Frank Adams 1914-1987
 
He began his career as a painter and cartoonist in the same way most artists do, with talent and a bit of luck.It was 1942 and Uncle Sam put out the call for Artist's to assist Douglas Aircraft Corp. in producing blueprints of B-17 Bombers for the assembly lines. At the time blueprint machines did not exist and the artist was the only way the aircraft engineers could convey the necessary details to the untrained workforce on the home front. It wasn't long before Adams started signing his daily prints with his trademark, a cartoon in the corner. His cartoons soon reached Europe and the Pacific via wives to their husbands on the front. the War Department soon published his work in two books "the Home front" and "Then You Just Untwist". Adams ended the war touring with the USO and signing autographs. It wasn't long before he got the call to return to service with the USO in Korea drawing, painting and entertaining troops in MASH units.
 
As Frank's popularity grew, so did his need to branch out and master different mediums. He painted for years at his mountain home in Lake Arrowhead. He still illustrated and produced his cartoons. More than 22,000 published works in over 100 newspapers. He dined with Nixon and often traveled with his friends Hank Ketcham (Dennis the Menace) and John Carey (Bugs Bunny).
 
In the spring of 1971, Frank and his wife Eileen moved to Cottonwood California where the dusty western streets inspired him to paint. He lived and painted in Cottonwood until his death in 1987. Fate would have it, an extremely high amount of toxins found in paint were also found in his bloodstream.
 
Submitted by the artist's grandson, John Adams