Jim Unger
James Frederick Unger (21 January 1937 – 26 May 2012) was a British-born Canadian cartoonist, best known for his syndicated comic strip Herman which ran for 18 years in 600 newspapers in 25 countries.
Jim Unger
- Birth Name
- James Frederick Unger
- Born
- 21 January 1937
- Birthplace
- London, England
- Died
- 26 May 2012
- Place of death
- Saanich, British Columbia, Canada
- Nationality
- Canadian
- Awards
- National Cartoonists Society Newspaper Panel Cartoon Award (1982, 1987)
- Occupation
- cartoonist · comics artist
- Languages
- English
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
James Frederick Unger (21 January 1937 – 26 May 2012) was a British-born Canadian cartoonist, best known for his syndicated comic strip Herman which ran for 18 years in 600 newspapers in 25 countries.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Jim Unger. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
World of VALÉORINE
Documentary connections
Only confirmed graph relationships appear here. Images are shown only when their identity and reuse rights both pass the documentary gate.
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q6198647 · wikipedia · Jim Unger
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Birth Name — James Frederick Unger • Born — 21 January 1937 • Birthplace — London, England • Died — 26 May 2012 • Place of death — Saanich, British Columbia, Canada • Nationality — Canadian • Cartoonist — y • Notable Works — Herman • Awards — National Cartoonists Society Newspaper Panel Cartoon Award (1982, 1987)
Early life
Early life
Unger was born in London, England, to Lillian Maud and James Unger. Unger served in the British Army, was enrolled as a London bobby, and worked as an insurance clerk and a repo man before emigrating to Canada in 1968 at the suggestion of one of his sisters. In Mississauga, Ontario he began his career as a cartoonist at the Mississauga Times newspaper. In 1974, as Herman became popular, Unger moved from Mississauga to Ottawa, Ontario, bringing his parents and brother from Britain.
Retirement and return
Retirement and return
Unger moved to the Bahamas in 1984 and retired as a cartoonist in 1992. Unger's friends encouraged him to give up retirement. He said he would not have suggested it himself, but he liked the idea. On 2 June 1997, Herman made a comeback under the United Media umbrella. "It gives me the opportunity to bring them up to date and to introduce Herman to a new generation," he said in, edition of the Detroit News. He did not expect to return to full-time cartooning but planned to add new material. Unger signed a long-term contract to bring ten years of classic Herman back to newspapers. He returned to Canada in his last years, settling in Saanich, British Columbia.
Intraca
Intraca
Unger was a co-founder of Intraca with David Waisglass, creator of Farcus. Intraca uses the humour of popular cartoons and motivational quotes to inform and boost employees with "positive daily business messages" on their computers. Herman characters are also found on workplace posters promoting safety and improved production.
Death
Death
Unger died in his sleep at his residence in Saanich, British Columbia after a period of ill health. He was predeceased by his brother Bob, who was a major influence for the Herman comic. Unger was survived by his two daughters, Karen Gooda and Jenny Hopkins, and four grandchildren as well as two sisters, Deborah and Shirley who were living in Canada, and brother Steve who was living in the UK.
Identity
Identity
Jim Unger is recorded with the occupation comics artist. Recorded with the occupation cartoonist. Recorded as cartoonist and comics artist.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
Explore 1937–2012
The full dated record · 3 entries
1937
Jim Unger was born on 21 January 1937.
1986
Herman Treasury 5 and 6 By Jim Unger (2 volumes) (1986) is digitised and catalogued by Internet Archive.
2012
Jim Unger died in 2012 at Saanich.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
London.
Birth place
Saanich.
Death place
Books
In 1990, Herman became the first newspaper cartoon syndicated in East Germany. Shortly afterward, Unger produced a new book, Herman: Over the Wall. He joked, "Six months later the (Berlin) Wall came down; I think that's what did it."
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q6198647: Jim Unger
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “Jim Unger”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Awards
Unger received the National Cartoonists Society's Newspaper Panel Cartoon Award twice (1982, 1987).
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
authority record
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Comics and comic art
9,920 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Jim SimonArtist
- Jim StarlinArtist
- Jim SterankoArtist
- Jim ToomeyArtist
- Jim WoodringArtist
- Jim ZubArtist
- Jimbo's InfernoSeries
- Jimenez LaiArtist
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Jim Unger?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.