Mell Lazarus: Creator of Miss Peach and Momma

Career and major works

Lazarus launched Miss Peach in 1957, a strip often set around a schoolroom and noted for its smart, witty exchanges between a teacher and her pupils. In 1970 he introduced Momma, a strip centered on a fiercely opinionated mother and her adult children. Both strips enjoyed long runs in newspapers: Miss Peach ran into the early 2000s and Momma continued for many years thereafter. In the late 1960s Lazarus also produced Pauline McPeril in collaboration with artist Jack Rickard; for that feature he used the pseudonym "Fulton," a name he also used as a fictional character in his fiction.

Style, themes and approach

Lazarus's work is characterized by economical line work, clear panel layouts and a focus on verbal wit rather than elaborate visual gags. Miss Peach tended toward the innocent but sharp observations of children, while Momma mined the humor of long-standing family roles and the clash between independence and parental oversight. Across his strips he favored human-scale situations, recurring characters and an accessible tone that appealed to a broad readership.

Writing and professional leadership

Beyond his daily strips, Lazarus published fiction and occasionally worked under alternate bylines. One of his novels shares a title connection with his pseudonym, and he was active in the professional community. He served as president of the National Cartoonists Society from 1989 to 1993, playing a role in advocacy and collegial activities for cartoonists and illustrators.

Legacy and later life

Mell Lazarus is remembered for the warmth and consistency of his humor and for creating characters that readers followed for decades. His strips were widely syndicated and reprinted, and they remain as examples of mid‑to‑late 20th century American newspaper comedy. Lazarus died at age 89 in Los Angeles from complications of Alzheimer’s disease in 2016.

Selected works and dates

• Miss Peach — launched 1957; long newspaper run into the early 2000s.
• Momma — launched 1970; continued for many years as a domestic gag strip.
• Pauline McPeril — mid-to-late 1960s collaboration using the pseudonym "Fulton."
• Published fiction, including a novel titled The Boss Is Crazy, Too and at least one other book.

Further reading

1. Biographical overview and career chronology
2. Discussion of Lazarus's comic strips and themes
3. Background on Lazarus's early life in Brooklyn
4. Archive material and sample cartoons
5. Information on Miss Peach and its characters
6. Notes on Lazarus's later years in Los Angeles
7. Obituary and remembrances
8. Context on Alzheimer's disease and its effects