Biography
Born in Port Elizabeth in 1930, Paul Lessing honed his drawing skills via a correspondence course in cartooning at the Press Art School in London. While performing as a musician in "252 Tavern" from 1968-69, he drew part time for the magazine Rooi Rose. In 1970, he became the permanent commercial artist for Die Afrikaner where he created the two strips he is most famous for, "Oupa and Buks," which featured the adventures of a grandfather and his grandson and "Die van der Merwes," which was the only Afrikaans strip to appear regularly in English language newspapers. In 1971, he began working full-time for The Natal Mercury where he stayed until his death in 1988.
Books
- Die Van der Merwes. Durban: Robinson, 1973.