Joe Messerli

Joseph Messerli
draw.lots@yahoo.com

BIOGRAPHY

JOE MESSERLI is from Texas.
His firstimportant job was
to assist cartoonist
Charlie Plumb on the ELLA CINDERS
comic strip (United Features Syndicate) at the age of 18.

Since then, a myriad of art jobs, mostly free-lance,
everything from DAFFY DUCK to the TWILIGHT ZONE logo.

Served in the U.S. Army in Korea.

He “ghosted” the NAPOLEON AND UNCLE ELBY comic strip in the
early ‘50s (while at the same time attending Chouinard Art Institute
in Los Angeles on the GI Bill).

Assisted Al Wiseman on DENNIS THE MENACE comic books in the
Sequoia National Forest in California (1955-56).

He worked at UPA Studios (designed the original
TWILIGHT ZONE logo) and NBC Burbank Graphic Arts Department
(color illustrations for the BONANZA credits); he was at Cambria Studio when
they did CLUTCH CARGO, CAPTAIN FATHOM,SPACE ANGEL etc;
for most of the 60s he did the inking and lettering
on the FLINTSTONE daily and Sunday strip and YOGI BEAR
daily panel andSunday page for Hannah Barbera.

His comic book work for Western Publishing in L.A. included
THREE STOOGES, BUGS BUNNY, PORKY PIG,
YOSEMITE SAM, DAFFY DUCK, CAVE KIDS, FLINTSTONES,
PINK PANTHER, BABY SNOOTS, WOODY WOODPECKER,
ANDY PANDA and others.

He spent many years doing coloring and activity books for Western Publishing in New York, L.A., and Racine. Also in New York: Little Golden Books (Warner Bros. characters), Marvel Children’s Books
(FLINTSTONE KIDS, FOOFUR, SCOOBY-DOO), DC Comics
publications (DISNEY characters); Random House (Sesame Street).