Design and Art Australia Online

cartoonist, comic strip and commercial artist, was born at Milson’s Point, Sydney (Miller’s Point, acc. Shiell ed.), son of a plumber who was killed in an accident in 1915; his younger brother Jim Russell was also a cartoonist. Their mother, Catherine Green, was a member of the NSW Legislative Council in 1931-32. Dan studied art with Julian Ashton and J.S. ('Wattie’) Watkins at night while working as a clerk. He was secretary of the Black and White Artists Guild 1928-29 and secretary of the re-formed Black and White Artists’ Club in 1937, while working as an advertising and commercial artist. He worked for Frank Johnson Publications during WWII and was a commercial artist in Sydney 1944-45, then went overseas in 1946 and studied cartoon techniques in the USA, Mexico and Canada. He produced adventure strips for Johnson for which he was paid 30/- a page. He usually managed 4-6 pages a week. They included Terry Lawson (rover scout), Val Blake – Ventriloquist (and detective), Wanda Dare (reporter) and Jimmy Dale (boxing champ). In 1952 he became a staff artist on Truth and the Daily Mirror and was involved in A.M. magazine. He was political cartoonist for the Adelaide Advertiser in 1953-55. From 1955 to 1964 he was general cartoonist for the Adelaide News and Sunday News .

A lifelong member of the Australian Black and White Artists’ Club, Dan Russell was president in 1977. He won a Silver Stanley for his contribution to black and white art in 1991 and was made a life member of the ABWAC the same year.

Writers:

Kerr, Joan

Date written:

1996

Last updated:

2007