'Shrek' Illustrator William Steig Dies

[Khephra]

BOSTON -- William Steig, an illustrator for The New Yorker who was known as the "King of Cartoons" for his award-winning, best-selling children's books including "Shrek," has died. He was 95.

Steig died of natural causes Friday night at his home in Boston, said his agent, Holly McGhee.

Steig combined a child's innocent eye with idiosyncratic line to create a wonderful world of animal characters for his books and Edwardian-era dandies in his drawings.

"I carry on a lot of the functions of an adult but I have to force myself," he said in a 1984 interview with People. "For some reason I've never felt grown up."

http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/news/wire/sns-ap-obit-steig,0,5120315.story?coll=sns-ap-entertainment-headlines

[dofus]

1. I loved his books

and got a bunch of them for my kids. Dr DeSoto was a particular favorite. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble was another.

[Loyal]

3. Omg

I remember those books! Those were awesome!

[Lorien]

5. Me too

wasn't "Abel's Island" one of his too? That was my sisters favorite.


Rest in Peace, William. :-(

[Dogmudgeon]

2. Wilhelm Reich's pal

Just some trivia ...

Steig was a friend of Wilhelm Reich, and one of his Orgonomy patients back in the 1940s.

He illustrated Reich's Listen, Little Man!, which predated Sub-Genius and Dennis Miller rants by 50 years.

I'm pretty sure he designed a bronze bust of WR that is at the entrance to WR's lab, Orgonon, in Maine.

--bkl

[blondeatlast]

4. Another great one gone.

Magnificent New Yorker drawings and magnificent children's books; this is a very sad loss.

May he rest in God's embrace. Amen.

Great site devoted to him:

http://www.williamsteig.com/index2.htm