Meadowlark Gallery: The Artist Biographies


Stan Lynde (1931-2013)
Stan Lynde was born in Billings, Montana on September 23, 1931. He was raised on his father's ranch near Lodge Grass, Montana on the Crow Indian Reservation. He attended grade and high school at Lodge Grass, working on the ranch and traveling with his family wherever his father's business of sheep raising took them. During his early years, he lived with his parents in "every kind of dwelling you can imagine–sheep wagon, soddy, line shack, log cabin, tent and ranch house." While in the U. S. Navy, he began a lot of his early cartooning abilities but it was in 1957 when he created the comic strip, "Rick O'Shay" that became an unusual marriage with the Chicago Tribune. Unable to control his destiny and mood like he wanted in the strip, he brought the relationship to an end in 1977. In 1978, he created the comic strip "Latigo" for the Field Newspaper Syndicate and remained with them until 1983. "Grass Roots" became available in 1984 as a self syndicated feature for weekly newspapers.

Stan Lynde was a cofounder and an organizer of The Great Montana Centennial Cattle Drive in 1989. Stan continues to produce a series of graphic novels. Although a generation has passed since the works of "Rick O'Shay," "Latigo," and "Grass Roots" there still remains that special admiration and respect for the feelings that Stan evoked during the week and every Sunday.

Primary Source: "Rick O'Shay, Hipshot and Me–A Memoir" by Stan Lynde; Cottonwood Graphics, Inc.; September, 1990.
View high resolution images of works by Stan Lynde when available.