Former Pioneer Press sports columnist Don Riley, right, signs a copy of his book “Gallivan’s Gang” for Jerry Fearing, retired Pioneer Press editorial cartoonist and illustrator of the book, during a book-signing party at Gallivan’s bar and restaurant in downtown St. Paul on Dec. 6, 1999. The book recounts the story of the “Longshots,”‘ a group that regularly gathered at Gallivan’s and cooked up various get-rich-quick schemes. The projects, invariably, ended in hilarious failure. (Dawn Villella / Pioneer Press)
For one of Mark Fearing’s childhood birthdays, his father, renowned editorial cartoonist Jerry Fearing, gave him a book about filmmaking with a note on the cover that read: “Happy birthday Mark! Write, draw, make something!”
A self-portrait by former Pioneer Press cartoonist Jerry Fearing appeared in a 1981 collection of his work for the newspaper. Fearing passed away at age 94 on Oct. 12, 2024. (Pioneer Press files)
“That sums a lot of my dad up. It was: get busy doing something,” said Mark Fearing, Jerry Fearing’s younger son.
Jerome “Jerry” Walter Fearing was a staple in Twin Cities journalism. He was the longtime editorial cartoonist for the St. Paul Pioneer Press and Dispatch from the 1960s until he retired in 1994, and he produced books, comic strips and other works throughout and after his newspaper career.
He died early on Oct. 12 of natural causes in Rochester, Minn., at age 94.
Artistic beginnings
Born on July 16, 1930, in St. Paul, Jerry Fearing grew up on West Seventh Street. His love of cartooning was born from his interest in newspaper comic strips, and his own drawings stretch back to his days at Monroe High School where he produced illustrations for the school’s yearbook, according to Scott Fearing, his older son. It was in high school that he met his wife of 70 years, Dolores Kulhanek-Fearing.
After high school, he started working at the Pioneer Press and Dispatch in the late 1940s in the advertising department, a job interrupted when he left to serve as a Marine in the Korean War. Before he returned to the United States, he was seriously injured by shrapnel that cut his back and legs, and he later was the recipient of a Purple Heart.
During the war, he kept drawing despite teasing from his fellow soldiers. It was throughout this time that he developed a love of nature and the outdoors, which was to serve as a major inspiration for his work and became a core part of his family’s life.
“The adventures of being out in the wilds of Korea, never mind the dangers involved, but seeing all the different climates and nature and things like that really appealed to him,” Scott Fearing said.
After returning from military service, he continued at the Pioneer Press and Dispatch and began to draw and submit cartoons to be published. By the 1960s, he became the paper’s full-fledged editorial cartoonist.
An undated comic by former Pioneer Press cartoonist Jerry Fearing depicting potholes.
A prolific career
During his time with the newspaper, Fearing drew more than 11,000 cartoons covering political topics like the Cold War, the growth of nuclear power and even the Watergate scandal.
Steve Sack, the Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist for the Minnesota Star Tribune for more than 40 years, was a close friend of Fearing’s and first encountered his cartoons in the paper at the age of 11. Sack said Fearing served as a point of inspiration in his own artistic journey.
“His focus was on doing quality work, and it really was. The art was creative and imaginative, and to me, inspiring and always fresh and original,” Sack said.
A 1976 cartoon by former Pioneer Press cartoonist Jerry Fearing.
Fearing’s drawings not only involved politics — they also recounted his many camping trips to the Arctic Circle or depicted Minnesota’s natural landscapes and animals. He wrote and illustrated several books, including “Christmas on West Seventh Street,” “Campfire Tales” and “The Story of Minnesota.” He also illustrated several series, like “The Fish of Minnesota” and “The Animals of Como Zoo.”
On top of these ventures, “Rooftop O’Toole,” a nationally-syndicated comic strip Fearing made with former Pioneer Press writer Bill Farmer about a kid delivering newspapers to the White House, ran in over 120 newspapers at its peak.
An undated comic by former Pioneer Press cartoonist Jerry Fearing.
His artistic endeavors did not stop at cartoons. Fearing ventured into sculpting, painting and even filmmaking.
“He was always fiddling with something new and always exploring, and that really impressed me,” Sack said. “Some cartoonists just stick to the one thing that they do, and they do it well, but he always had an interest everywhere, and that kind of inspired me to branch out with my interests as well.”
‘The most warm-hearted, open person’
Fearing also fostered community among cartoonists in the area. According to Sack, Fearing would have large cartoonist gatherings with artists from all over Minnesota and western Wisconsin at his house in Scandia near the St. Croix River. In line with Fearing’s love of nature, the group would hike along the river and have a campfire in what Sack described as a get-together that “felt like family.”
On top of his editorial cartoons and illustrations, former Pioneer Press editorial cartoonist Jerry Fearing pursued other artistic avenues, such as sculpting, painting and wood carving. Fearing, 94, passed away Oct. 12, 2024. (Courtesy of Mark Fearing)
Kirk Anderson, the editorial cartoonist at the Pioneer Press after Fearing retired, went to these cartoonist gatherings and called Fearing a mentor and big influence on him and his work. Anderson added that coming to know Fearing was a major reason why a cartooning career seemed possible for him.
“Jerry seemed to really revel in bringing people together and getting a big crowd at the house. He was fun. I got a lot out of him and knowing him and getting introduced to other people,” Anderson said.
Despite the amount of time and effort Fearing put into his career, his family was a main priority. Scott Fearing said there was a standing rule of 6 o’clock dinner every night. Fearing would leave the newspaper to drive the 45 miles up to Scandia for dinner and afterward, especially during the years of his syndicated comic strip, would go back to his studio to continue his work. He was never once late to family dinner.
“He cherished the simpler things to be able to just have dinner and be with your family,” Mark Fearing said. “Even though he worked, it was not the focus of everything in his life.”
Jerry Fearing is survived by his daughters, Jodie Fearing and Vickie Haberman, sons Scott Fearing and Mark Fearing, and granddaughter Lily Fearing.
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