Gerry Gersten

Gerry Gersten (born 1927, New York City)[1] was a prolific, and renowned political caricaturist.

He grew up in the Bronx, born to Polish Jewish immigrant parents who didn't believe in his calling. “I remember once picking up a copy of Life magazine and saying to them, ‘A page in this magazine would cost an advertiser $50,000, of course you can make a living in this field,’” he recalls. “But I couldn’t convince them. They wanted me to be an accountant.”[2]

Gersten studied at the Cooper Union Art School, and Cooper School of Design, before establishing his career as a caricaturist. He drew hundreds of illustrations for publications such as The New York Times, New York Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Time, Newsweek, Harpers, Rolling Stone, Esquire, Harper's and Playboy.[3][4][5] His work also adorned many record covers for RCA.[6] On March 29, 1973 his work adorned the cover of Rolling Stone, with a lively depiction of Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show.

In 1986, he began work for MAD Magazine, drawing political caricatures of public figures, for MAD's brand of satire.[7]

Through these notable assignments, Gersten gained international acclaim, and has collected awards from The Society of Illustrators, The Art Director's Club, and The Society of Publication Designers. His work has been exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum, the Spectrum Gallery, the Daz-marcel Gallery in New York, various galleries in Connecticut, the Museum of American Illustration, and the Cornell Museum.[8]

Notes

  1. ^ Gerry Gersten - Keywords and quick facts for Gerry Gersten AskART (Retrieved 5 March 2011.)
  2. ^ Two Holocaust books you can judge by their covers Larry Domnitch, 11 August 2010. (Retrieved 5 March 2011.)
  3. ^ New York Magazine - 24 Oct 1977 (Retrieved 5 March 2011.)
  4. ^ Community News Roundup - Page 3 - Sun Sentinel Sun-Sentinel and Forum Publishing Group staff, January 17, 2007. (Retrieved 5 March 2011.)
  5. ^ Alice Cooper Rolling Stone Magazine from Unknown on Mar 29, 1973 Wolfgang's Vault (Retrieved 5 March 2011.)
  6. ^ Thinks happen: Gerry Gersten [sic] (Retrieved 5 March 2011.)
  7. ^ GERRY GERSTEN - MAD #313 BOB SAGET / AFHV ORIG ART - Lewis Wayne Gallery (Retrieved 5 March 2011.)
  8. ^ AugustBiblioeventsFIN073108.pdf The Ridgefield Library Biblioevents, Volume 15, Issue 2 August 2008 (Retrieved 5 March 2011.)

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