Jerry Bittle (October 8, 1949 – April 9, 2003) was a cartoonist who drew the comic strips Geech and Shirley and Son.
Bittle was born in Wichita, Kansas and was the son of a barber. A graduate of Wichita State University in Kansas, he worked as an editorial cartoonist for the Wichita Eagle and later the Albuquerque Tribune."Jerry Bittle, 53; Created Comic Strip 'Shirley and Son'," Los Angeles Times (April 11, 2003). Bittle moved to Dallas, Texas in 1978 where he worked as a freelance artist and illustrator. He debuted Geech in 1982; it ran in syndication until his death in 2003. Shirley and Son, about life after divorce, debuted in 2000 and also ended after Bittle's death.
Bittle died of a heart attack while on vacation in Honduras. Bittle's family founded the Jerry Bittle Educational Trust in his memory.Bittle entry, Lambiek Comiclopedia. Accessed May 16, 2015.
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