Rudolf Wilke (1873—1908) was a German caricaturist and illustrator known for his work for the journal Simplicissimus, to which he was invited to contribute by Albert Langen.[1] Before working for Simplicissimus, he had studied fine art at Munich and Paris and had set up a studio with Bruno Paul.[1] He had also contributed regularly to Die Jugend before he was recruited by Langen.[1]
In 1904 Wilke traveled to Marseilles, Algiers, Tunis, Naples and Rome in company with fellow artists Eduard Thöny and Ludwig Thoma.[2]
In 1906 Wilke, along with Olaf Gulbransson, Thoma, and Thöny, persuaded Langen to convert Simplicissimus into a joint stock company, thereby giving more power to the staff to control the journal's direction.[3]