Thomas Lewis "Lou" Skuce | |
|---|---|
 Advertisement created by Skuce forMaple Leaf Gardens to promote the 1941OHA Junior Finals between theToronto Marlboros and theOshawa Generals, featuring Skuce's two best-known characters "Mr. Fan" and "Lou's Goose" | |
| Born | Thomas Lewis Skuce (1886-07-06)July 6, 1886[1] |
| Died | November 20, 1951(1951-11-20) (aged 65)[2] |
| Resting place | Beechwood Cemetery, Ottawa |
| Alma mater | Lisgar Collegiate Institute |
| Occupations | Cartoonist,illustrator,playwright |
| Spouse(s) | [3][4] [5] |
| Parent(s) | James Skuce Margaret Boulger |
Thomas Lewis Skuce (July 6, 1886 - November 20, 1951), more popularly known asLou Skuce, was aCanadiancomic strip andeditorialcartoonist (much of it sports-related), who also appeared widely inmovie theatres to entertain while producing cartoons that were projected onto the screen.[6] He also worked incommercial illustration,[7] owning his own studio serving advertising clients inCanada and theUnited States. DuringWorld War II, he also produced material that appeared in theCanadian Whites.[7] When he died, he was referred to as "Canada's Greatest Cartoonist".[8]
Born inOttawa, Skuce was an accomplished athlete in his youth. As a member of theBritannia Boat House Club, he won seven Canadian and one international paddling championships.[9] He also playedrugby with theOttawa Rough Riders, andice hockey for at least one season at an amateur club inWinnipeg.[9]
Skuce became a staff cartoonist at theOttawa Journal, and later moved to work at theToronto Sunday World in 1909, working there until 1923.[9] He was the first Canadian cartoonist to draw three-colour front page illustrations, which allowed him to display his fine-art skills.[9] In 1914,Maclean's described him as a rising genius in his field.[9]
In 1923, Skuce moved toNew York City to work inanimation forBray Productions, a studio founded byJ.R. Bray.[9] He later moved intocomic strips, producingCash and Carrie (similar in format toTillie the Toiler andDumb Dora) in 1926, initially for theMerit Newspaper Corporation and later for theBell Syndicate.[9] AfterCash and Carrie was cancelled, he createdMary Ann Gay forUnited Press Features.[10] At the end of 1928, he returned to Canada to work forThe Mail and Empire,[10] and also opened Lou Skuce Studios, which had its offices at theOld Toronto Star Building at 80 King Street West.[8] WhenThe Mail and Empire was acquired byThe Globe in 1936, he decided to work strictlyfreelance.[2]
DuringWorld War II, he did work for severalcomic books produced byBell Features.[7]
He was also noted for a series of murals that he created for the Toronto Men's Press Club.[6][a] They were shown throughout the Canada bynewsreel[11] and various publications, and were notable because Skuce drew them all in the living room of his home, relying solely on experience and memory.[2]
During his time in New York, Skuce became interested in playwriting and acting, and several of his plays (includingBill of 13) were produced.[2] His interest continued afterwards, and at his death he was president of the Toronto chapter of theAmerican Guild of Variety Artists.[2]
Skuce had done a cover for a program for theToronto Maple Leafs during their last season in theArena Gardens in 1930, and did their first program when they moved to the then-newMaple Leaf Gardens in 1931. His artwork was also used in licensed jig saw puzzles in the 1930s, including one with the 1932Stanley Cup Champions Maple Leafs.[12]
Writing about his style,Toronto Telegram columnistTed Reeve once said, "Lou [Skuce] was a horse for work. Nothing was too much trouble, no detail in his work too small for him to look after."[9]
Skuce's fame did not last long after his death, as he had focused strictly on cartooning unlike contemporaries such asC.W. Jefferys, and none of the characters he created remained in the public consciousness unlike those byJames Simpkins orDoug Wright.[9] Interest in his work revived in the 21st century, and a retrospective of it was shown at theToronto Comic Arts Festival in 2016.[13]
He was instrumental in pushing for the creation of theLou Marsh Memorial Trophy, which is awarded annually to Canada's topathlete, whether professional or amateur.[9]