In 1903, he returned to New York and was employed as an illustrator for local journals. In 1905, he held his first exhibition at the Salmagundi Club, establishing himself as both a cartoonist and a serious painter. In this same year, he completed his first illustrations for "Life" magazine. In 1909-10, his strip "Whisk" ran for almost two years in the "New York World". He counted a number of cartoonists and illustrators among his friends, including Gus Mager and Pop Hart. He also created a text comic himself: "Whisk" (1909-1911).