'Major Sunshine and Colonel Grouch' (The Pittsburgh Press, 18 August 1911).
A.C. Hutchison was an early 20th-century American comic artist and animator, known for comic strips such as 'Major Sunshine and Colonel Grouch' (1911), 'Mrs. Economy' (1911-1912), and 'Luke Whoozis' (1923). He should not be confused with another early 20th-century U.S. comic artist, Frank Hutchinson, who also signed his work with "Hutch". In April-May 2019, the experts in American newspaper comics at the Stripper's Guide blog managed to distinguish the separate career paths of these two artists.
Early life and career
Andrew Cleveland Hutchison Jr. (his last name is often misspelled as "Hutchinson") was born in 1885 in Charlotte, North Carolina. His father was an important player in the local manufacturing business. Andrew Jr., on the other hand, showed an early talent for drawing. His ambitions were supported by his art teacher at Elizabeth College. The Charlotte Observer already reported on the boy's talent in 1898, when the kid was thirteen years old. By 1906, he studied at the University of North Carolina, signing his cartoons for the school's yearbook with "Hutch". In the following year, the young wonderboy became staff artist with the Charlotte News, making cartoons based on the news of the day. The paper also sold his work to other newspapers around the state, like the Hickory Democrat.
'Hickory', 1 November 1906.
Strips for The New York World
Hutchison's career opportunities expanded when he headed for New York City around 1910. His work appeared regularly in Joseph Pulitzer's The New York World. The paper's syndicate distributed his weekday comic strips 'Major Sunshine and Colonel Grouch' and 'Mrs. Economy' to other newspapers as well. 'Major Sunshine and Colonel Grouch' (28 July - 1 August 1911) stars a tall, optimistic man, Major Sunshine, and a shorter, more frustrated sidekick, Colonel Grouch. Their contrasting personalities form the basis of each gag, only to have the situation be reversed for the punchline, when Sunshine is unlucky and irritated, giving Grouch a reason to laugh. The comic only ran for a few days, presumably because the gimmick got old very fast. Hutchinson's other strip, 'Mrs. Economy' (31 October 1911 - 9 January 1912), starred a strong willed woman who tries to involve her less strong willed husband in her savings plans. When push comes to shove, she is not that consistent herself either, though.
Other publications
Hutchison's cartoons additionally appeared in leading humor magazines like Life, Judge and Satire, while he made a series of political cartoons for The Yonkers Daily News. He allegedly also created work for the newspapers owned by William Randolph Hearst.
'Mrs. Economy' (Des Moines Tribune, 29 December 1911).
Animation career
In the late 1910s and early 1920s, Hutchison found employment in the upcoming animation industry, working through companies like the Keene Cartoon Corporation and the Lee-Bradford Corporation. For the latter, he participated in the production of the 'Red Head Comedies' (1923), the first cartoon series in color. During the 1930s, he worked on several shorts through the Ted Eshbaugh Studios, including 'Goofy Goat' (1931), 'The Snowman' (1933) and 'The Wizard of Oz' (1933), although the latter was not released due to legal difficulties. The Internet Movie Database also lists him as an uncredited animator on two early 'Mickey Mouse' cartoons by The Walt Disney Studios: 'The Beach Party' (1931) and 'The Duck Hunt' (1932).
Luke Whoozis
Hutchison briefly returned to comics with the daily strip 'Luke Whoozis', yet another comic hero stuck in a less affectionate marriage. It was syndicated through the International Syndicate between 7 August and 24 October 1923 to newspapers like the New Rochelle Standard-Star.
Later life and death
Later in life, Hutchison worked in the advertising industry, and passed away in 1957, at age 72.
'Luke Whoozis' (23 August 1923).