Shinn Kickers JNL Font

Publisher: Jeff Levine Fonts

Conrad X. "Cobb" Shinn (Sept. 4, 1887- Jan. 28, 1951) was a Fillmore, Indiana-born post card illustrator who sold a series of successful novelty postcard lines which included (to name a few) Charlie Chaplin, vehicles and the Dutch culture in the starting years of the 20th Century.

After serving in World War I, Shinn found the marketplace for novelty postcards decreasing, and he also lent his artistic skills to cartoon functions and showing numerous kids's books [including his own, under the label "Uncle Cobb"] which taught simple detailed illustration methods.

Some time in the 1920s, he eventually moved into the field of supplying electrotypes and stereotypes of "stock cuts" of photos and line art to the printing trade. In the days of letterpress printing, this was the leader of paper clip art and its successor, electronic clip art.

Purchasing a lot of his styles from "journeyman" artists of the time, the variety Cobb Shinn's stock cuts library grew with the passing years, reflecting changing times, styles and topics.

Some of the illustrators whose signed works were presented in Shinn's "CUTalogs" [as he called his stock cuts catalogs] include Mary Clemmitt, Louis H. Hippe, E.C. Klinge, Nelson White, Harvey Fuller, Bess Livings, Lois Head, Harvey Peake and Van Tuyl.

Upon his death in 1951, it's not understood the length of time the Indianapolis-based business existed prior to finally closing its doors.

One of the more popular series of cartoons were the line illustrations of males and females affectionately called "little big head guys" by many contemporary fans of these cuts since the heads of the characters were drawn somewhat larger than the rest of their bodies.

Shinn Kickers JNL is a collection twenty-six of these illustrations, and similar to a kick in the shin (as the pun in the name implies), these charming animations get your attention.