Gregor Duncan (artist)
Gregor Keane Duncan (February 12, 1910–May 28, 1944) was an American artist who specialized in pen-and-ink drawings for magazines, books and newspapers. Born in Seattle, Washington, Duncan grew up in Sausalito, California, the son of Charles and Constance Duncan. Charles Duncan wore many hats during his career, working as a designer and illustrator, as well as the press agent for Joseph Strauss, the chief engineer on the Golden Gate Bridge. Constance Duncan, the sister of Western painter Maynard Dixon, was trained as a pianist. While Gregor Duncan received no formal art training from his  famous uncle, he did work in his San Francisco studio as a "water boy", cleaning brushes, changing the water, etc. Duncan left Tamalpais High School before graduating, and started on the staff of the "Sausalito News" when he was 17 years old. Soon after, he moved across the bay to San Francisco to do sports and courtroom drawings for the "San Francisco Call Bulletin". Duncan commuted from Sausalito to San Francisco, maintaining a small studio in the Montgomery Block in San Francisco. Magazines. The 23-year-old Duncan relocated in New York in 1933 and was soon hired by the  original "Life" humor magazine. Duncan drew mostly political cartoons for "Life", incorporating ink, litho crayon and watercolor. Most of Duncan's cartoons were very pro-Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal, until the political tone of the magazine changed, forcing him to change the tenor of his work. The early "Life" ceased publishing in 1936, but Duncan continued working for many other magazines, including "Judge", "Literary Digest", "Reader's Digest", "Look", "Collier's", "Cosmopolitan" and "For Men Only". In addition, Duncan did illustrations for "PM" newspaper from its initial publication in 1940. Even while serving in the Army Air  Corps, Duncan continued supplying "PM" with writings and illustrations. Books. From 1939 to 1942, Duncan illustrated nine books, including his personal favorite, "Wacky the Small Boy": World War II. During World War II, Duncan was drafted into the Army Air Corps in July 1942. He did his basic training in Atlantic City, New Jersey, and then worked in the office of Public Relations, spending time at Lowry Field in Colorado, Tarpon Springs, Florida, and Chanute Field in Illinois. His work consisted of drawings for manuals, public dissemination, and cartoon illustrations for military publications. Duncan joined the staff of "Stars and  Stripes" on December 14, 1943, and was shipped to Algiers to work on the Mediterranean edition of the military paper. His work in "Stars and Stripes" consisted of everything from field studies to comic strips and included numerous courtroom drawings from the war crimes trials of the Vichy Government. Duncan was sent to Naples, Italy in March 1944, where he befriended Bill Mauldin, who wrote about Duncan in his 1972 memoir, "The Brass Ring". In May 1944, Duncan was sent to Anzio, to work in the "Stars and Stripes" office under illustrator Ed Vebell. Duncan and Sgt. Jack Raymond left  for the Anzio beach head on May 29, to gather material for a new series of drawings. With Duncan behind the wheel, the Jeep was struck by a German 88 shell, and Duncan was killed. His wife, Janice Duncan Goodhue, who was a volunteer with the American Red Cross, recalled: Upon hearing of Duncan's death, Lieut. Gen. Mark Clark, Commander of the 5th Army, wrote to his widow: