Sid Barron

Sid Barron (June 13, 1917 in Toronto – April 29, 2006 in Victoria, British Columbia) was a Canadian editorial cartoonist and artist. He drew for the Victoria Times, Toronto Star and The Albertan.

Cover of "The Barron Book" showing biplane and "puddy tat"

His drawings were typically apolitical showing the views of the common person. They often contained a biplane with its landing gear falling off towing a banner with the words "Mild, isn't it?" and a striped cat, known as "puddy tat", leaning on its elbow holding a card bearing a wry comment.

Biography

Barron was born in Toronto on June 13, 1917, the son of Daisy Hilda Wormald. His family moved to Victoria in 1919 where he grew up around the shipping port at Victoria’s breakwater. He began working as an artist in 1940, painting in watercolour and tempera (as he was allergic to oil paints). His painting subjects were harbours, ships and beach scenes.

Barron worked in the Canadian comic book industry during the 1940s before entering the world of editorial cartooning. Known as “the poet of the mundane,” Barron soon transformed into "one of the funniest and most stylistically distinctive cartoonists to emerge in the post-war editorial cartoon world."[1]

Barron was married three times; he and his third wife married in 1977 and after numerous travels they moved to Coombs, BC in 1987 and opened their own studio and Country Gallery, which they operated for 10 years. Barron died at Mount St. Mary Hospital in Victoria, BC on April 29, 2006 at 88 years of age.

Collections of his work can be found at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, the Glenbow Museum, the National Archives of Canada, the Okanagan Heritage Museum and in private collections in Canada and the USA.

Education
  • 1945 Meitzinger Institute, Detroit Michigan, USA
  • 1941 Vancouver School of Art, Vancouver, BC
  • 1940 Private Lessons with Alan Edwards, Victoria

Exhibitions

Solo
  • 2010 Ship Shapes, Polychrome Fine Arts, Victoria BC, Canada
  • 1976 Sid Barron, Open Space, Victoria
  • 1973 Sid Barron, Paintings and Collages, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria
  • 1965 Mr.Sid Barron, Canadian Art Galleries, Calgary
  • 1949 Sid Barron, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver

Duo
  • 1992 A Lifetime of Explorations, Sid & Jesi, Nanaimo Art Gallery, Nanaimo
  • 1991 Sid & Jesi Barron, The Old School House Gallery, Qualicum
  • 1983 Sid & Jesi Barron, The Little Gallery, Victoria
  • 1981 The Art Gallery At The Crystal (Sid & Jesi Barron), Crystal Gardens, Victoria
  • 1979 Sid & Jesi Barron, The Little Gallery, Victoria
  • 1978 Barron & Jesi, Watercolours & Drawings, The Little Gallery, Victoria
  • 1977 Sid & Jesi Barron, Santa Cruz, California, USA
  • 1977 Sid & Jesi Barron, Majorca, Spain

Group
  • 2011 Hobnob 3, Polychrome Fine Arts, Victoria BC, Canada
  • 2010 Wish List, Polychrome Fine Arts, Victoria BC, Canada
  • 2010 Hobnob 2, Polychrome Fine Arts, Victoria BC, Canada
  • 1995 La Fleur Invitational Exhibition, The Old School House, Qualicum
  • 1995 The Circle Show, Barron’s Country Gallery, Coombs
  • 1995 Studio Show, Barron’s Country Gallery, Coombs
  • 1994 Studio Show, Barron’s Art Centre, Coombs
  • 1994 Arts & Crafts Jury Show, District 69 Community Arts Council, Qualicum
  • 1993 Studio Show, Barron’s Art Centre, Coombs
  • 1992 Expose Yourself, Eagleshore Gallery, Qualicum
  • 1992 Ten Faces, District 69 Community Arts Council, Parksville
  • 1992 Studio Show, Barron’s Art Centre, Coombs
  • 1992 6th Annual Garden Party & Art Auction, The Old School House, Qualicum
  • 1991 Studio Show, Barron’s Art Centre, Coombs
  • 1990 Studio Show, Barron’s Art Centre, Coombs
  • 1989 A View Of The World From Ontario, John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto
  • 1988 Studio Show, Barron’s Art Centre, Coombs
  • 1987 Studio Show, Barron’s Art Centre, Coombs
  • 1981 Penticton International Auction of Fine Art, Penticton Arts Council, Penticton
  • 1979 Spring Show ’79, The Little Gallery, Victoria
  • 1978 Leafhill Galleries, Victoria
  • 1973 The Little Gallery, Victoria
  • 1967 Cartoon Sale, Alberton, Calgary
  • 1958 B.C. Paintings-Burnaby 58, Burnaby
  • 1958 18th Quarterly Group Exhibition, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver
  • 1957 17th Quarterly Group Exhibition, Vancouver Art Gallery, Vancouver

Publications
  • 1989 Portfoolio ‘89 Canadian Caricature, Macmillan, Toronto
  • 1988 Portfoolio ‘88 Canadian Caricature, Eden Press, Montreal
  • 1987 Portfoolio ‘87 Canadian Caricature, Guy Badeaux, Croc Publishing, Ludcom Inc. Montreal
  • 1986 Portfoolio ‘86 Canadian Caricature, Guy Badeaux, Croc Publishing, Ludcom Inc. Montreal
  • 1985 The Best of Barron, Lester & Orpen Dennys Ltd, Toronto
  • 1981 Penticton International Auction of Fine Art, Penticton Arts Council, Penticton
  • 1972 The Barron Book (With Puddytat Centerfold), Star Reader Service, Toronto
  • 1968 A Scar Is Born by Eric Nicol, Illustrated by Barron, The Ryerson Press, Toronto
  • 1967 Barron’s Calgary Cartoons Vol.1, The Alberton, Calgary
  • 1960 2nd Annual Barron’s Victoria, Victoria Times, Victoria
  • 1959 Barron’s Victoria: cartoons selected from the Victoria Times, Victoria
  • 1965 “Barron's Toronto” Star Reader Service, Toronto
  • 1958 B.C. Paintings: Burnaby 58 / [Alvin L. Balkind], Burnaby Centennial Committee
  • 1944 “A Christmas Carol” for colouring, Educational Products Inc.

Reviews
  • 2010 June 19, “Barron Much More Than A Cartoonist,”, Robert Amos, Times Colonist
  • 2006 May 15, “Sid Barron, Cartoonist 1917-2006”, Tom Hawthorn, The Globe and Mail
  • 1998 Sat. Sept. 25, “Photos overlaid with paint may be ...”, Robert Amos,Times Colonist
  • 1998 Tues. Mar. 24, “A Tale Of Two Well Known BC Artists”, Parksville Qualicum Beach News
  • 1995 Fri.April 28, “Cartoonist Finds Joy In Painting”, Parksville Qualicum Beach News
  • 1995 “Circle Show In For Good Cause”, Nancy Whelan, Parksville Qualicum Beach News
  • 1994 Tues. May 24, “Coombs Gallery Home To Ten Artists”, Parksville Qualicum Beach News
  • 1993 Aug. “Cartoonist Would Rather Be Great Painter”, Corinne Jackson, Island Senior
  • 1993 May 2, “Coombs Couple Quietly Waiting to be Discovered”, Sandra McCulloch, Horizons
  • 1992 Thur. Aug. 27, “Artists Capture Friends On Canvas”, Jane Lyons, P-Q Magazine
  • 1992 Mon. May 11, Exhibition To Open At College Art Gallery, The Bulletin
  • 1992 Tues. June 16, B2, “Arts Council Opens Ten Faces”, Parksville-Qualicum Beach News
  • 1991 Tues. April 2, A29, “Local Artists Featured In Festival”, Parksville-Qualicum Beach News
  • 1991 Sat. April 6, “Barrons Are Pros In A Neighbourhood of ...”, Robert Amos, Times Colonist
  • 1990 June 15, “Barrons Bloom Anew”, Charles Hart, The Arrowsmith Star
  • 1990 (exhibition review) Robert Amos, Times Colonist
  • 1989 Jan. 25, “Sun Cartoonists Put On Show Over ‘ome”, pg.17, Financial Post
  • 1989 August 12, “Way To Go, Sooke...”,Robert Amos, Times Colonist
  • 1987 August 9, “Drawing Toronto from the Coast”, R.S. Diotte, Islander
  • 1987 February 21, “Creative Output Of The Remarkable Barron”, R. Amos, Times Colonist
  • 1985 “He Draws Anyplace”, Dan Smith, Toronto Star, Toronto
  • 1985 October 17, “The Barron of Toronto”, Richard Van Dine, pg.9, Monday Magazine
  • 1981 November 6, Exhibition Review, pg.9 Times Colonist
  • 1979 Around The Galleries (exhibition review), Times Colonist
  • 1979 Jan.11, “Cartoonist Gather To Hear Bierman Case...”, pg.43, Daily Colonist
  • 1979 December 7, “The Call of the Loon”, Monday Magazine
  • 1977 “Suburban Sid Finds Spain Palette-able”, Jim Gibson, Colonist
  • 1977 February 19, Edmonton Journal, Edmonton
  • 1977 Interview, Monday Magazine
  • 1976 September 23, “Barron Painting on Show”, Victoria Times
  • 1973 “Arrival of An Artist-And Other Thoughts”, Jack Scott, Victoria Times
  • 1973 Feb.7, “Will The Real Etaoin Shrdlu Please Stand Up”, pg.19, The Victorian
  • 1972 October, “Barronland” Introduction by Robert Fulford
  • 1967 “Barron’s Fan Mail All Sizes”, Shapes, Bob Blansjaar, The Albertan, Calgary
  • 1967 Dec. “Always with Kindness”, Tom Primrose pg.10, ?
  • 1957 Dec.10, 17th Quarterly Group Exhibition, v.25 no.4, VAG Bulletin, Vancouver
  • 1949 June 25, “In the Realm Of Art”, Palette, Vancouver Province
  • 1949 June 21, “Watercolour Display, Breezy, Vivacious”, M. Valley Thornton, Vancouver Sun

Affiliations

Professional Activities
  • 1987-97 Co-owner of Barron’s Gallery, Coombs, BC
  • 1961-89 Editorial Cartoonist for the Toronto Star
  • 1961-66 Editorial Cartoonist for Maclean’s Magazine
  • 1962 Editorial Cartoonist for The Albertan
  • 1958-61 Editorial Cartoonist for the Victoria Times (Times Colonist)
  • 1941-58 Commercial Artist, Neon Sign Designer, Illustrator for Educational Products Inc. Comics' Canadian Heroes, Union Steamships (Vancouver), and Billboard Painter (Toronto)
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References
  1. Munn, B.K. (May 6, 2006). "Sid Barron, 1917-2006". Sequential: Canadian Comix News and Culture. Retrieved October 1, 2015.
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