Editing Paul Conrad (section)

==Early life==
Conrad was born to Robert and Florence Conrad. He was raised in a conservative, Catholic family with his identical twin brother James and older brother Bob in [[Cedar Rapids, Iowa]]. He attended St. Augustin Elementary School in [[Des Moines, Iowa|Des Moines]], where he first began to show interest in art by writing on the bathroom wall.<ref name="McFadden"/> He was left-handed, but was forced by teachers to favor his right hand. Until the age of 12, Conrad stuttered.<ref name="Longden">Longden, T. (2009, March 25). [http://data.desmoinesregister.com/famous-iowans/paul-conrad Famous Iowans - Paul Conrad] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20140806114840/http://data.desmoinesregister.com/famous-iowans/paul-conrad |date=2014-08-06 }}. ''The Des Moines Register''.  Retrieved August 11, 2014.</ref> At an early age, Conrad was exposed to the work of [[Jay Norwood Darling]], more popularly known as "Ding Darling", whose conservative cartoons were featured in local newspapers and who became a "childhood role model" for Conrad.<ref name="Smith">Smith, G. (1997). ''Celebrating Success: Inspiring Personal Letters on the Meaning of Success''. Health Communications. {{ISBN|1558744703}}.</ref>{{rp|57}}

After graduating from Roosevelt High School, he and his brother spent time working construction jobs in [[Valdez, Alaska]]. Conrad also honed his talent as a musician while playing piano in a bordello.<ref name="Jones"/> With [[World War II]] raging, Conrad and his brother enlisted. Because of his poor eyesight, Conrad was initially found to be unfit for military service, but he later served as a truck driver with the [[U.S. Army Corps of Engineers]] in the [[Asiatic-Pacific Theater|Pacific Theater of Operations]] at Guam and Okinawa, where he was given the nickname of "Con". He originally planned to attend [[Iowa State University]] after the war in 1945, but instead taught himself to play bass and joined a big band.<ref name="Longden"/><ref name="Schudel">Schudel, M. (2010, September 5). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/05/AR2010090503410_pf.html Pulitzer-winning political cartoonist Paul Conrad dies at 86] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215221244/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/05/AR2010090503410_pf.html |date=2018-12-15 }}. ''The Washington Post'', p. B04.</ref>

When the band did not work out, Conrad enrolled at the [[University of Iowa]] in 1946, where he studied art. He first got the idea to become a cartoonist while hanging out at a local bar in Iowa City. At the bar, his friend Charlie Carroll, then the editor for the school's newspaper, the ''[[Daily Iowan]]'', told Conrad that they needed a cartoonist, and he invited Conrad to give it a try.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131111090556/http://thegazette.com/2010/09/05/cedar-rapids-native-cartoonist-paul-conrad-dies-at-86/ Cedar Rapids native, cartoonist Paul Conrad dies at 86]. (2010, September 5). ''The Gazette''. Archived from [http://thegazette.com/2010/09/05/cedar-rapids-native-cartoonist-paul-conrad-dies-at-86/ the original] on November 11, 2013. Retrieved August 11, 2014.</ref><ref name="Multer"/><ref>Hawkins, H. (1980). [https://archive.org/details/cus_000015_t1 Interview with political cartoonist Paul Conrad]. KPBS. UC San Diego Library.</ref>{{rp|00:10–33}} One of his first cartoons for the ''Daily Iowan'' depicted [[Herbert Hoover]], the 31st President of the United States. Conrad was soon creating six cartoons a week.<ref name="Longden"/> Impressed with Conrad's cartoons, his professors sent the ''Denver Post'' copies of his work.<ref name="McFadden">McFadden, R. D. (2010, September 4). [https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/us/politics/05conrad.html Paul Conrad, Cartoonist, Dies at 86] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917062026/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/05/us/politics/05conrad.html |date=2017-09-17 }}. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved November 8, 2013.</ref>