Clip Art

From its origins in the 1950s from the pages of books to software like MacDraw in the 1980s to CD Roms, and finally moving online in the 1990s, Clip Art’s evolution took place along with that of graphic design. Even though clip art was mostly created by unnamed designers and illustrators and sold in packages or libraries, there are many important figures we know of whose clip art contributed to the history of graphic design. Joan Shogren, an early computer art pioneer and clip art designer; Frank Fruznya, whose iconic clip art defined an era; and Sean Tejaratchi, whose cult hit zine series Crap Hound celebrates Clip Art and visually meditates on social issues. Ultimately, clip art is a misunderstood element of graphic design that holds an essential place in its history. Clip art in many ways paved the way for stock photo and stock illustration use that is common practice among designers today.

TIMELINE

1928 – Tom Tierney born in Beaumont, Texas
1928– Dan X. Solo born
1932 – Joan Shogren born
1941 – Dover Publications founded
1947 – Jean Larcher born in Rennes, France
1949 – Tierney graduates from the University of Austin in Texas, majoring in painting and sculpture
1950s – Clip Art began to be produced in books for commercial sale, such as The Volk Corporation
1951 – Tierney serves in the US Military for 3 years
1952 – Frank Fruznya, prolific Clip Art illustrator, born in Illinois
1953 – Tierney movies to NYC to work as a fashion illustrator
1954 – Art Chantry born
1960s – Tom B. Sawyer created Clip Art for Harry Volk Jr’s Volk & Co’s “Clip Book of Line Art”series
1963 – Shogren designs set of rules to make the first computer art with Jim Larsen and Dr. Ralph Fessenden’s assistance at San Jose Univeristy in California
1963 – “Cybernation” exhibition of early computer art featuring Shogren took place at the San Jose State Partna Book Store
1962 – Solotype founded
1965 – Larcher graduates after studying typographic art at the Paris Chaamber of Commerce
1969 – Artist and illustrator Mitch O’Connell starts to freelance Clip Art illustration for Dynamic Graphics
1970s – Dover begins publishing Clip Art books
1970 – Sean Tejartchi born
1973 – Larcher begins freelance design work
1974 – Fruznya started to work for H&R; then was recruited to work for Dynamic Graphics
1976 – Tierney publishes his first paper doll book, “Thirty from the 30s” which attracted the attention of Dover
1979 – Peter Roizen and Heidi Roizen, brother and sister, co-found T/Maker
1981 – IBM introduces the first personal computer
1983 – Heidi Roizen takes over as president at T/Maker
1983 – ImageWriter printer released
1983 – VCN ExecuVision published IBM’s first Clip Art library
1984 – Shogren starts to work for T/Maker for ClickArt
1984 – T/Maker releases ClickArt Publications digital Clip Art collection
1984 – Brad Fregger creates Clip Art for Activision
1984 – Nova Development founded
1984 – MacPaint comes pre installed on Macintosh computers
1985 – “The Year of the Computer” mass production of personal computers helps change the world
1985 – LaserWriter printer is introduced
1986 – Graphic Source published Clip Art Books
1986 – Apple introduces the Macintosh Computer
1986 – Mac Plus released
1987 – MacPaint to longer pre installed on Macintosh computers
1987 – T/Maker introduced first vector Clip Art made with Adobe Illustrator
1988 – Adobe Systems released Adobe Illustrator
1989 – Company 3G Graphics published “Images with Impact!”
1994 – Crap Hound first published
1994 – Deluxe Corp buys remaining software lines from T/Maker, including ClickArt
1996 – Zedcor was the first company to offer Clip Art images as part of an online subscription service
1996 – Microsoft began to include Clip Art in it’s built in libraries
1996 – Animation Factory founded
1998-2001 – T/Makers ClickArt library sold each year due to large mergers and acquisitions to companies like Mattel and The Learning Company
1998 – Crap Hound ceases publishing
1999 – Animation Factory sold
2003 – Fruznya quits Dynamic Graphics after anonymously being the Clip Art world’s star illustrator in the 80s and 90s
2005 – Jupitermedia purchased Creatas, now owning all of Dynamic Grapahic’s clip art library
2005 – Tejaratchi begins to publish Crap Hound again
2009 – Jupitermedia went out of business
2009 – Fruzyna moves to Paradise, Michigan with his partner to paint
2012 – Solo passes away
2014 – Tierney passes away
2014 – Microsoft discontinues it’s Clip Art library in favor of Bing Image Search
2015 – Dat Boi, an Animation Factory asset, becomes an early internet meme
2015 – Larcher passes away

REFERENCES

Arntson, Amy E. (1988). Graphic Design Basics. Saunders College Publishing.

Borrell, J. (1988, January). ...