Bill Mauldin (1921–2003,) fully William Henry Mauldin, was an American editorial cartoonist best known for his World War II cartoons portraying ordinary soldiers. His work captured military life’s hardships and humor, earning widespread acclaim and two Pulitzers.
Born in Mountain Park, New Mexico, Mauldin studied at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts before enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1940. While serving with the 45th Infantry Division, he began drawing cartoons for the division’s newspaper, creating Willie and Joe, two weary infantrymen embodying frontline struggles. His cartoons gained national recognition when published in Stars and Stripes.
In 1945, Mauldin won his first Pulitzer for his wartime cartoons, later compiled into Up Front (1945.) After the war, he worked as a syndicated cartoonist, addressing political and social issues. His second Pulitzer came in 1959 for editorial cartoons at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Mauldin’s notable works include Back Home (1947,) The Brass Ring (1971,) and Let’s Declare Ourselves Winners (1990.) His 1963 cartoon depicting a grieving Abraham Lincoln after John F. Kennedy’s assassination remains one of his most iconic pieces.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Bill Mauldin
Patton was living in the Dark Ages. Soldiers were peasants to him. I didn’t like that attitude.
—Bill Mauldin
Topics: Soldiers
I feel like a fugitive from the law of averages.
—Bill Mauldin
Topics: Sanity
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