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Roy Peterson Cartoons

An inventory of his cartoons at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: MD
Date: 1 Dec 2008

Biographical History

Roy Eric Peterson (1936- ) is a Canadian cartoonist.

Roy Peterson was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1936 and attended the Kitsilano Secondary school in Vancouver, British Columbia. His two older brothers, both causalities of World War II, encouraged Peterson’s interest in drawing. In 1962, Peterson joined the Vancouver Sun, replacing Len Norris. His work also appeared in Punch, Time and from 1978 to 2001 in MacLean’s where it was used to illustrate Allan Fotheringham’s column.

During the 1970s with Stanley Burke, Peterson produced a book series including Frog Fables and Beaver Tales (1973) and The Day of the Glorious Revolution (1974) that sold over 250,000 copies. Peterson also published Drawn & quartered: the Trudeau years in 1984.

Peterson helped found the Association of Canadian Editorial Cartoonists and in 1990 served as its president. In 1983 he was elected president of the American Association of Editorial Cartoonists, the first Canadian to hold that position. Several National Newspaper awards have been given to Peterson (the most for a Canadian journalist) and in 2004 he became an Officer of the Order of Canada. He also received a Montreal International Salon of Humor Grand Prix. His work has appeared in the series, Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year.

Roy Peterson’s career with the Vancouver Sun ended with his layoff from the paper and his last cartoon appeared on May 31, 2009. His farewell cartoon was not published.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Roy Peterson Cartoons contains 11 items representing Peterson's work at the Vancouver Sun from 1969 and 1970. Pollution is the subject of all of the cartoons especially water and radioactive pollution. One original cartoon measuring 5 ½" x 6 ½" is included as well as six proofs and four clippings. The original cartoon was drawn with ink on illustration board. Captions are written on the original artwork and proofs in blue pen. One clipping is from Punch magazine.

Arrangement of the Collection

Items are arranged by format (original, proofs and clippings) and then in chronological order.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Related Material

Special Collections Research Center has collections of over one hundred cartoonists. Please refer to the SCRC Subject Index for a complete listing.

Subject Headings

Persons

Peterson, Roy.

Associated Titles

Punch (London, England)
Vancouver sun.

Subjects

Caricatures and cartoons -- Canada.
DDT (Insecticide) -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Editorial cartoons -- Canada.
Pollution -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Radioactive pollution -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Space Exploration -- Caricatures and cartoons.
U.S. Atomic Energy Commission -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Water -- Pollution -- Caricatures and cartoons.
Wit and humor, Pictorial.
World politics -- 1945-1989 -- Caricatures and cartoons.

Places

Canada -- Politics and government -- 1945-1980 -- Caricatures and cartoons.

Genres and Forms

Cartoons (humorous images)
Clippings (information artifacts)
Editorial cartoons.
Proofs (printed matter)

Occupations

Cartoonists.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Roy Peterson Cartoons,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Roy Peterson, 1970.

Table of Contents

Cartoons

Inventory