Early postcard with a caricature on Neville Chamberlain by Norman Pett (1891-1960)
Norman Pett was an English artist who, in 1932, created the famous cartoon character “Jane” for the Daily Mirror. He was born on 12 April 1891 in Kings Norton, Worcestershire. After being invalided out of the First World War, he studied art at the Press Art School. Later, he taught art at the Mosley Road Junior Art School and at Birmingham Central School of Art.
In 1932, Pett set out to create a comic strip that would be as popular to adults as the famous Pip, Squeak and Wilfred was to children. And so, “Jane” was created. After drawing her for 16 years, Pett retired from drawing “Jane” in 1948, and the strip was continued by Michael Hubbard. He died at his home in Sussex on 16 February 1960.