Arnold Roth

Arnold Roth was born on February 25, 1929, in the United States, and built a career as a cartoonist and illustrator whose work appeared everywhere from advertisements and album covers to books, magazines, and newspapers. He is best known for his long-running contributions to *National Lampoon* magazine, as well as earlier work on *Humbug* and *The Saturday Evening Post*, and his own collection *Poor Arnold's Almanac*. His style is distinctive for its dense, energetic linework and a wry, often absurdist sense of humor that made him a favorite among readers and peers alike. Novelist John Updike once remarked that while all cartoonists are geniuses, Roth was especially so. Over a career spanning from the late 1950s into the 1990s, Roth collaborated with editors and writers across the satirical landscape, leaving his mark as a versatile artist who could handle color, inks, letters, and even writing. He contributed to *Sheriff Classics* and *The Comics Journal*, among other titles. Roth’s legacy endures as a master of the gag cartoon and a key figure in the golden age of American magazine humor. He received major industry recognition for his work, including multiple awards from the National Cartoonists Society.