Hugh McClelland biography

Hugh McClelland (born 1912, flourished 1937 - 1956; born South Africa)

Hugh McClelland, born in South Africa, was a cartoonist who filled a corner of the Mirror newspaper with his wild western comic 'Beelzebub Jones', beginning in 1937.

About eight years later, the witty and prolific McClelland became the first head of the Mirror strip cartoon department.

In 1937, he introduced his wild Western comic strip Beelzebub Jones in the pages of the Daily Mirror. After taking over as cartoon chief at the Mirror in 1945, he dropped Beelzebub Jones and moved on to a variety of new strips, including Dan Doofer, Sunshine Falls and Jimpy.

He lived in South Africa until 1924, when he went to England. Not long after his arrival he began to gather information about Jimpy, and although he served with the Royal Air Force during the war he managed to draw some of Jimpy's adventures.

For those who do not know Jimpy's life story, Mr McClelland says Jimpy is a little boy who failed to pass his examinations in magic at the Royal College of Magic. Although Jimpy realised that he was not a fully qualified magician and he was not at all reliable with his magic, he decided to go into the world and seek his fortune as a magician. Despite his inadequacies and unpredicatability as a magician, he never gives up and knows that to achieve anything he must keep trying until he succeeds.

In 1952, he exited the Mirror for the tabloid Daily Sketch. He drew Pip, Squeak and Wilfred until 1956 when he left Selsey and emigrated with his family to Canada. He launched his last strip, Jimmy Gimmicks, in 1957, but it lasted only two months.

McClelland had a working method that expedited his production. He would pencil 20 weeks of strips at one session, writing dialogue as he progressed and then ink these in outline. Lastly, he would go back and fill in the blanks.

He stopped his own 'Beelzebub' strip and launched several new series like 'Dan Doofer', 'Sunshine Falls' and 'Jimpy'. In 1952, McClelland suddenly left the Mirror for the Daily Sketch. His last strip, 'Jimmy Gimmicks', lasted only two months, in 1957.
Source: Illustration Art Gallery; Melbourne Argus

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/22447733

See HUGH MCCLELLAND ART.