1 9 7 4 . ▁ ▁" H is ▁obvious ▁talent ▁to ▁draw … was ▁seen ▁in ▁him ▁as ▁a ▁child ▁by ▁his ▁parents , ▁Mary ▁and ▁Harold ▁( and ) ▁they ▁encourag ed ▁him ▁to ▁take ▁art ▁classes ▁in ▁school ▁and ▁later ▁attend ▁art ▁school ," ▁John ▁St ay sk al ▁said ▁after ▁his ▁father ' s ▁death .   ▁" H is ▁wife ▁Helen ... also ▁saw ▁his ▁talent ▁and ▁encourag ed ▁him ▁to ▁purs ue ▁a ▁career ▁drawing ." ▁ ▁Professional ▁career ▁▁ ▁With ▁the ▁n ud ging ▁of ▁Helen , ▁and ▁while ▁driving ▁a ▁tax i ▁in ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Chicago , ▁he ▁en rolled ▁in ▁and ▁then ▁graduated ▁from ▁the ▁Chicago ▁Academy ▁of ▁Fine ▁Arts ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 . ▁ ▁After ▁first ▁working ▁in ▁advert ising ▁art , ▁he ▁joined ▁the ▁Chicago ▁American ▁newspaper ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 7 ▁as ▁an ▁artist ▁for ▁its ▁Sunday ▁magazine . ▁ ▁While ▁working ▁at ▁the ▁American , ▁which ▁was ▁renamed ▁Chicago ' s ▁American ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 9 , ▁St ay sk al ▁drew ▁illustr ations ▁for ▁the ▁magazine ▁and ▁occas ional ▁sketch es ▁to ▁accomp any ▁feature ▁stories .   ▁During ▁that ▁time , ▁St ay sk al ▁found ▁his ▁real ▁interest ▁was ▁in ▁becoming ▁an ▁editor ial ▁cart oon ist . ▁ ▁" I ▁decided ▁to ▁go ▁up ▁and ▁talk ▁to ▁the ▁editor ial ▁cart oon ists ▁at ▁the ▁newspaper , ▁but ▁I ▁couldn ’ t ▁find ▁their ▁office ," ▁St ay sk