The Idaho Marine Who Went On To Become Award-Winning Cartoonist

Even though many consider it a dying business and form of print journalism, people still head to newspaper stands every morning to get caught up on local and national reporting. An Idaho graduate and longtime Boise resident went on to illustrate a cartoon that was printed in numerous countries and featured state landmarks within his columns.

Like many of you, I used to be an avid newspaper reader. I've also worked for a newspaper as a sports columnist, so I am still biased when it comes to my support for print journalism. I've also been a collector and still possess issues dating back to the late nineties.

Shortly after graduating from high school he went into the Marines and started really working on his art, according to comictracker.com.

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Newspapers are fascinating creations, in that most people have no idea about the amount of work and detail that goes into printing a mistake-free, multi-sectional paper. Nowadays, I only buy them if a significant event takes place, such as war, natural disaster, or record-breaking sporting event. I also used to enjoy skimming the cartoon section.

Cartoons such as The Far Side, Life In Hell, Dilbert, and Peanuts were a few I'd make an effort to read on Sunday mornings. I always thought it was a very cool thing to be a cartoonist and have your life's work be featured throughout the world.

Gordon Bess was Utah-born but moved to Idaho as a teenager. Shortly after graduating from high school he went into the Marines and started really working on his art, according to comictracker.com. His comic strip, Redeye, would eventually get printed in more than 18 countries, according to Rick Just / Speaking of Idaho.

In 2014, a man at a garage sale found a Bess cartoon column and even posted a YouTube video about the discovery. Bess died at age 60 in Boise in 1989; his strip ran from 1967 to 1988.