Milt Gross

Milt Gross was born on March 4, 1895, in New York City, and died on November 29, 1953. He is best remembered as a cartoonist and animator whose work blended an exaggerated, rubbery drawing style with dialogue written in a playful Yiddish-inflected English. Gross originated the deflating phrase "Banana Oil!" as a catch-all for nonsense, and his character Count Screwloose popularized the line "Iggy, keep an eye on me!" as a national catchphrase. He began his career in the early 1920s, contributing to humor magazines like *Judge* and later producing the wordless graphic novel *He Done Her Wrong*, a precursor to the modern graphic novel. His signature style—loose, expressive, and full of kinetic energy—made his comic strips and books instantly recognizable. Gross also worked in animation, bringing his distinctive visual humor to the medium. In recognition of his impact, the National Cartoonists Society named its fund for aiding indigent cartoonists and their families the Milt Gross Fund, which later merged into the Society's Foundation. His legacy endures as a singular voice in American cartooning, fusing immigrant vernacular with broad, timeless comedy.