Holy Moses Crow!

As a kid I drew a lot. Cartoons and comics fascinated me.

My first interest in political cartoons came from reading the Richmond Times-Dispatch and seeing the cartoons of Fred O. Seibel. His 'toons also appeared in history books and national magazines, so, even as a kid, I gathered he was one of the better known guys in his field.

Seibel's heyday was before my time, but he stayed on the job at the RT-D until 1968. Click here to see a VCU libraries page on Seibel.

Still, I've no doubt what caught my eye first about Seibel's elegant pen and ink work on the editorial page -- it was Moses Crow.

Moses Crow was the bird that always appeared in Seibel's single frames. With his specs perched on his beak, he would react to the action that drove the cartoon's point. Pat Oliphant, my favorite political cartoonist today, would surely be the first to tell you that Seibel influenced him. Seibel drawing style, his hooks and his way of using symbols influenced everybody.

It was while reading at the site linked to above that I saw the bird's name was Moses Crow. I had forgotten that detail and it delighted me so, I had to write this post. Thanks, VCU libraries.

And, here are links to a five old Seibel 'toons from way back when -- here, here, here, here and there are two from the Massive Resistance era here.