Orlando Busino

Orlando Busino, born October 10, 1926, was an American cartoonist whose witty, single-panel work graced the pages of *McCall’s*, *Reader’s Digest*, *Good Housekeeping*, and *The Saturday Evening Post* for decades. He is perhaps best remembered for creating “Gus,” a long-running series of cartoons featuring a large, lovable dog that appeared regularly in *Boys’ Life* magazine. Busino’s path into comics began in the 1940s, and his clean, expressive style—rooted in the classic gag cartoon tradition—made him a reliable contributor to both humor magazines and comic books. In the comic-book field, he is most associated with Archie Comics, where he provided art, inks, and lettering on titles such as *Tales Calculated to Drive You Bats* and *Archie’s Madhouse* from 1961 into the early 1980s. His work also appeared in *Ladies’ Home Journal* and *The American Legion*. While he did not co-create major superhero characters, his “Gus” cartoons became a beloved fixture for generations of Boy Scouts. Busino died on January 11, 2022, at age 95. Though he did not receive major industry awards, his steady, humorous output across both mainstream magazines and comic books left a quiet but lasting mark on American cartooning.