Joe Papin started as an artist working his way through Ohio State University. One of the ways that he supported himself was by drawing caricatures, once using his talents to pay for a trip to Florida.
LANTERN
Published by the Ohio State University School of Journalism
Columbus, Ohio, Tuesday, January 25, 1955
Papin Caricatures Gain Popularity
“Pardonne-moi, mademoiselle and monsieur. Would you care to have zee caricature?”
No, this is not taken from a Paris Street scene. On the contrary, it is the way Joe Papin, Ed-4, paid for his Florida trip last spring.
It seems that Joe, assisted by a Kappa Sigma fraternity brother, decided to find out if he couldn’t make the vacation pay for itself.
He approached the doorman at the Bahia-Mar yacht club in Fort Lauderdale and did a caricature of him. The doorman liked Joe‘s work and introduced him to some of the employees of the club. After that, it was just a matter of time until he met the manager and drew his caricature. The manager also appreciated Joe’s artistic endeavors and gave him a job.
He was introduced each evening by the master of ceremonies as a French artist from St. Louis, down on his luck. The MC was half right, because Joe was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1931.
It was during this stent in Florida that Joe did caricatures of Joe E. Brown, Loretta Young and Bing Crosby, to mention a few.
“Caricatures,” says Joe, “are really just a sideline for me. I would rather do serious painting.”
He has delved, numerous times, into the realm of legitimate art, executing many murals and portraits in and around Columbus. Probably the largest of these is a 14×6 foot New Orleans street scene.
More recently, he designed the large badge worn by Ohio State students at the Rose Bowl.
Joe inherits his great talent quite honestly, having evolved from a long line of artists.
He hopes to utilize his experience in a try at commercial art in New York.
At present Joe is associated with two enterprising partners, his brother, Jack Papin, A-3, and John Crawford, Ed-6.
The actual article is below:
Twenty years later, The National Cartoonist’s Society held caricature sessions to raise money for cartoonists who were struggling to make ends meet. One was at the New York Telephone Company and a similar one was held at the Manhattan Savings Bank.
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