In the early-morning hours on the day "Casey at the Bat" was originally published, (June 3, 1888) Harvard-bred author and satirist Ernest Lawrence Thayer was buried in his cramped Providence, R.I. artist's studio, located in the rear of the VonderEhe & Sons Corner Apothecary, putting the finishing touches on his paste-up for The Woonsocket Weekly Gazette-Reader. It was just one of many long days and late nights for him, as he labored tirelessly on his fledgling enterprise, the Mudville Studio of Art & Literature. But in the ensuing months, as his literary flame burned brighter, Mr. Thayer could scarcely withstand the demands of the business, and by 1890, he turned the struggling operation over to his apprentice, a Mr. Hearst. But like Thayer before him, the new entrepeneur quickly grew weary of the daily operations, and moved on to what he considered bigger and better things, but not before selling the studio for $35,000--a handsome sum at the time. He used the proceeds of that sale to launch another company, and before long, the career of business and publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst was legendary.

Mudville Studio of Art & Literature bounced in and out of the hands of several East Coast artists during the next three decades, but it enjoyed a post-depression heyday of sorts when soon-to-be Hollywood journeyman Eddie Arnold purchased the studio in 1939. Arnold, a sensible midwesterner, breathed new life into the business, frequently logging 50-60 hour weeks alongside his growing staff, even during his emergence as a motion picture star. It was during this time that the name was shortened to Mudville Design Studio, and a Los Angeles branch was opened in 1941, attracting many of the generation’s finest designers and artisans. World-renowned artist/surrealist Salvadore Dali worked at the studio for several months in 1943 as a typesetter, and well as a scores of Hollywood hopefuls "in-between jobs.". However, as Arnold's movie career began to blossom, he put less effort into Mudville, and along with the onset of WWII, the studio was forced to close the original Providence branch. By 1944, the Los Angeles branch would also close. Fresh upon the heels of some of its brightest days and greatest glories, mighty Mudville had struck out.

The studio lay dormant for the better part of the next decade, but an energetic new partnership emerged in 1955. After a round of negotiations with long-time pal Arnold, the team of Mark Goodson and Bill Todman took over the operation. Within a few months, business was booming. Goodson and Todson had also hit the jackpot in the brand-new medium of television as executive producers of a series of contest and quiz shows, including Beat the Clock, To Tell the Truth, What's My Line?, and later, The Price Is Right. The combination of television and "commercial art" was simply delicious for the duo. By 1961, the newly re-named Goodson-Todman Productions was busier than ever, serving as an in-house agency for their own TV productions, and re-opened a Hollywood branch, as well as the main office in Manhattan. This remained the design operation's primary focus for the next 31 years. Bill Todman died in 1979, but Goodson continued to operate, although it was managed by long-time creative director Bob Israel.

Upon Goodson's death in 1992, all company holdings, including the studio, were put on the auction block over the next several years, partly to offset the hefty estate taxes. Much of the early bidders' interest was directed at the syndication and marketing rights to the numerous popular TV hits, but Minneapolis-based designer David Meyer quietly negotiated a settlement with the Goodson family to assume control of the design operation in 1999. Mr. Meyer had crafted a solid reputation in the Twin Cities, first as a Communication Design graduate of the College of Visual Arts in St. Paul, and later as a designer/art director for Norwest Corporation, Dayton-Hudson, and Augsburg Fortress Publishers. The name was soon restored (and shortened) to its present Mudville Design, and all operations were moved to Minneapolis. Today, there is great joy in Mudville, as the studio has gone full-circle and returned to the roots so lovingly planted by Ernest Lawrence Thayer 120 years ago, as a small, independent studio that enjoys long hours, late nights, and satisfying their customers.

*Some of the facts contained within this account have been subject to dispute.

Contact: David Meyer | 952.232.5929 | dave@mudvilledesign.com