Jim Russell (cartoonist)
| Jim Russell | |
|---|---|
| Born | James Newton Russell 26 March 1909 Campsie, New South Wales, Australia |
| Died | 15 August 2001 (aged 92) Sylvania, New South Wales, Australia |
| Pen name | Mick Newton |
| Occupation | Cartoonist, illustrator |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Period | 1920s–1990s |
James Newton "Jim" Russell AM MBE (26 March 1909 – 15 August 2001) was an Australian cartoonist who drew The Potts for 62 years. Jim's brother Dan Russell was also a cartoonist.
Russell has entered the Guinness Book of Records for drawing the same comic strip singlehandedly without any assistance for a period of over 62 years, beating the record previously held by Frank Dickens' Bristow, which was in syndication for over 51 years, and Marc Sleen's The Adventures of Nero, which was in syndication for a period of 45 years.
Russell was born in Campsie, New South Wales, the son of William John "Billy" Russell, a foreman plumber with the Sydney City Council, the president of the New South Wales Plumbers' Union, the national secretary of the Australian Plumbers and Gasfitters Employees Union, and unsuccessful labour candidate for the seats of Parkes and Canterbury, who was killed in a workplace accident in 1915. His mother Catherine Elizabeth (née Diggs), remarried in 1926 and was one of the first two-woman members of an Australian Upper House of Parliament. Russell was educated at Tempe Technical School and Christian Brothers' High School, Lewisham In 1924 at age 14 he began work as a copy boy on the Daily Guardian before transferring later that year to Smith's Weekly's working as an art room messenger boy to Stan Cross. Russell also studied at Julian Ashton's Sydney Art School, for six years, while working at various jobs, including a box office attendant at the Sydney Stadium. This led to a brief boxing career, which included winning all five bouts as a welterweight at the Sydney Stadium. During this time he improved his drawing, with sketches he made of notable boxers being published in various Sydney papers. In 1926 the head artist of Fox Films offered to tutor Russell in the basics of art, for which he paid £100 and worked unpaid there for two years.
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