Johnstone, Will B. (1883–1944)

Will B. Johnstone original cartoon artwork

Johnstone was an American writer, cartoonist and lyricist. His writing credits include the Marx Brothers two first Hollywood films, Monkey Business and Horse Feathers. He gained a scholarship at the Chicago Art Institute and upon graduation became an artist with the Chicago Interocean. He then worked for Hearst publications as an illustrator. He was then hired as a political cartoonist at the New York World-Telegram. After the Wall Street Crash in 1929, he said that he should have got combat pay because of the dangerous walk past the Woolworth building where many market losers were leaping out of windows committing suicide.?Johnstone drew a rectangular comic strip based on the news of the day and over the years developed the famous character of an impoverished taxpayer wearing a barrel held up only by suspenders.