Wep, William Edwin Pidgeon (1909 - 1981)

William Edwin Pidgeon original cartoon artwork.

Wep intended to become an engineer but as fate would have it his career in press art would start by doing comic illustrations for his technical high school magazine. At the age of 16, Wep was employed as a cadet newspaper artist for the Sydney Evening News. He then went freelance and contributed to the labour newspaper The World He then moved on to Associated Newspapers, the Sun and Sunday Guardian, Sunday Sun, Sunday Telegraph and Wireless Weekly. In 1936 Sydney newspapers merged to become Consolidated Press and Wep remained with them until his resignation in January 1949. Along with George Finey and Noel Counihan, Wep was represented in the 1941 National Gallery of Canada catalogue, "War cartoons and caricatures of the British Commonwealth". The curator of the exhibition, New Zealander Alan Reeve, drew particular attention to Wep, commenting on his high level of craftsmanship and individual style, that appeared little influenced by past and current cartoonists.