Bernard Wiseman
Bernard Wiseman (26 August 1922 – 11 January 1995) was an American author and illustrator of children's books along with cartoons for adults. Between 1958 to 1995, Wise wrote and illustrated dozens of humorous picture books including his popular book Morris and Boris: Three Stories along with numerous sequels featuring the same characters.[2] [3][4][5]
Life
Wiseman was born in the Canarsie section of Brooklyn, New York on August 26, 1922, to Abraham Z. Wiseman and Yetta Goldtein Wiseman.[3] Wiseman was interested in drawing cartoons from a young age and was the art director for his high school yearbook.[2]
He joined the U.S Coast Guard during World War II[3] and rose to the rank of bosun's mate, seeing action in the Atlantic Ocean on a destroyer escort. During Wiseman's time in the Coast Guard he continued drawing cartoons.[2]
In 1977, Wiseman and his wife Susan and stepson Peter moved to Melbourne, Florida. There he had two sons of his own, Michael and Andrew.
Wiseman died in 1995. He is interred in Arlington National Cemetery.
Career
After being honorably discharged in 1946, Wiseman began working as a cartoonist in New York City.[3] Known as "an amiable professional,"[2] Wiseman worked with numerous publications and editors in that city with his work frequently published in The New Yorker, Playboy magazine, Punch, The Saturday Evening Post, and other publications.[3] He also drew advertisements for various clients and illustrated short pieces in two early issues of Mad magazine.[2] In addition, Wiseman created a series for Boys' Life magazine called Sir Nervous Norman, which were humorous stories about an insecure medieval knight.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Wiseman began writing and illustrating early reader children's books. His first major title was The Log and Admiral Frog. In all, Wiseman published over 80 books.
Wiseman also illustrated booklets for Radio Free Europe were dropped by balloons into Communist countries in eastern Europe.[3]
Morris the Moose series
Wiseman is mainly remembered for his Morris the Moose series of easy reader picture books for young children.[2] In the books, Morris and his friend Boris the Bear experienced numerous Abbott and Costello-style adventures. The books were noted for using simple puns, repeated misunderstandings, and "the escalating antagonism between the bright but ignorant Morris, who takes everything literally, and the impatient ever-explaining Boris."[6] While Boris was frequently infuriated by Morris, the books ended happily "with the friends having a good laugh."[7]
Critical reception
Wiseman's picture books were noted for their comedy-team dynamic, with his stories about Morris the Moose and Boris the Bear being called "absolutely hilarious" by Joseph Stanton.[8] School Library Journal said of the book Morris and Boris that the dialogue was "reminiscent of a Smothers Brothers routine, and the exuberant cartoon illustrations will keep young readers giggling."[7] In another review, the publication said that "Wiseman has a successful formula" with the Morris the Moose books, in that "Morris is the perpetual child, self-centered and a bit greedy yet totally guileless and unself-conscious. Boris is the perfect straightman."[9]
References
Notes
- ↑ Putnam Pub Group Library(July 1974)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "Bernard Wiseman," Comic Art and Books, accessed 2/3/2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Straub 1988, p. 480.
- ↑ "Bernard Wiseman - Summary Bibliography". isfdb.org.
- ↑ "Amazon.com: Bernard Wiseman: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle". amazon.com.
- ↑ "Morris Has a Birthday Party! (Book Review)" by Nancy Palmer, School Library Journal. May 1983, volume 29, issue 9, page 90.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Morris and Boris (Book Review)," School Library Journal, December 1974, volume 21, issue 4, page 48..
- ↑ Stanton 2005, p. 21.
- ↑ "Christmas with Morris and Boris (Book Review)" by Jean Hammond Zimmerman, School Library Journal, October 1983, volume 30, issue 2, page 178.
Bibliography
- Books
- Straub, Deborah, ed. (1988). "Wiseman, B(ernard)". Contemporary Authors, New Revision Series, Volume 24. Gale Research. ISBN 9780810319783. Search this book on
- Stanton, Joseph (2005). The Important Books: Children's Picture Books as Art and Literature. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0810851764. Search this book on
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