The leader

Udo Keppler prints bring the bold, colourful political cartoons of Puck magazine into your home. Keppler, later known as Joseph Keppler Jr., drew for Puck from 1890 to 1914 and became its co-owner after his father, the magazine's founder, died. His cartoons take on Theodore Roosevelt, the trusts, tariffs, empire and the politics of the Gilded Age. Our collection of fine art prints includes hundreds of them.

About Udo Keppler

Udo J. Keppler was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on 4 April 1872, the son of the cartoonist Joseph Keppler, who founded Puck magazine. He graduated from the Columbia Institute in 1888 and studied in Germany in 1890 and 1891.

He joined Puck in 1890 and, after his father's death in 1894, became co-owner of the magazine and changed his name to Joseph Keppler. He sold Puck in December 1913 and stayed on as art director for four more months, then contributed to Judge and Leslie's Weekly until 1915. He retired in 1920.

Keppler was also a collector of Native American artifacts and an advocate for Native Americans. He was adopted by the Seneca Nation, which made him an honorary chief with the name Gyantwaka. In 1946 he moved to La Jolla, California, where he died on 4 July 1956.

Style and Subjects

Keppler's cartoons were printed in full colour as chromolithographs, which made Puck stand out on the newsstand. They are big, busy and theatrical, full of symbolic figures: Uncle Sam, Columbia, trusts as giants, politicians dressed as Roman emperors, biblical prophets or circus performers.

Many borrow from fables, myths and the Bible, as titles like The Democratic Moses or Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp show, turning the politics of the day into memorable images.

Famous Works

• Uncle Sam's dream of conquest and carnage – caused by reading the Jingo newspapers. A satire on war fever in the yellow press.
• Ave Theodore. Theodore Roosevelt hailed like a Roman emperor.
• An eruption of Mount Teddy. Roosevelt as an erupting volcano.
• The great American bull-fight. Politics as a spectacle in the ring.
• Putting yellow journalism in its place. A jab at sensational newspapers.
• The White Slave (1911). A cartoon on the social campaigns of the day.

Decorating with Keppler Prints

Keppler's colourful cartoons suit a study, home office, library or games room, especially for anyone who enjoys history and politics. Hang a group in black or dark wood frames for a vintage newspaper look.

Pick cartoons on a theme, such as Roosevelt, Uncle Sam or business and the trusts, to make a witty set above a desk, bar cart or reading chair.

FAQ

Who was Udo Keppler?

Udo J. Keppler (1872–1956), known from 1894 as Joseph Keppler Jr., was an American political cartoonist and publisher who drew for Puck magazine and became its co-owner.

What was Puck magazine?

Puck was an American humour magazine founded by his father, Joseph Keppler, famous for its colourful political cartoons. Udo worked for it from 1890 to 1914.

Why did he change his name?

After his father died in 1894 and he became co-owner of Puck, he took his father's name and was known as Joseph Keppler Jr.

What was his connection to the Seneca Nation?

He collected Native American artifacts and campaigned for Native Americans, and the Seneca Nation adopted him as an honorary chief named Gyantwaka.

Related Artists

• Louis Dalrymple: fellow Puck cartoonist
• Frederick Burr Opper: Puck cartoonist of the same years
• Bernhard Gillam: leading Puck cartoonist before Udo's time
• Thomas Nast: the great American political cartoonist of the previous generation