A Life Remembered: Basset's political cartoons published in numerous newspapers

Dec. 1—Political cartoonist Gene Basset used pen and ink to record on paper his opinions about public figures and his observations of regular people. He kept a sketch book within reach throughout his life.

"It was such a wonder that we had a nationally known political cartoonist here — and that his work had been published in The Free Press," said Donald Myers, director of the Hillstrom Museum of Art at Gustavus Adolphus College.

Basset died on Thanksgiving while preparing to say grace before a dinner in his St. Peter home. He was 95.

A celebration of his life will take place in the spring.

Dr. Thom Rooke last saw Basset about a month ago. His longtime friendship with the artist had begun as a medical relationship, he said.

"Gene was doing surprising well for a frail man of 95. He always had a sparkle in his eyes. His mind was perfectly intact ... always sharp," Rooke said.

The Rochester doctor and Basset collaborated on books, including two that have been published. The first was an illustrated story about the origins of Mayo Hospital titled "The Tornado."

The second book was published in 2015. Rooke wrote the text for "Gene Basset's Vietnam Sketchbook: A Cartoonist's Wartime Perspective" that includes 80 drawings documenting his friend's 1965 experience.

Rooke and his family are listed as survivors in Basset's obituary. Also mentioned is his military service with the Coast Guard in the Aleutian Islands in the late 1940s.

A native of New York, Basset studied art there at the High School of the Music and Art. He later attended the University of Missouri and earned a bachelor of arts from Brooklyn College.

His newspaper career began in Indianapolis. He later worked at the Brooklyn Eagle as well as Boston newspapers and The Christian Science Monitor. During a long career with Scripps Howard newspapers, he was a chief editorial cartoonist. His works also appeared on the covers of periodicals such as U.S. News and World Report.

One of Basset's editorial cartoons was nominated for a Pulitzer prize. A commentary on lynching, he'd depicted two young black girls kneeling and reciting words from a bedtime prayer, "if I die before I wake."

Rooke described his late friend as a person who opposed the war in Vietnam.

"He was on Nixon's enemies list," Rooke said.

Her husband had "very definite opinions" but tried always to see the other person's side — "sometimes he could, sometimes he could not," Ann (Komatz) Basset said.

After Basset's retirement from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 1992, the couple moved to Ann's hometown, St. Peter.

Ginny LaFrance and other local artists were sketching at the Arts Center of Saint Peter in 2003 when she realized Basset had been focusing on her, not the model who'd been hired to pose.

"I had been concentrating so much, I didn't know he was drawing me," LaFrance said.

Basset, who exaggerated her spiked hairstyle for the drawing, gave the caricature to LaFrance. She had it framed.

"It's funny. Still, I consider it an honor to be drawn by someone with his background," LaFrance said.

Ann Basset acknowledged her husband's talent and dedication to his family: "Gene was a good artist and a marvelous husband ... and he was very proud of his sons.

"Our 41st wedding anniversary will be on Dec. 11," said Ann, adding she'd been attracted to his intelligence and wit.

Roger Basset has a career in the fine arts. Brian Basset's syndicated comic strip, "Red and Rover" is published in several daily newspapers, including The Free Press. They are Ann's stepsons.

Their father greatly influenced their career choices, Brian said, describing how Gene shared his knowledge and experience with his boys when they were young.

"While at the same time, he knew when to be hands off. Probably the most influence he had on me was by letting me watch him draw. I got to see the pure joy that gave him," Brian said.

About three years ago, when Gene began to show signs he was becoming more frail, Ann came up with a way to keep the flow of creativity going. She asked for a daily sketch as a sign of his continuing affection.

"Every morning, I would wake to see a little drawing on the table ... a cute little picture for me," she said.

"In the corner (of the paper) he would draw an easel holding a sign that said 'I love you.'"

Over the years, the Bassets made generous donations to the Hillstrom Museum, including artworks by Waterville's famous native son, Adolf Dehn.

In 2005, Myers curated an exhibit of Basset's Vietnam sketches. The catalog for the one-man show at the Hillstrom includes this description of his drawing style as "both economical and beautiful ... with energetic and descriptive lines."

Gustavus Adolphus College's library has several sketches by Basset stored in its special collections and rare books room and at least one copy of "A Cartoonist's Wartime Perspective" has a home on the building's shelves.

To view a catalog of Basset's works kept at Gustavus, go to: libguides.gustavus.edu/SCRB015.