Bill Holman (cartoonist)
The madcap mind behind 'Smokey Stover,' a fireman who drove a two-wheeled car and spoke in nonsense, defining screwball comics for a generation.
1903–1987 (age 84)·American cartoonist·Birthday: March 22·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Bill Holman didn't just draw a comic strip; he engineered a weekly dose of controlled chaos. 'Smokey Stover,' which debuted in 1935, was less a narrative and more a playground for Holman's singular, absurdist humor. The strip featured a fireman obsessed with fires, a car that ran on its two back wheels, and a supporting cast including a talking parrot and a wealthy widow. Its true hallmark was a relentless barrage of visual gags, puns, and invented phrases like 'foo' and 'notary sojac' that became national catchphrases. Holman's style was dense and frantic, with every panel packed with background jokes and non-sequiturs, rewarding readers who took the time to scour each detail. For 38 years, he sustained this unique brand of humor, creating a strip that felt like a direct wire to a wonderfully silly mind, influencing countless cartoonists who valued madness over logic.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Bill was born in 1903, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bill Was Born
The biggest hits of 1903
Bill's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1903Born
Wright brothers achieve first powered flight
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1908Started school
Ford Model T goes into production
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1916Became a teenager
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1919Could drive
Treaty of Versailles signed; Prohibition ratified
President: Woodrow Wilson
1921Could vote
First commercial radio broadcasts
President: Warren G. Harding"My Man" — Fanny Brice
1924Turned 21
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1933Turned 30
FDR's New Deal launches; Prohibition ends
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stormy Weather" — Ethel WatersBest Picture: Cavalcade
1943Turned 40
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1953Turned 50
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1963Turned 60
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 70
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 80
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1987Died at 84
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
Key Achievements
- Created and drew the influential screwball comic strip 'Smokey Stover' for 38 years, from 1935 to 1973.
- Popularized nonsense catchphrases like 'foo' and 'notary sojac' that entered the American lexicon.
- Produced one of the longest-running and most defining strips in the screwball comedy genre.
Did You Know?
He sometimes signed his strips with the pseudonym 'Scat H.'
Holman described his own childhood temperament as 'always inclined to humor and acting silly.'
Before 'Smokey Stover,' he worked on other strips like 'The Kin-der-Kids' and 'The Captain and the Kids.'
“Notary Sojac! Foo! The fire's always right, even when it's wrong.”
