Paul Fung (1897–1944) was an American cartoonist best known for the comic strip Dumb Dora.
Early life Fung's father was a Baptist minister, the Reverend Fung Chak, a graduate of Stanford University. Paul was born in Seattle,Fung the Only Chinese-American Cartoonist in Captivity, by Jack Bechdolt, in Cartoons magazine, July 1916; archived at Stripper's Guide, May 22, 2012; retrieved April 29, 2019 where his father was pastor of Seattle's Chinese Baptist mission. In China, Fung Chak was renowned as a translator of hymns and patriotic songs, Paul studied traditional Chinese art, which included painting cherry blossoms on delicate fans. But he became familiar with cartooning because his sister in Portland, Oregon mailed him Sunday comics sections. Returning to Seattle, Fung received further art training by studying the Landon School of Illustrating and Cartooning's mail order correspondence course while he was attending Franklin High School, where he drew cartoons for the school paper. In addition to drawing, he also sang and played several musical instruments.
Sports cartoons When his father died while he was in high school, Paul set out to find work. He drew cartoons which were displayed in the lobby of a Seattle vaudeville house, and he performed chalk talks at Seattle's Orpheum Theatre. In 1916, he began doing news and sports cartoons for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. In 1919, he was profiled in Everybody's Magazine.Hughes, Agnes Lockhart. "Paul Fung: Cartoonist", Everybody's Magazine. Ridgeway, August, 1919.Syracuse Library: Paul Fung CartoonsLambiek: Paul Fung
Fung's first original comic strip, Innocent Hing, had a short run. After working as an assistant on Billy DeBeck's Barney Google in the early 1920s, Fung moved on to do several other strips, A Guy from Grand Rapids, Bughouse Fables and Gus and Gussie. Scripted by Jack Lait, Gus and Gussie ran from April 13, 1925, to February 24, 1930, at which point Fung left Lait to do Dumb Dora. Obscurity of the Day: Gus and Gussie, by Allan Holtz, at Stripper's Guide; published May 25, 2012; retrieved May 29, 2019
Dumb Dora When creator Chic Young left Dumb Dora and its topper panel When Mother Was a Girl to launch Blondie, Fung became his replacement in April 1930. After two years on Dumb Dora, Fung turned it over to Bil Dwyer in 1932. Interviewed by Will Eisner, Milton Caniff recalled:
During the late 1930s, Fung worked as an assistant on Cliff Sterrett's Polly and Her Pals. The Dumb Dora strip came to an end in 1934, but Fung drew the character again during the early 1940s as part of an advertising campaign for Shredded Ralston cereal.
Paul Fung was 47 when he died. His son was cartoonist Paul Fung Jr.
Archives The Paul Fung Cartoons collection at Syracuse University has 46 originals from Dumb Dora, including 10 Sunday strips and 36 daily strips, plus four originals from When Mother Was a Girl.
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