A long-overdue tribute to the legendary African American sports writer and boxing cartoonist Ted Carroll. Ted Carroll was one of the greatest American artists and sports writers of the twentieth century, most notably as a boxing cartoonist and journalist. As a Black man working in an era when boxing was one of the few outlets where Black athletes could achieve wealth, success, and recognition, Carroll's commentary on the sport provides a profound perspective on race and the history of boxing. In A Boxing Life: The Enduring Legacy of Writer and Cartoonist Ted Carroll, Ian Phimister and David Patrick celebrate Carroll's extraordinary achievements as a sports cartoonist, illustrator, painter, and writer. Beginning with an introduction to Carroll's life and times, Phimister and Patrick then dive into Carroll's work, reproducing 44 of his best articles contributed to The Ring magazine--the bible of boxing. Arranged thematically, each section of articles includes an overview discussing the selections and providing valuable historical context. Included in the collection is the significant series "The American Black Man in Boxing," which explores race, sport, and society. Ted Carroll's insightful articles illuminate the place of boxing in twentieth-century sport and society with incredible skill and care. The first extended account of Ted Carroll's life and works, and profusely illustrated with his brilliant drawings, A Boxing Life finally provides the deserved recognition to a remarkable artist and author who has been overlooked for far too long.
Ian Phimister and David Patrick are both members of the International Studies Group at the University of the Free State (South Africa). Ian has written widely on African and world history, while David's research interests focus on media representations of historical phenomena, including mass violence and contemporary politics. He is the author of Reporting Genocide: Media, Mass Violence and Human Rights. Ian and David share an obsessive interest in professional boxing.
Ian Phimister and David Patrick have made an invaluable and novel contribution to the already rich body of boxing literature by shedding much-needed light on the long and distinguished career of African American master boxing cartoonist Ted Carroll, largely in his own words and images. Carroll, who drew and wrote for Ring Magazine for over 35 years, has never received the credit he deserves, even among his peers. Notably not until 2013, some 40 years after his death in 1973, did Carroll enter the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Phimister and Patrick's study will go a long way toward demonstrating Carroll's significant value in the history of boxing.--Jeffrey Sammons, professor of sports history at NYU and author of Beyond the Ring Ted Carroll was one of the most important artists of the twentieth century. Carroll, a Black man, was the cartoonist for The Ring for fifty years, offering commentary on the sport of boxing complete with all of its social implications. He was overlooked for years, not because of the quality of his work, but for the color of his skin. Finally we have a long overdue and proper tribute to this truly great artist.--Craig Hamilton, boxing historian, boxing manager, and proprietor of JO Sports, Inc., the world's leading retailer of boxing memorabilia
