield (n. 1882), Nettie Grace (n. 1885), Mary Irene (n. 1888), Thomas F. (n. 1890), Hubbell Reed (n. 1892), Chester Willard (n. 1894) e Arthur Alexander (n. 1896).

H. R. McBride fa il suo debutto come illustratore nei primi anni Venti. Lavora prima nel campo pubblicitario e poi per libri e riviste, contribuendo tra l’altro a Collier’s, Liberty e This Week fino al 1940.

Il Censimento USA del 1930 ci dice che Hubbell R. McBride alloggia a Manhattan, New York, presso la casa di John F. Brefach  e Mary Brefach, entrambi nati in Ungheria. È sposato, ma resta ignoto il nome di sua moglie.

Nel 1937 McBride è uno degli illustratori che abbelliscono storie e poesie nella serie per ragazzi in 12 volumi My Book House di Olive Beaupre Miller.

Nel 1940 McBride è vedovo, e risiede adesso nel Bronx.

Esiste una registrazione di richiamo alle armi (4^a registrazione per lo stato di New York, sezione di Manhattan) per Hubbell Reed McBride datata 1942, anno in cui l’artista ha ormai 50 anni.

Nel 1941 McBride passa ai fumetti. Con George Kerr e Arthur Jameson, è uno dei “navigati” illustratori che il direttore editoriale della Western Printing, Oskar Lebeck, assume per abbellire la nascente serie di albi targata Dell. McBride contribuisce con storie, illustrazioni e copertine ad Animal Comics (dove disegna Uncle Wiggily, su testi di Roger Garis, figlio del creatore del personaggio, Howard R. Garis) e ad Our Gang Comics (dove disegna Flip ’n’ Dip, una divertente serie imperniata su una famiglia di scimpanzè scritta da Gaylord DuBois).

McBride lascia i fumetti nel 1947 (le sue ultime storie appaiono nel gennaio 1948, ma sono state disegnate almeno sei mesi prima), anche se pare tornarvi nel 1954 per assistere Vernon Greene nel disegnare gli animali su un numero di Super Circus compreso nella serie Four Color Comics, pubblicata con etichetta Dell.

McBride scompare il 31 dicembre 1960 a Dallas, Texas. Riposa nell’Odd Fellows Cemetery di Lucas, Richland County, Ohio.

1924 Theodore Roosevelt poster

Hubbel Reed McBride was born May 21, 1892 in Mifflin Township, Richland, Ohio. He was the son of Washington McBride (1840-1907), a farmer and later a leading stockholder of the Mansfield Savings Bank. By McBride’s first marriage to Mary Ann Swan (celebrated on April 26, 1860), four children were born: Franklin Elmer (1862-1890), William S. (1864-1888), Lily Almana, and Lora Etta. After Mary A. Swan died on January 22, 1873, McBride was again married December 17, 1874, his second union being with Mary Ann Au (1852-1932), a daughter of Jacob Au, one of the well-known farmers of Mifflin township. By the second marriage ten children were born: Margaret Elizabeth (b. 1876), Martha Mariah May (b. 1878), Charles Washington (b. 1880), Curtis Garfield (b. 1882), Nettie Grace (b. 1885), Mary Irene (b. 1888), Thomas F. (b. 1890), Hubbell Reed (b. 1892), Chester Willard (b. 1894), and Arthur Alexander (b. 1896).

H. R. McBride made his artistic début in the early twenties. He worked in advertising and later in book and magazine illustration, contributing to Collier’s, Liberty, and This Week among others, continuing until 1940.

The 1930 US Census says that Hubbell R. McBride was a lodger at the house of John F. Brefach  and Mary Brefach, both from Hungary, in Manhattan, New York. He was married, but his wife’s name is unknown.

In 1937 McBride was one of the illustrators who embellished stories and poems in the 12-volume My Book House series for children by Olive Beaupre Miller.

By 1940 he was widowed, and was living in the Bronx.

There is a draft registration (4th Registration for the State of New York, Borough of Manhattan) for Hubbell Reed McBride dated 1942.

By 1941 McBride had switched to comics. Together with George Kerr and Arthur Jameson, he was one of the illustrators that Western Printing’s managing editor Oskar Lebeck hired to embellish Dell’s nascent comic book line. McBride contributed stories, illustrations and covers to Animal Comics (where he drew the adventures of the rabbit Uncle Wiggily, on scripts by Roger Garis, son of the character’s creator, Howard R. Garis) and Our Gang Comics (where he drew Flip ’n’ Dip, a funny series starring a family of chimps written by Gaylord DuBois).

McBride left comics in 1947 (his last stories appeared in January 1948, but they had been drawn at least six months before), but he seems to have come back in 1954, assisting Vernon Greene on the animals in a Super Circus issue of Dell’s Four Color Comics.

McBride died December 31, 1960 in Dallas, Texas. He is buried at the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Lucas, Richland County, Ohio.

FUMETTOGRAFIA / COMICOGRAPHY

COMIC BOOKS

Editore / Publisher: DELL (aka K.K., WESTERN PRINTING)

Copertine / Cover art – Animal Comics #1-5 (1942-43).

Flip ’n’ Dip – Our Gang Comics #1-27- (1942-47).

Leo the Lion – Four Color Comics #542 (1954) [Assistant].

Retrocopertine / Back Cover art – Animal Comics #1-3 (1942-43).

Super Circus – Four Color Comics #542 (1954) [Assistant].

Super Circus Clown Alley – Four Color Comics #542 (1954) [Assistant].

Super Circus Menagerie – Four Color Comics #542 (1954) [Assistant].

Super Circus Sideshow – Four Color Comics #542 (1954) [Assistant].

Tavole con testo e illustrazioni / Text illustration pages – Animal Comics #14 (?), 15-17 (1945).

Uncle Wiggily – Animal Comics #2-30 (1943-48); Four Color Comics #179 (1948) [1 storia ristampata da Animal Comics #17 / 1 story reprinted from Animal Comics #17].

ILLUSTRAZIONI PER LIBRI E RIVISTE / BOOK AND MAGAZINE ILLUSTRATIONS

Editore/Publisher: THE BOOK HOUSE FOR CHILDREN

My Book House – 1937

Editore/Publisher: THE CONSTRUCTIVE PUBLISHING CORPORATION

National Brain Power – 02/1923.

Editore/Publisher: LIBERTY PUBLISHING CORPORATION

Liberty – Nov 26 1932, Dec 17 1932, Jan 14 1933, Feb 25 1933, Apr 29 1933, Sep 2 1933, June 2 1934,  Jun 9 1934, Mar 30 1940, July 27 1940 (Tutte copertine / Cover art on all).

Editore/Publisher: MACFADDEN PUBLICATIONS

Physical Culture – 09/1933.

Editore/Publisher: NEW METROPOLITAN FICTION, INC.

Metropolitan Magazine – 09/1923, 10/1923, 11/1923, 12/1923, 06/1924, 07/1924.

Editore/Publisher: P. F. COLLIER AND SON CO.

Collier’s – Sept 3 1927 (Copertina / Cover art).

Editore/Publisher: THIS WEEK

This Week – Dec 22 1935 (Copertina / Cover art).

H. R. McBRIDE GALLERY