A. W. Nugent (b. 1891)

Born: 1891 month? day? in Wallingford, Connecticut, United States

Died: 1975 March 25 in Orange, New Jersey, United States

Biography: Additional biography:
Cartoonist PROfiles (Jud Hurd, 1969 series) #6 (May 1970).
"Arthur Nugent, 84, Who Drew ‘Funland’ Puzzle Page, Is Dead", The New York Times, March 27, 1975.

Nugent was the writer, artist, and designer as the leading puzzle maker in the United States. Most well-known for his writing, pencils, and inks for the syndicated comic activity puzzle page, Uncle Art's Funland (also known as just Funland) was originally created for comic books and newspapers by Nugent in 1933. From 1950 until 1972, Funland was syndicated by Bell Features. From 1972 to 1974, when he retired from the strip, Funland was syndicated by United Feature Syndicate (though Nugent's work was probably reprinted up to 1979 at least).

Nugent was born in Wallingford, Connecticut, and started out his career as an acrobat, qualifying for the United States Olympic team in 1916, but the Olympics that year was canceled due to the First World War. He served in the United States Navy during the First World War where he did his first cartooning work.

After World War I, Nugent worked as the puzzle cartoonist for the New York World newspaper for eight years, from about 1919 to about 1927. In 1927, he worked on the syndicate puzzle panel, Puzzlers for an unknown syndicate.

Nugent also worked on some books including, Putt-Putt Midget Golf Course (Charles E. Graham & Co., circa 1930 series), Nugent's Connect the Dots: Educational Drawing & Painting Book (Whitman, 1931 series), and Nugent's Book of 103 Games (Whitman, 1931 series), both published on January 10, 1931, per the Catalog of Copyright Entries.

In 1933, Nugent began his 40-year career on Funland. His Funland work first saw a print in comic books in Famous Funnies (Eastern Color, 1934 series) #1 (July 1934) and continued throughout much of that comic book's run. In 1938 he began to do original work for comic book companies.

Nugent wrote, penciled, inked puzzle/activity pages for numerous publishers from the 1930s until the 1960s. He did work for Dell Publications, from 1936 to 1943; DC Comics, from 1938 to 1945; Eastern Color throughout the 1940s; Harvey Comics, from 1940 to 1948 and 1961; Lev Gleason, during 1941; Columbia, during 1941 and 1946; Marvel Comics, from 1941 to 1942; Parents' Magazine Press, during 1943 and 1947; Charlton, from 1945 to 1946 and 1955; Archie Comics (MLJ), during 1945 and from 1952 to 1953; Novelty Press (Novelty / Premium / Curtis), from 1945 to 1948; American Comics Group, from 1946 to 1947 and 1955; Magazine Enterprises, during 1946; Holyoke Publications, from 1946 to 1947; George A. Pflaum in Treasure Chest of Fun and Fact (1946 series), during 1947; Ace Magazines, from 1948 to 1949 and 1953; McCombs, from 1948 to 1949; Standard (Pines), during 1950; Ziff-Davis in Christmas Carnival, in 1952 and reprinted in 1955; Star Publications, during 1952; St. John, during 1953 and 1956; and for Toby Press, from 1952 to 1955.

Nugent also wrote, penciled, inked the feature Pint-Sized Pete for DC Comics in 1944 and did his own support work for his own DC puzzles and features with his own lettering, from 1939 to 1944. He did pencil and ink work for Worth Carnahan in 1940. Nugent wrote, penciled, and inked for the Sangor Studio, from 1946 to 1947. He wrote, penciled, inked filler work for Holyoke Publications, from 1947 to 1948. Nugent wrote, penciled, inked for Stanley Morse (Stanmor) in the comic Super Fun (1956 series) #1 (January 1956).

Nugent self-published his own comic book titles from 1945 to 1947, Cavalier Comics (1945 series) and Circus of Fun Comics (1945 series). He also wrote, penciled, and inked his own gag cartoons for currently unknown publications.

Nugent retired from his puzzle strip, Funland, in 1974, which was taken over by his son, Art Nugent, Jr. He spent his retirement in Newark, New Jersey, and died at St. Mary's Hospital in Orange, New Jersey.

Notes: Not to be confused with his son, Art Nugent, Jr. who went by A. W. Nugent as well.

Name:

    A. W. Nugent Type: Common Alternative Name
    Given name: A. W. Family name: Nugent
    Disambiguation: A. W. senior, father

Other Names:

  1. Art Nugent Type: Common Alternative Name
    Given name: Art Family name: Nugent
  2. Arthur Nugent Type: Common Alternative Name
    Given name: Arthur Family name: Nugent
  3. Arthur William Nugent Type: Name at Birth
    Given name: Arthur William Family name: Nugent

Schools:

  1. Fawcett Art School [Newark] ? to ?

Signatures:

  1. A. W. Nugent [generic]
  2. Art Nugent [generic]

Memberships:

  1. Society of Illustrators Type: member

Non Comics Works:

  1. Publication Title: 25 Wooden Stand-up Dolls (other) - Role: artist - Year: 1937
    Employer Name : Frederick Beach Measures
    Notes: Pencils and inks. Children's wood jigsaw puzzle also serving as toy dolls.

  2. Publication Title: 5-in-One Book (book) - Role: writer - Year: 1952
    Employer Name : Treasure Books
    Notes: Writer, pencils, and inks. A coloring book.

  3. Publication Title: A. W. Nugent's Book of Modern Educational Puzzles (book) - Role: writer - Year: 1941
    Employer Name : Bridgman Publishers
    Notes: Writer, penciller, and inker. Publication date, April 12, 1941.

  4. Publication Title: Connect the Dot Paint Book (book) - Role: writer - Year: 1941
    Employer Name : Whitman
    Notes: Writer, penciller, and inker. Publication number 1064.

  5. Publication Title: Connect the Dots (book) - Role: writer - Year: 1953
    Employer Name : Whitman
    Notes: Writer, pencils, and inks. Co-authored with his son, Art Nugent, Jr. Published August 27, 1953.

  6. Publication Title: Funland: Super-packed with Puzzles, Jokes, Amazing Facts and Lots More Exciting Fun! (book) - Role: writer - Year: 1982
    Employer Name : Playmore
    Notes: Posthumous paperback trade paperback collection Nugent, compiled with assistance from Leo White.

  7. Publication Title: Noah's Ark Wood Puzzle Animals (other) - Role: artist - Year: 1937?
    Employer Name : Frederick Beach Measures
    Notes: Pencils and inks. Children's wood jigsaw puzzle.

  8. Publication Title: Nugent's Book of 103 Games (book) - Role: writer - Year: 1931
    Employer Name : Whitman
    Notes: Writer, pencilled, and inked the book, published on January 10, 1931

  9. Publication Title: Nugent's Connect the Dots: Educational Drawing & Painting Book (book) - Role: writer - Year: 1931
    Employer Name : Whitman
    Notes: Writer, pencilled, and inked the book, published on January 10, 1931.

  10. Publication Title: Nugent's Play Book for Young and Old (book) - Role: writer - Year: 1931
    Employer Name : Whitman
    Notes: Writer, penciler, and inks.

  11. Publication Title: Nugent's Simple Drawing Lessons for Children Book (book) - Role: writer - Year: 1931
    Employer Name : Whitman
    Notes: Writer, penciler, and inker.

  12. Publication Title: Putt-Putt Midget Golf Course (book) - Role: writer - Year: 1930?
    Employer Name : Charles E. Graham & Co.
    Notes: Writer, penciller, and inker for the book.

  13. Publication Title: Puzzlems (other) - Role: writer - Year: 1935
    Employer Name : Frederick H. Beach
    Notes: Writer, penciller, and inker for five party card games set.

  14. Publication Title: The Funny Coloring Book (book) - Role: writer - Year: 1954
    Employer Name : Treasure Books
    Notes: Writer, penciler, and inker. An activity coloring book.

Relations:

  1. Parent of - A. W. Nugent Jr. (b. 1926)
  2. Employee of - Sangor Studio (b. 1940)
    Notes: Writer, penciler, and inker from 1946 to 1947.

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