History

The Seed Is Planted - The idea for a cartoon museum was born at a convention of cartoonists in Jamaica. Mort Walker and Dik Browne were watching the sun set over the Caribbean Sea and lamenting that cartoons were not considered as art. Existing museums were not collecting or exhibiting original  cartoon art and magnificent drawings were being lost or destroyed through neglect. Mort had been collecting original cartoons since he was a young boy and had great respect for their artistic and literary content. Museums respect Picasso, who was a cartoonist in a sense. He used primary colors, distorted the human figure and employed a sense of humor. Why him and not us? They decided to do something about it.

Getting Off the Ground - A committee was formed in 1960 of many of the most prestigious cartoonists of the day: Rube Goldberg, Milton Caniff, Walt Kelly, Art Wood,  Mort, Dik, and others. They had numerous meetings with government officials, publishers, corporations and museums. Everyone seemed to be interested but, as time went on, nothing happened and the group gradually fell apart.

A Happy Coincidence - About ten years later, Mort Walker found himself at a  banquet sitting next to an official of  The William Randolph Hearst Foundation. Mort brought up the subject of the Museum and the ties that Mr. Hearst had to the comics. Hearst was one of the original creators of the Sunday comics and had a hand in developing comic strips during his lifetime. Mort felt that The Hearst Foundation was the ideal sponsor for the Museum of Cartoon Art; the official agreed.

Several years later, Mort received $100,000 from The Hearst Foundation to get the project going. He rented an old mansion in Greenwich, CT,  which had been empty for 25 years, and began repairing it. His son, Brian, had just graduated from college and wanted to help. Some of his friends pitched in and other cartoonists joined them in scraping, painting, and renovating the mansion. The Museum's lawyer Ted Coyer volunteered all the legal work and Joe D'Angelo the new President of King Features continued the fund raising.

On the Road Again - The first exhibits came from Mort's collection, but soon the artwork began to flow in from syndicates, studios and artists. The Museum opened in August 1974. So many people came from all over the world, that the owner felt that the crowds were wearing out the house and he wouldn't renew the lease. To prevent this from happening again, Mort decided to buy a building -- a castle with character and charisma. He found one in Rye Brook, NY, and the fixing and painting  began all over again.

The new Museum was an immediate success and other cartoon museums began popping up around the world. In 15 years, Brian Walker, created over 60 special exhibitions which proved the worth of cartoon art. During that time, cartoons emerged to become hot items on the market and in auction houses. The Museum had succeeded in its mission.

The Search for a Permanent Home - By 1992, the number of visitors had increased to the point that it was obvious that the Museum needed more space.  The decision was made to select an ideal location for erecting an adequate building erected to house the collection, which then numbered over 100,000 original drawings, 10,000 books and many hours of animated film and tape. A search for new quarters began which stretched from Boston to Manhattan, Washington, DC, and locations along the coast of Connecticut. Palm Beach County, FL, heard of the search and asked  Museum representatives to take a look.

When the Museum committee saw Mizner Park in Boca Raton, they knew they had found a home. It is a shopping area with boulevards, fountains, flowers, gazebos, shops, apartments, offices, restaurants, an eight-screen  movie theater, and a performing arts amphitheater. Five thousand people visit it every day. The city had set aside land for cultural institutions and gave the Museum property worth $2½ million for the site.

Details, Details, Details - The job of building a museum from scratch began again. Mort and his wife Catherine started forming a new Board of Trustees made up of local dignitaries, along with people of national prominence in the cartoon field. Consultants were hired, an architect was selected and many different plans were reviewed. Mort researched designs by Addison Mizner, the architect who set the style for the area. Combining the best of Mizner's work, Mort was able to work with the architects to evolve a winning design. The collection was shipped from New York and temporary offices were found. Catherine began building a new staff.  A publicity program was needed to educate the public on this new institution. Many hours were spent with lawyers and the City Council to obtain the necessary leases and permits. Hundreds of speeches and interviews were given to win over the public to this new form of culture.

Funny Money - In the meantime, $15 million was needed for construction and furnishing. Mort, Catherine, Joe D'Angelo and Jim Davis assumed the main responsibility for traveling around the country getting pledges. Melba Urbanek and Norma Horvitz, local civic leaders, worked on local contributions. Most of the donations came from cartoonists and the industry, but the State of Florida, local banks, corporations and individuals also contributed. After two years, enough was raised for Phase I. The entire exterior could be completed and the first floor occupied, thus leaving the second and third floors to be completed once the remaining funds were raised.

The Dream Becomes a Reality - Ground was broken December 8, 1994, and construction began immediately. Though still incomplete after a year, the building was opened on March 10 to the public. After over 30 years of dreaming and scheming, there is finally a major International Museum devoted to the world's most popular art form, a most deserving tribute to the geniuses who have brightened our lives every day and given us friends who amuse and enlighten us.