8x10 B&W glossy finish vintage photograph signed "For my Bodacious Californey Cousin Goodest Wishes Fred Lasswell" in black felt tip ink. In very good condition. (1916-2001) Fred D. Lasswell was an American cartoonist best known for his decades of work on the comic strip Barney Google and Snuffy Smith.Lasswell drew a poster advertising the Tampa Chamber of Commerce Jamboree, which attracted the attention of Barney Google creator Billy DeBeck. Impressed with the poster, DeBeck hired Lasswell to assist him as a letterer. Only seventeen years old at the time, Lasswell dropped out of high school to take the job.During this period, DeBeck wanted to expand the appeal of his comic strip by adding a hillbilly character to the cast. After he and Lasswell conducted a tour of the rural southern United States to research the culture of the region, the two cartoonists introduced the character Snuffy Smith to the strip in November 1934. Snuffy was immediately popular, leading to a surge in demand for the comic strip. Throughout the 1930s, DeBeck continued to mentor Lasswell, sending him to work with preeminent illustrators of the era and to study at the Art Students League of New York. After DeBeck's death in 1942, Lasswell subsequently took over as the lead cartoonist of Barney Google and Snuffy Smith.Over the course of his career, Lasswell drew Barney Google and Snuffy Smith for 59 years, one of the longest careers in the field. This lot came from the Jim Wiggins collection we purchased in July 2022. Jim Wiggins accumulated the most unique and valuable autograph collection over a period of 70-plus years. He obtained his collection either in person or by writing to persons of fame and notoriety. Comes with a full Letter of Authenticity from Todd Mueller Authentics.