RICK O'SHAY AND HIPSHOT

Lynde, Stan

Marker/Print

1975

Gift of the Stan and Lynda Lynde Trust

2012.34.210

Growing up during the Great Depression on a sheep ranch near Lodge Grass, Stan Lynde (1931-2013) was familiar with both Montana's natural beauty and its harsh realities. Inspired by the cartoons of the 1930s and 1940s, Lynde began drawing comics in elementary school, and during the Korean War, he developed strips for US Navy publications. He created his most famous work, the nationally syndicated Rick O'Shay, from 1958-1977. Rick O'Shay attracted commercial and critical acclaim for its humor and ability to reflect the Old West while satirizing romanticized stereotypes of it; some estimate the strip attracted 15 million daily readers at its peak. In 2012, the Stan and Lynda Lynde Trust donated nearly 1,000 artifacts spanning Lynde's career-including many Rick O'Shay strips-to the Montana Historical Society's collections. These artifacts provide a glimpse into the creative process of a gifted artist who was deeply influenced by his Montanan roots.