Bil Canfield

William Newton Canfield (1920-2020 ), professionally known as Bil Canfield, was an American editorial cartoonist and illustrator.

Canfield studied at the American School of Design in New York City from 1940 until 1941 and then served in World War II. As a Boatswain’s Mate First Class in the Navy, Canfield, aboard the USS Massachusetts, drew cartoons for the ship’s semi-monthly newspaper, The Bay Stater. Canfield was hired at the Morning Telegraph and Racing Form where he was a sports cartoonist until 1946.

Canfield then took a job at the Newark News as a sports cartoonist and staff artist where one of his influences, Bill Crawford worked. The News ceased publication in 1972 and Canfield became the editorial cartoonist at the Newark Star Ledger. While at the Star Ledger, the subjects of Canfield’s daily cartoons closely matched themes in the paper’s editorials.