Four Hundred Humorous Illustrations With Portrait and Biographical Sketch, Classics To Go

John Leech

John Leech (29 August 1817 – 29 October 1864) was a British caricaturist and illustrator. He is best known for his work for Punch, a humorous magazine for a broad middle-class audience, combining verbal and graphic political satire with light social comedy. Leech catered to contemporary prejudices, such as anti-Americanism and antisemitism and supported acceptable social reforms. Leech's critical yet humorous cartoons on the Crimean War help shape public attitudes toward heroism, warfare, and Britons' role in the world. Leech also enjoys fame as the first illustrator of Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol. He was furthermore a pioneer in comics, creating the recurring character Mr. Briggs and some sequential illustrated gags. (Wikipedia)