Roy Edward Doty

Doty Roy Edward Doty, a renowned cartoonist and World War II veteran, passed away on March 18, 2015 in Dublin, Ohio. Doty was born on September 10, 1922. He was 92. He is survived by his daughter, Deborah Doty Hall of Madison, CT; his beloved companion, Nancy Maar of Norwalk, CT; his four grandchildren, Ethan E. Hugo of Hingham, MA, Michael L. Doty and Rachel M. Doty of Saratoga, CA, Justin Slaughter Doty of Danbury, CT; his great-granddaughter, Madison E. Hugo of Hingham, MA; and his sister, Becky Doty Rogers of Orange Park, FL; and his brother, Robert Doty of Columbus, OH. He was predeceased by three children Jeffrey Edward Doty, MD, Christopher Slaughter Doty, and Deidre Doty Packus. Doty discovered cartooning during the Great Depression. "In fourth grade the bug hit," recalled Doty in an interview for the book Inspired Lines, but it wasn't until after World War II that Doty began his career. While serving in France during the Second World War Roy Doty discovered the work of a number of French cartoonists whose artistic techniques inspired his own unique style of "Line Drawing" cartooning. After working with Stars and Stripes during the war, Doty returned to the United States and began his cartooning career. He began freelancing in 1946, and was featured in The New York Times by the early 1950s. Throughout his entire career Doty never hired an agent, proudly freelancing throughout his entire life. In 1953 Doty hosted the Sunday morning DuMont Television Network children's program called The Roy Doty Show. During the 1960s Doty went on to draw the syndicated comic strip Laugh-In, based on the TV show Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In. Doty was also politically active in his early years. He supported Henry Wallace in 1948 and Adlai Stevenson in both 1952 and 1956 and aided their campaigns with his illustrations. However, Doty was best known for his Wordless Workshop, a popular home improvement series which ran as a syndicated feature in Popular Science for 35 years and in Family Handyman for the last 20 years. His work was also featured as part of the Aha! Puzzle This page in the Daily Mail, Elle, and many other magazines. Many kids today know Roy from his children's newsletter for the American Institute for Cancer Research. Others may recognize his work from his ad clients which included Buick, Black & Decker, Ford, Macy's, Minute Maid, Mobil Oil, Texas Instruments and Perrier. In his lifetime, Doty wrote 27 children's books, and illustrated more than 170 more. Some of his most famous works include his collaborations with Judy Blume, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Superfudge, and Otherwise Known as Shelia the Great. Doty won his first award in 1967 and enjoyed continued success in the field of cartooning his entire life. In 2006 he won the National Cartoonist Society's Reuben Illustrator of the Year Award. Doty is one of only twelve people inducted into the National Cartoonist Society's Hall of Fame. Roy was also an avid golfer and bowler, and still played both sports into his 90s. Doty's cartoons are featured at an exhibit at Ohio State University and his collection of cartoons has been donated to the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum at Ohio State University. Syracuse University also houses a collection of Doty's work. When asked: "And there's nothing you would have done differently?" in Inspired Lines Doty answered, "Not a damn thing."