Eric Gurney

Personal Info

Known For Writer

Gender Male

Birthday 1910-03-16

Deathday 1992-11-17 (82 years old)

Place of Birth Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Eric Gurney

Biography

He grew up in Toronto, where he began a career as a commercial artist. In 1938 he emigrated to the USA to work with The Walt Disney Company, where he was a story writer and collaborated on several classic Disney films. Turning freelance in 1948, he did cartoon illustrations for magazines and advertising campaigns, notably for the Ethyl Corporation. Gurney is best known for his humorous illustrations in books for children and adults. He illustrated Punctured Poems (1971) by Richard Armour; How to Live with a Neurotic Dog (1960) (text by Stephen Baker); How to Live with a Calculating Cat (1962) (text by William Nettleton); an edition of Sportsmanlike Driving (1965), a textbook published by the American Automobile Association; and many other titles, whose total sales number in the millions. He received the National Cartoonists Society Advertising and Illustration Award for 1961 and 1971 for his work. His first wife, Nancy Gurney, was his collaborator on several books including The King, the Mice, and the Cheese (1965). He was also the illustrator of other notable Beginner Books including The Digging-est Dog and Hand Hand Fingers Thumb. After her death, Gurney married a second Nancy. They also collaborated on The Return of the Calculating Cat. In later years they resided in Tucson, Arizona.

Known For

Writer

1955
Music Land

as Writer

1950
1949
1949
Sheep Dog

as Story

1949
Pueblo Pluto

as Story

1949
Bubble Bee

as Story

1948
1948
1948
Cat Nap Pluto

as Story

1947
Rescue Dog

as Story

1947
1947
Mail Dog

as Story

1946
Bath Day

as Story

1946
1946
1945
Dog Watch

as Story

Visual Effects

1941
Lend a Paw

as Animation

1941
1941
Canine Caddy

as Animation