Percy Crosby

Percy Crosby was the American cartoonist and writer best known for creating the beloved comic strip *Skippy*, which ran from the 1920s into the 1940s. Born Percy Lee Crosby on December 8, 1891, in Brooklyn, New York, he died on his 73rd birthday, December 8, 1964. Crosby began his career contributing cartoons to humor magazines like *Life* and *Judge* before finding his signature voice with *Skippy*. The strip, centered on a thoughtful young boy, was praised for its sophisticated humor and refined visual storytelling, influencing later giants such as Charles Schulz and Bill Watterson. *Skippy* was adapted into a novel, a radio show, and a film series, and was honored with a U.S. postage stamp in 1997. Crosby’s work appeared in *The Saturday Evening Post* and *The American Legion Weekly*, and he collaborated with editors and writers across these publications. His legacy endures as a pioneer of the modern comic strip, though his later life was marked by personal struggles. He received no major lifetime awards, but his impact on the medium is widely acknowledged by historians and fellow cartoonists.