2019-3 Remembrances Special Edition1
City of Schertz
REMEMBRANCES Special Edition 2019-3
Produced by: Schertz Historical Preservation Committee
NOTE: Images gifted to the Cibolo Valley Community Museum Association
and reproduction of such is prohibited without permission of the Association
Bob Dale – Cibolo Valley’s Artist Extraordinaire
Have you ever had the privilege of knowing someone whose exceptional professional talents
marked him or her as someone very special? Our exposure to such persons in the field of arts
and entertainment most often occurs indirectly by means of television award shows, athletic
championships, live musical and dance performances, literary reviews, and/or art museum
exhibits. During the last half of the 20th Century and early into the 21st, we citizens of the
Cibolo Valley had the distinct privilege of having been directly exposed, as a nearby neighbor
(Cibolo, Texas) to one of the finest professional artists of his time, Bob Dale.
Bob Dale (born: July 23, 1927, died: July 26, 2015), the son of Harold S. and June (“Mimmie”)
Dale. Bob’s father was an adventuresome man, having served in his youth as a guide and scout
to hunting parties in the Peace River County of Canada and as a cowboy performer in the 101
Ranch Wild West Show. During WWI, Bob’s father enlisted in the U.S. Army Signal Corps,
Aviation Section. After the war, his father became a flying instructor and test pilot. Thus
explains Bob’s longtime interest in cowboys, Indians and airplanes. Those interests gave
expression in his choice of a professional life as a newspaper political cartoonist and portrait,
wild life and western sketch artist.
After serving in the U. S. Navy during WWII he attended G.I. Art School and thereafter began
employment at the San Antonio Express-News.
Bob Dale served as the San Antonio Express-News editorial cartoonist for thirty-four
adventurous years. His politics were conservative and he had no qualms about incorporating
his conservative bent in his cartoon images and commentary. During the Express-News days,
his cartoons were the target of protest marches. He was physically assaulted by persons
offended by his drawings. He created many police suspect sketches, which in one case was
responsible for capture of a bank robber. One of his cartoon series assisted with the recall of
the San Antonio City Mayor and the City Council. His news cartoon expertise helped the
Express-News win a Texas Associated Press (AP) award for community service. He found himself
a potential victim of bribery attempts as two influential San Antonio citizens who were targets
of his ‘poison’ pen offered him a monetary reward, if he would cease publishing embarrassing
depictions of them. He refused. His talent as an editorial cartoonist won him many local and
national awards. He has drawn cartoons of every United States President from Harry Truman to
Bill Clinton.
Not content with editorial cartoon creation for the Express News, Bob spent his remaining
waking hours creating serious Indian and western art. His beautiful creations have found their
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way into private collections and museums all over the world. His portrait art features many
western cowboy heroes to include “The Duke” (John Wayne). In honor of his father’s flying
experiences as an Army Signal Corps pilot in WWI, Bob produced a series of beautiful WWI
reproductions featuring in-flight air combat scenes. Bob was a pilot himself. His art expertise
was applied to the production of logos for commercial businesses such as Jim’s Restaurant and
the San Antonio Gunslingers pro football team.
Historical preservation through art is a valued commodity for any community. Bob realized the
importance of using his artistic talents to preserve local Cibolo Valley history. His local historic
art projects showed yet another aspect of his diverse talents. He researched each subject
before beginning work on a project. The final sketch of each project included historic details
explaining its era and significance.
Historical preservation meant a great deal to him as evidenced by the collection of historic
artifacts he was known to maintain and work to restore at his home in Cibolo.
Preservation of one aspect of the history of the “Old West” frontier days was another of Bob’s
passions. He was a charter member of a comical, theatrical shoot-em-up “Gunslingers” western
reenactment troupe that performed at local and regional festivals.
Bob Dale’s artistic talents, diverse interests, boundless energy, and uniquely independent
personality mark him as a classic “Renaissance Man” of the 20th/21st Century. We pay tribute
to Bob as one of the Cibolo Valley’s most talented and interesting persons.
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Bob Dale - Artist, Cartoonist, Pilot, Historian, Friend and Neighbor (Photo complements of Bob Dale collection)
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Bob Dale – Editorial Cartoon Artist (Sketches complements of Bob Dale Collection)
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Bob Dale – Western Portrait Artist
Sketches complements of Bob Dale collection)
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Bob Dale – Native American Artist (Sketches complements of the Bob Dale collection)
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Bob Dale – Western Animal Artist (Sketches complements of the Bob Dale collection)
Bob Dale – Local Cibolo Valley Historical Artist (Sketches complements of the Bob Dale collection)
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Bob Dale – WWI Air Combat Artist (Painting reproductions complements of the Bob Dale collection)