Will James
| Birth place or City of origin: | Quebec Province |
| State of origin: | CAN |
| Last known City: | |
| Last known State: | |
| Start/Birth date: | 1892 |
| Death/End date: | 1942 |
Info Added
Born Joseph Ernest Nepthali Dufault in Quebec Province, Canada, Will was not, as represented in his writings, born in a covered wagon and orphaned before he was five. He did, however, become a Montana cowboy but a serious injury from a rodeo accident forced him to seek other work. While in San Francisco, he managed to interest Harold Von Schmidt and Maynard Dixon in his cowboy drawings and with their financial assistance he secured employment with Sunset Magazine. Writing and illustrating his own stories, Will published his first book in 1924, thanks, in large part to Scribner’s editor, Max Perkins with -- 19 others to follow including Smoky and Lone Cowboy. James was that rare mix of cowboy, author and artist that help perpetuate the myth as much as the man.
The name Will James is known to anyone who has read any of his 20 books, published with all his original drawings. He also created larger canvases but has the magical name when it comes to his book illustrations. He used mainly graphite, crayon and paper to create his imaginary world around the cowboy he wanted to be! The publisher, Scribner, was instrumental in making him a star
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