Mauldin, << MAWL dihn, >> Bill (1921-2003), was an American editorial cartoonist. He became famous during World War II (1939-1945) for his drawings of U.S. Army life in The Stars and Stripes, the armed forces newspaper. The main characters in these cartoons, two American GI’s named Willie and Joe, often showed the resentment of enlisted soldiers toward officers. Mauldin won the Pulitzer Prize for cartooning in 1945 and 1959.
William Henry Mauldin was born on Oct. 29, 1921, in Mountain Park, New Mexico. He served in the Army from 1940 to 1945. After his release from the Army, he worked for several years as a cartoonist for United Features Syndicate. In 1958, Mauldin became editorial cartoonist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, where he became known for his satirical wit and liberal views. Collections of his cartoons include Up Front (1945), Back Home (1947), The Brass Ring (1971), and Mud and Guts (1978). Mauldin died on Jan. 22, 2003.
