Conversation so far:
How was Thomas Nast's career?
As artist for The Illustrated London News, Thomas Nast's cartoons and articles about the Garibaldi military campaign to unify Italy captured the popular imagination in the U.S.
What else happened that is important regarding Thomas Nast's career besides working as an artist for The Illustrated London News?
Thomas Nast left the New York Illustrated News to work again, briefly, for Frank Leslie's Illustrated News. In 1862, he became a staff illustrator for Harper's Weekly.

Question: Was he popular?
Self-contained rewrite: Was Thomas Nast popular?