Chris Cassatt was an American cartoonist, designer and photographer. Born in Syracuse, New York, he eventually settled in Aspen, where he began his career as a flyboy with The Aspen Times. He became the paper's main designer and chief photographer, and was additionally named the editor of the twice-weekly advertising publication The Aspen Flyer. He stayed with the paper throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, and helped chronicle and define Aspen's developing character during this period. His photographs of Aspen were also a major feature in the paper.
He started his cartooning career with the same paper. His first creation was 'Sal A. Mander', a strip that poked fun at local politics. He also drew the strip 'Downe & Dirty' for the Aspen Times. He reached a wider audience when he took over the internationally syndicated comic strip 'Shoe', following the death of its creator Jeff MacNelly in 2000. Cassatt had been MacNelly's assistant since 1993 and was instrumental in helping MacNelly use computers to streamline his work. Cassatt continued to work on 'Shoe' with illustrator Gary Brookins and MacNelly's widow Susie MacNelly until his death. He passed away in his home after a two-month battle with lymphoma in January 2013.
