Santa’s Secrets, Day 2

Howard Boughner, the cartoonist on Santa’s Secrets, was a bullpenner at NEA who first got a regular byline on an obscure weekly strip titled Mac. He produced a trio of Christmas strips in 1938-40, this one being the last. After Clyde Lewis left the Hold Everything panel Boughner took it over without a byline, finally being awarded one a year and a half before the feature was canceled.

Boughner exhibits here a delightful style, clean and uncluttered yet very stylish. It’s easy to see why he was an invaluable member of the NEA’s staff. Boughner also lent his pen to a number of other features as an assistant and ghost.





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