Dave Gerard (cartoonist)

Dave Gerard (1909 – 1993) was an American cartoonist best known for his syndicated comic strip Willie Lumpkin.

Gerard began his cartooning career in the 1930s, working as a gag cartoonist for various magazines. He created Willie Lumpkin in 1959. The strip, which followed the humorous everyday life of a small-town mailman, was syndicated by the Chicago Tribune-New York News Syndicate and appeared in hundreds of newspapers across the United States for over 25 years.

Willie Lumpkin was notable for its gentle humor and relatable characters. The strip also gained a certain level of comic book fame as it was acknowledged in the Marvel Comics universe. Stan Lee, a fan of the strip, created a Marvel character of the same name, Willie Lumpkin, who was the Fantastic Four's mailman. Stan Lee directly acknowledged Gerard's influence on the Marvel character.

Following the end of the Willie Lumpkin comic strip in 1985, Gerard continued to draw gag cartoons for various publications. He died in 1993. His legacy remains tied to his creation of Willie Lumpkin, a beloved comic strip character.