Artie Auerbach had a successful career as a reporter and photographer for the New York tabloid "Daily Mirror" and the "New York Daily News". Among the more famous stories he covered were the Lindbergh kidnapping and the Hall–Mills murder case. Reportedly, he once took an illegal picture of a person in the electric chair. While a photographer, Auerbach had become very popular at private parties by telling Yiddish anecdotes. It was during his days as a press photographer when Auerbach had the inspiration for the character that would prove to give him his greatest fame. He was on an assignment at a Bronx drug store when he heard a voice singing a popular song of the time, "Yes, Sir, That's My Baby" with a strong Yiddish dialect and he loved the voice and personality. He would take that character and evolve it into the lovable and laughable "Mr. Kitzel". Auerbach and the druggist who inspired the character, Maurice Adollf, became long-time close friends. Auerbach described Adollf as "a wealthy man who had found peace of mind ... the thing we are all battling to find." When Auerbach began to find work as a comedian, he didn't quit the newspaper, but simply took a leave of absence. However, even by 1941, despite then appearing regularly on various radio programs, he still felt insecure about his future in show business and asked his newspaper for his seventh consecutive leave of absence.