George Woodbridge (1930-January 19, 2004), an American illustrator known for his exhaustive research and historical accuracy, is sometimes referred to as "America's Dean of Uniform Illustration" because of his expertise in drawing military uniforms.

Born in Flushing, Queens, Woodbridge studied illustration at Manhattan's School of Visual Arts. In later years, he lived on Staten Island where he created his detailed drawings of military uniforms, insignia and equipment. He illustrated many military history books, including the Time/Life Civil War history, George Neumann's Collector's Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Revolution and Frederick P. Todd's three-volume American Military Equipage, 1851-1872: A Description by Word and Picture of What the American Soldier, Sailor and Marine of These Years Wore and Carried (Company of Military Historians, 1974-78), a definitive depiction of Civil War uniforms. These books are now used by Civil War re-enactors for uniform authenticity.

In March, 1957, Woodbridge began as a freelancer to Mad when Al Feldstein was the editor. Feldstein observed, "George's strong points were many. He was especially adept at delineating amusing street scenes with crowds and signs and outlandish going-ons, as well as depicting humorous interpretations of just plain people in comedic human situations. The articles he was assigned to illustrate were chosen with those superb talents in mind." Woodbridge remained with Mad for five decades. Later Mad editor John Ficarra noted, "He had a tremendous eye for detail that showed up in his drawings. We especially played to his history knowledge. When we gave him a piece on World War I, he would draw the exact gun and belt buckle they were using then."

For Mad 95 (June 1965), he drew the sports satire, "43-Man Squamish," prompting Ficarra to comment, "It's arguably our most requested piece to reprint. It struck a chord. Colleges all over formed teams and played this crazy game, with these ridiculous-looking helmets. George captured that lunacy."

Woodbridge also illustrated Mad books, such as Dick DeBartolo's A Mad Guide to Leisure Time and Mad's Cradle to Grave Primer (Warner Books, 1973), written by Larry Siegel and edited by Nick Meglin. When Bhob Stewart edited the Mad Style Guide in 1994, he gave Woodbridge the assignment of drawing the Mad Zeppelin from three different angles as a detailed guide for any company that might one day market a miniature model of the airship.

Woodbridge was color blind, yet he worked in color, as noted by cartoonist Sergio Aragonés, "He was such a good friend. He knew everything about history and he knew everything about artwork. When I was starting out and they gave me assignments that had to be in color, George was the one who helped me. Even though he was color blind, he did the most remarkable work in color. He was a wonderful man, and I will miss him very much."

Another of his friends was the historian Kenneth Holcomb Dunshee (The Village Blacksmith, American Museum of Firefighting, As You Pass By). Woodbridge told Mark Evanier (Mad Art): He was survived by his wife, Deborah Woodbridge, and son, George Woodbridge, when he died, age 73, of emphysema on January 19, 2004, in a Staten Island hospital. Prints and original artwork by Woodbridge can sometimes be found on eBay.

He is sometimes confused with the British actor George Woodbridge (1907-1973).

George Woodbridge (16 February 1907 - 31 March 1973) was a British character actor in films and television from the 1930s to the 1970s. Born in Exeter, Devon, his ruddy-cheeked complexion and Devonshire accent meant he would often be found playing innkeepers, policemen or yokels, most prominently in horror and comedy films.

Making his film debut in 1940 in The Big Blockade, he went on to appear in films such as Green for Danger (1946), The Fallen Idol (1949), The Queen of Spades (1949), An Inspector Calls (1954) and Richard III (1955).

His horror film appearances include: Dracula (1958), The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958), Jack the Ripper (1959), Flesh and the Fiends (1959), The Curse of the Werewolf (1960), Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1965), The Reptile (1966) and Doomwatch (1972). He also appeared in two M.R. James adaptations on television, in the Mystery and Imagination episode "Room 13" and the Omnibus episode "Whistle and I'll Come".

His jovial manner lent itself to comedy films as well, including An Alligator Named Daisy (1955), Three Men in a Boat (1956), Two Way Stretch (1960), Raising the Wind (1961), What a Carve Up! (1961), Only Two Can Play (1962), Nurse on Wheels (1963), Heavens Above! (1963), Carry On Jack (1963) and Up Pompeii (1971).

He also appeared as the sergeant in the Stryker of the Yard featurettes during the 1950s.

He first appeared on television before the Second World War, and went on to feature in popular series such Adam Adamant Lives!, Armchair Theatre, Benny Hill, Dixon of Dock Green, The Forsyte Saga, The Persuaders! and Softly Softly.

He gained popularity late in his career as Inigo Pipkin in the children's TV show Pipkins. Unfortunately, he died five weeks into the filming of the second series, an occurrence which was dealt within the programme's story.