7 January: Remembering Charles Addams on Birth Anniversary

OV Digital Desk
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Charles Addams

Image courtesy: Google Doodle

Charles Samuel Addams (7 January 1912 – 29 September 1988) was an American cartoonist known for his darkly humorous and macabre characters. The cartoons were signed by Chas Addams. Through various adaptations, some of his recurring characters became known as the Addams Family.

Life and Career

Addams was born on 7 January 1912 in Westfield, New Jersey.  He began drawing at a young age. He studied at Colgate University and the Grand Central School of Art, and he began his career as a cartoonist in the 1930s, working for The New Yorker magazine.

Addams is most famous for his cartoons featuring peculiar and often unsettling characters, many of which were published in The New Yorker. These characters were the basis for the TV show “The Addams Family,” which ran from 1964 to 1966 and has since been adapted into numerous other formats, including movies, stage productions, and video games.

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In addition to his work as a cartoonist, Addams was also an accomplished illustrator and wrote and illustrated several children’s books. He received numerous awards for his work, including the National Cartoonists Society’s Reuben Award for Cartoonist of the Year in 1954 and 1964. Addams passed away in 1988, but his work continues to be popular, and his cartoons are considered classics of the genre.

Addams died on 29 September 1988, at the age of 76, at St. Clare’s Hospital and Health Center in New York City, having suffered a heart attack.

Award and Legacy

Charles Addams was a highly regarded cartoonist and illustrator who received numerous awards for his work. In 1954, he received the National Cartoonists Society’s Reuben Award for Cartoonist of the Year. He was also nominated for the award in 1957 and 1960, and he won it again in 1964.

Addams’ work was widely published in The New Yorker and other publications, and his cartoons have been featured in numerous collections and anthologies. His work has also been exhibited in galleries and museums, including a retrospective at the Society of Illustrators in New York City in 2010.

Addams’ legacy extends beyond his award-winning cartoons and illustrations. His work inspired the TV show “The Addams Family,” which aired from 1964 to 1966 and has since been adapted into numerous other formats, including movies, stage productions, and video games. The show, which features a cast of peculiar and often unsettling characters, has become a cultural phenomenon and has helped to introduce Addams’ work to a wider audience. Addams is remembered as a pioneer in the field of cartooning.

The Charles Addams Fine Arts Hall in Philadelphia was named in his tribute by the University of Pennsylvania in 2001

On 7 January 2012, Google Doodle celebrated Charles Addams’ 100th Birthday.

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