E. Simms Campbell (1906-1971) was the first Black American cartoonist to be regularly featured in mainstream American magazines, including all the most prestigious and/or best-paying of their day such as Esquire, Playboy, Cosmopolitan, Saturday Evening Post, Redbook and the New Yorker.
He was especially known for doing what is now commonly known as good girl art. He was, alongside Alberto Varga (Vargas) and George Petty, a mainstay of Esquire, the most respectable men's magazine of the era just prior to Playboy, being credited with inventing it's mascot, Esky. He was in heavy demand by advertising agencies as well. In an era of open racial hatred and segregation laws, his employment, especially in depicting scantily-clad white women spoke well of the courage of his publishers.
Cutie, the heroine of this panel gag was his most popular character, not only appearing in a long-running syndicated cartoon of which this is a daily, but also in many ads, magazine gags and other places.
