Clarence Anders "Mr. Nose Art" Simonsen
Today's young T.V. and internet addicts have no idea what comic strips and radio meant to kids in my day [late 1940's and mid-1950's]. This was especially true if you lived in the rural farming area of southern Alberta, Canada.
Clarence was born in a farm house, early on the cold morning of 24 March 1944. War still raged around the world and for some reason, would become part of
his life forever.
Growing up with no brothers or sisters on a quarter section farm located six miles from the village of Acme, Alberta, was all work and no fun.
His family owned a battery powered radio, which was the only form of entertainment, other than the pictorial section of the Toronto star weekly, which
his father purchased every Saturday night. Radio programs, comics, and drawing became
his sole escape from the humdrum life on the lonely farm. He learned much about drawing from studying comic strips and war comics. As
he entered grade one, his school books were full of drawings of airplanes, bombs, soldiers and war. The 40 minute ride on the school bus was full of talk about tractors, horsepower, seed grain, trucks, and cows, while
his mind was in the world of pen, ink, and aviation. School was hell, and he hated all subjects other than art, where
he always received the highest mark.
At age sixteen years he was allowed to purchase the magazine 'playboy' which opened a new world to this farm teenager. Like other males,
he pasted the gatefold playmate on his bedroom wall, and dreamed of someday meeting the same lady. When
he read the September 1960 issue, the cover stated 'Playboy artists paint a playmate'. On page 100 appeared a full nude lady painted by an artist named - 'Vargas'.
He was hooked on his style and still has the issue [vol. 7, no. 9] in his collection today. For the first time
he would learn this was the artist who painted the World War Two ladies who appeared on the nose of aircraft.
On 29 June 1962, he joined the Canadian provost corps [army military police]. He
soon found cartoons were a big part of military life, not just for laughs but also framed and hung in the drinking mess canteens. In October 1965,
he was posted to Cyprus as part of the United Nations military police. During
his six month tour of duty he painted large wall art. While painting his art many United Nations members would sit and watch
his progress. Slowly, he began to understand the need for military art and how the same art appears on aircraft in time of war. Upon return to Canada
he attempted to find books on this aviation art work. There was not one single copy on the market. Someone had to undertake a serious effort to document the art while the artists were still alive.
On 6 October 1966, he joined the metro. Toronto police force, and after one year of training and probation,
began to research the subject of aviation art in time of war. He began this project for two simple reasons;
he loved the art, and the people who painted nose art wouldn't be around forever, so the story had to be recorded now. At the time,
he did not realize the magnitude of the research and replica painting involved, or the special people
he would meet over the next thirty-seven years. (For more, see Clarence's
Anthology)
N.B. Clarence has produced two widely acclaimed books on Nose Art.
Mr. Nose Art on the cover of the 8 September 1991,
Showcase magazine in The Calgary Sun (Credit - Peter Smith)