Bob Nilson
About caricaturist Bob Nilson Mr. Nilson, was raised aboard his family's authentic Chinese junk, the "Amoy". (The Amoy had crossed the Pacific from Amoy, China to the United States in 1922.) Mr. Nilson grew up aboard her in the waters of Long Island Sound.
Mr.Nilson inherited his drawing ability from two artistic parents. His older brother claims "He was born with an in-grown pencil". Before coming to New Hampshire, Mr. Nilson worked in an ad agency in New York City and simultaneously free-lanced cartoons to major magazines.
A New Hampshire resident since 1961, he has taught at various institutions and drawn for numerous publications: The Laconia Citizen, NH Profiles, Project Adventure, the Irregular, and Publick Occurrences (where his editorial cartoons helped defeat the building of "the world's largest oil refinery" on Durham Point).
The Hanging Book (all cartoons), with a foreword by Ogden Nash, was published in 1970. Currently Mr. Nilson's work appears in both the Sunday Herald ('Seacoast Sketchbook') and Thursday's Spotlight Magazine ('Guess Who?'). 'Guess Who?' usually involves musicians, his favorite topic for caricature.
Mr. Nilson is unusual in that he draws with both hands at once, which makes him quite fast and fun to watch. He is a favorite at graduations and a popular fixture at Portsmouth's First Night Celebrations.
