Norman Calmese
serves as the General/Sales Manager and Illustrator for the
Capital City Courier. His cartoons and illustrations have
appeared in newspapers throughout the country. Norman has helped
to catapult the local newspaper to international status. He was
commissioned be the State of Illinois to do a portrait of State
Senator Cornelius Davis. He was also commissioned by the
Springfield Federation to design posters for the Mass Transit
District. His unique and expressive style has brought numerous
other offers. He has illustrated eleven books including “War? I’m
Scared” the first book in America on 9/11 created from a
children’s perspective, “Springfield A Cool Place To Be” a
coloring book by We Write Corporation , and “Wine Out” created for
a local school district. He has also created murals for numerous
organizations and is in the process of completing a children’s
coloring book for a medical professional.
Norman also enjoys every aspect of creativity, from cartooning,
sculptures, illustrations and fine art to music dance and acting.
He holds a B.A. in Sociology from Northern Illinois University, a
Minor in Art and African American History as well as a Master’s
Degree in Arts Management from the University of
Illinois-Springfield. He spent 14 years in corporate America
winning numerous sales and marketing awards. He has sold and
marketed products for various corporations such as Lever Brothers,
Fuji Film and Holland Metro Broker representing such product lines
as Whisk, Mrs. Butterworth, Fuji Cameras, Kingsford Charcoal,
Kool-Aid and many others. For six years he owned and operated the
Cartoon Factory, which offered classed and workshops designed to
teach children and adults the powerful gift of creativity. One of
his students went on to study cartooning in Japan
