Jack Kent (1920–1985)

Jack Kent was born in 1920 in Burlington, Iowa. He left high school at the age of 15 and began a career as a freelance commercial artist. His first nationally recognized work was King Aroo whcih was syndicated and distributed from 1950-1965. The early comic strips were collected in a 192 page book, show more King Aroo, published in 1953. Jack Kent wrote and drew the 1968 syndicated Christmas cominstrip, Why Christmas Almost Wasn't. Jack Kent and his wife named their home on the banks of the San Antonio River King Aroo's Castle. He began writing and illustrating children's books in 1968. Jack Kent's book, Just Only John, received awards from the Chicago Graphics Associates and the Children's Book Clinic. The New York Times named his book Mr. Meebles outstanding picture book of the year for 1970. Some of Jack Kent's more famous works are Silly Goose, The Biggest Shadow in the Zoo and The Caterpillar and The Polliwog. He continued to write and illustrate children's books until his death in 1985 from leukemia. (Bowker Author Biography) show less