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 Rogers
was born 23 May, 1854, in Springfield, Ohio. He attended Worcester
Polytechnic Institute and Wittenberg College in Ohio, graduating
from neither. His artistic training was self-taught. Roger's first
cartoons were published in a Dayton, Ohio, newspaper, where his
mother had submitted some of his sketches when he was 14.
Roger's
career as an illustrator began at the age of 19 with the Daily
Graphic in New York in 1873. He assisted with news sketches
and occasionally drew cartoons. In 1877 he was hired by Harper's
Weekly, where he took over the political cartoon cover upon
Thomas Nast's departure. He remained at Harper's for 25 years. His
cartoons were never quite as powerful as Nast's, but his messages
were boldly presented and his drawings somewhat more capable.
After
his tenure at Harper's, Rogers drew daily cartoons for an
additional 20 years at the New York Herald. He was also among
the first cartoonists for Life in 1883 and concurrently contributed
now and again while employed elsewhere. He similarly submitted cartoons
and illustrations for Puck, the Century, and St.
Nicholas during this period.
While
he was successful, some critics have declared his talent as modest.
It was Roger's cartoon concepts during World War I that are most
noteworthy, being among his best work and most clever ideas. Rogers
was a member of the Century Association and the Society of Illustrators.
He ended his career as a cartoonist on the Washington Post,
retiring in 1926.
Rogers
died in Washington, D.C., 20 October, 1931.
Sources:
Horn,
Maurice, ed. The World Encyclopedia of Cartoons. 2d ed. Philadelphia:
Chelsea House Publishers, 1999.
The
National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. Vol. 24. New York:
James T. White & Company, 1967.
Reed,
Walt. The Illustrator in America, 1860-2000. New York: The
Society of Illustrators, 2001.
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