An Artists for the Ages
An Artists for the Ages
With that outlook, it’s no wonder Filchock chose an unorthodox career. For more than 75 years, he has worked from home—whether living in Pennsylvania, New York, Florida or, for the last 30 years, in mountainous eastern Tennessee—as a cartoonist and illustrator.
His most famous creation is "Check…and Double Check," a regular feature in Highlights for Children magazine since 1973. The cartoon consists of two nearly identical scenes, with a few subtle differences inserted to challenge the reader’s perception. The simple game embodies the publication’s long-standing motto: fun with a purpose.
Filchock is the longest continuous contributor to the monthly periodical. "At Highlights, we sort of have the philosophy that if it’s not broke, don’t fix it," says Kent L. Brown, Jr., the magazine’s editor-in-chief. "‘Check…and Double Check’ has worked so well for us for so many years. Martin Filchock’s work really captures the spirit of our magazine."
Brown says Filchock’s artistic style is accessible and appealing to children of any age and skill level. The feature’s simplicity and wit helps get kids excited about reading, though it actually has few words.
"Studies have shown that if kids have a sense of accomplishment, they will continue to learn. ‘Check…and Double Check’ gives our earliest readers that feeling and keeps them turning the pages," Brown says.
Though Filchock is most proud of his work for Highlights, his art has been published in hundreds of other magazines, including Reader’s Digest, The Saturday Evening Post and The Weekly Reader. He also has illustrated comic books, posters, advertising, greeting cards, book covers and trade magazines, working with editors by phone and mail. For Centaur, a large comic book publisher, he produced the superheroes "Mighty Man," "Fire-Man," "The Owl" and "Electro Bolt." He drew a religious strip called Denny and Diane for the National Research Bureau for more than 40 years.
"I don’t have to work now, but I still enjoy it so much," Filchock says. "A sense of humor has prolonged my life and kept me looking and feeling and thinking much younger than I am. I plan on being an active cartoonist when I’m 100."
Filchock, who lives in Rogersville, Tenn., began his career as a boy, entering—and winning—amateur art contests that awarded boxes of candy he shared with his five brothers and two sisters. At age 13, he also earned a bit of money for the family when he sold a drawing to Tidbits magazine for $5.
He continued to draw as a soldier during World War II and afterward while working for the Civilian Conservation Corps. Like many men of his generation, Filchock dropped out of high school at age 16 to work. But the jobs he found were exhausting and monotonous. It was his stint as a railroad hand, working 12 hours a day, seven days a week, with a daily five-mile walk to and from the job site, that convinced him to pursue a more rewarding lifestyle.
"I decided I was not going to punch a clock my whole life," he says.
While visiting a sister in New York, he met an editor who encouraged him to pursue art. He made friends with other artists, learned the business and soon was earning a living by combining paper, brushes and pens with his lively imagination. At the peak of his output, he sold more than 700 drawings in a single year.
Filchock is now recognized as a pioneer artist and has been featured in Men of Mystery, a publication dedicated to preserving the history of comics. He also was the subject of a TV documentary called The Comic Book Project. His greatest honor, he says, happened in 1997, when the Tennessee General Assembly passed a resolution celebrating his artistic contributions.
Brown says the accolades are well deserved: "Martin Filchock himself is as captivating as his artwork."
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