Jock McCail biography

John 'Jock' McCail (1894 - 1962; West Hartlepool, County Durham)

John "Jock" McCail was born in the first quarter of 1894 in County Durham, the son of a shipyard worker. He started out apprenticed as a shipyard joiner, probably to his stepfather, Thomas Rogers, while taking evening classes in art.

About 1920 he moved to Dundee to work in the art department of DC Thomson's newspaper The Courier. His brother Bill joined him there about five years later, but soon after, Jock moved to London and became a freelance artist.

He settled in London as a freelance artist in 1925. He began an association with Amalgamated Press and drew many adventure serials for the Amalgamated Press and Odhams Press comics, including:
~ "City of Jewels" (1931) for Mickey Mouse Weekly
~ "Abdul the Desert Robber" (1932) for The Joker
~ "The White Knight" (1935) for Sparkler
~ "Son of an Outlaw" (1936) for Sunbeam
~ "The Ruby of Ra Tae" (1937) for Crackers
~ "Pantha the Bandit" (1938) and "Duke, Dan and Darky" (1939) for Comic Cuts
~ "Get-Your-Man Gilligan" (1938-39) for Jolly Comic

He also did illustration work for The Champion and The Triumph, including a cover for the UK introduction of 'Superman' in 1938. His comic 'City of Jewels' was published in Mickey Mouse Weekly in 1931.

He also illustrated prose stories for The Champion and The Triumph. However, paper shortages during the Second World War reduced his publishing opportunities. His brother Bill joined him in London in 1940, and they both found work with Gerald Swan's comics.

Strips Jock drew included:
~ "Ah Wong" (1940-49) for New Funnies
~ "Bring 'Em In Hank" (1940) for Slick Fun
~ "Darrell King" for Thrill Comics (1940-48), New Funnies (1949) and Slick Fun (1950)
~ "Dene Vernon" (1940-46) for Thrill Comics
~ "Tiny Tim & Co" (1940) for Extra Fun
~ "Adolf the Awful" (1940) for Topical Funnies
~ "Jungle Jokers" (1941) for Fresh Fun
~ "Hyam Wright" (1946) for Comicolour
~ "Iron Boy" (1950) for Cute Fun
~ "TNT Tom" (1951) for Dynamic Thrills

He also contributed to Merry Maker, Swell Comic, Merry Moments, Funny Tuppenny, Crash Comics, Jolly Arrow, Squibs and others. He died in the second quarter of 1962 in Hendon, Middlesex.
Source: The Illustration Art Gallery; UK Comics Wiki; Lambiek

See JOCK MCCAIL ART.