“Harold and the Purple Crayon” has been a staple in children’s picture book collections ever since it was published in 1955. The author, Crockett Johnson, started his career as a cartoonist in periodicals and newspapers.
Born David Johnson Leisk, he established his pen name “Crockett Johnson” early on in his career. His early work can be found in New Masses, a weekly Marxist periodical from New York. Published from 1926 through 1948, New Masses aimed at revolutionizing the culture as well as politics. It featured essays and commentary on current national events as well as poems, artwork, cartoons, and book and theatre reviews.
