Al Smith

Who was Al Smith?

Al Smith was an American cartoonist whose work included a long run on the comic strip Mutt and Jeff.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Smith was the art editor for the syndication department of the New York World from 1920 to 1930. Bud Fisher appeared to lose all interest in his Mutt and Jeff strip during the 1930s, and after Mack died in 1932, the job of creating the strip fell to Al Smith. The strip retained Fisher's signature until his death, however, and not until December 7, 1954 was the strip signed by Smith.

In the introduction to Forever Nuts: The Early Years of Mutt & Jeff, comic strip historian Allan Holtz gave the following reason for the strip's longevity and demise:

Smith continued to draw the strip until 1980 when George Breisacher took over for its final two years. Smith also drew the strips Rural Delivery and Cicero's Cat, the topper strip accompanying Mutt and Jeff.

Smith served as president of the National Cartoonists Society and ran his own syndicate, Al Smith Feature Service. In 1980, he retired to Rutland, Vermont.

He died November 24, 1986.