Ole Fren

Often, Paul Gringle used that phrase. Ole Fren.              

He scribbled it on notes, letters, his wonderful
personalized birthday cards; he used it sometimes 
to sign off the column he wrote for A Slice of Wry, 
the newsletter for ourSouthern California Cartoonists Society.

Those of us in this business, especially the old timers, remember Paul's work on Out Our Way, one of the most popular newspaper features in the late 40's and 50's.

Families in small towns and rural America, their various activities and regular routines; that was the stuff of Out Our Way, and it introduced a cast of characters, including The Willetts, The Worry Wart and myriad popular themes so well portrayed that clippings of the cartoon were posted on more refrigerators than Carter had Little Liver Pills. (Again, you have to be an old timer to get the analogy.) Why Mothers Get Gray, Born Thirty Years Too Soon and Heroes Are Made, Not Born were classics that mirrored many of our insecurities, aspirations and frustrations. 

When J.R. Williams, who created the panel died in1957 Paul was one of the artists to pick up the pen and carry on. Out Our Way continued another twenty years. They done good.

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For the better part of 26 years I've been happy to have been one of “derGringle's” Ole Frens. On the SCCS web page enumerable emails have used the word “upbeat” to describe Paul's perennial attitude. I can't remember a time when he didn't have a project in mind: a new comic strip, a class he'd be teaching (teaching, he loved), a book about some aspect of cartooning. Always optimist--always enthusiastic.

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One event Paul enthused about was the Annual SCCS day at the SDBB (San Diego Blood Bank.) Blood donors were caricatured by a host of cartoonists, resulting in much fun, many laughs and nary a libel suit. Frequent rewards for their efforts involved food - - - yet another favorite of our pal Paul.

  Here, fellow artist John Wismont and he partake.

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A little background on our man:

A School of Visual Arts reunion 

  Jim,  Bernie Lansky, Harry Lampert, (Cartooning Instructor) Paul

!      !      !      ! 

Paul looks over another             classic comic.    

"To m'FREN, Jim, with Best Fishes." This fun-gem might have been doodled on a napkin by Paul.  

 

                                               Farewell, ole fren.