i6 Alice D. Schreyer
He had no formal art training, and began his career by contribut¬
ing cartoons, portraits and illustrations to newspapers and maga¬
zines. During this period he was also involved in stage design,
commercial art and book illustration. A love of caricature mani-
Gcrgely sketching on the pier at Gloucester, Massachusetts, 1942
fcsted itself from the start; childhood friends still recall his delight
in caricaturing teachers for the amusement of fellow students.
Gergely's mischievous sense of humor came as a surprise to those
who met him; this most soft-spoken man, who never had children
of his own, had an innate ability to create characters and situations
to delight children of all ages.
Shortly after his arrival in New York in 1939 Gergely met
Georges Duplaix, head of production at Artists and Writers Guild.