Born: 1907 January 31 in El Dorado, Arkansas, United States

Died: 1989 October 30 in Sacramento, California, United States

Biography: Alderson is known to have worked on some of the very first comic books.

Syndication work:
Syndicated political cartoons (self-syndicated as Court Features?) 1951 onward [As late as the 1970s? Writer, pencils, and inks.];
Sonny South weekly (Al Smith Service) 1953-XX-XX - 1973-07-05 [Writer, pencils, and inks. Alderson worked the strip as Courtney Alderson from 1953-XX-XX to 1955-10-27 and 1965-05-05 to 1973-07-05; as Al Courtson from 1955-11-03 to 1956-01-26; and as Al Sonders from 1956-02-02 to 1965-04-29.];
The Sporty Ones daily (Court Features) 1958-XX-XX - 1964-XX-XX [Writer, pencils, and inks. Self-syndicated.];
The Sporty Ones weekly (Al Smith Service) 1978-XX-XX - 1981-XX-XX [Writer, pencils, and inks. Solicited in Editor and Publisher, but might not have appeared in any newspapers. Probably reprints of the earlier comic panel of the same name.];
This is Sport? twice-per week (Court Features) 1958-XX-XX - 1969-XX-XX [Writer, pencils, and inks. Self-syndicated. Possible The Sporty Ones reprints for weekly papers.];
This is Sport? weekly (Al Smith Service) 1978-XX-XX - 1987-XX-XX [Writer, pencils, and inks. Solicited in Editor and Publisher, but might not have appeared in any newspapers. Probably reprints of the earlier comic panel of the same name or the earlier The Sporty Ones daily.];
Travelin' Arkie daily (Ving Features Syndicate) 1950-09-04 - 1951-03-XX ? [Writer, pencils, and inks.].

Per his 1940 Draft Registration Card, as of October 1940, Alderson listed McClatchy Publishing Co. as his employer and living in Sacramento, California. McClatchy Publishing owned the Sacramento Bee newspaper, where he was employed as a staff artist and cartoonist, possibly into the 1970s?


Name:

    Courtney Alderson Type: Common Alternative Name

Other Names:

  1. Bernard Courtney Alderson Type: Name at Birth
    Given name: Bernard Courtney Family name: Alderson
  2. Court Alderson Type: Common Alternative Name
  3. Court Type: Pen Name
  4. Al Courtson Type: Pen Name
  5. Al Sonders Type: Pen Name

Schools:

  1. Landon School of Illustrating and Cartooning [Cleveland] ? to ?

  2. Chicago Academy of Fine Arts 1927 to 1928


Signatures:

  1. AL SONDERS [generic]
  2. ALDERSON [generic]
  3. COURT [generic]

Memberships:

  1. National Cartoonist Society Type: member