Had a knack for getting the kind of assignments that were Norman Rockwellesque. His name was even similar to Rockwell's; too much, Crockwell thought, so he'd sign his name to hide the rhyming similarity: "Douglas," "DC," or simply "D." Crockwell had his own style, however, and his incredible realism and facility with subjects ranging from war to illness to family reunions made him one of the most popular artists of the 1940s and 50s. Few artists became linked to so many ad campaigns: Welch's Grape Juice, Republic Steel, GE, Friskies, Wyeth. His longest ad campaign was for The Brewing Industry Association. These were initially black and white (though full-page), soon evolving to full color. After WWII, the Association created the "Beer Belongs" series, featuring other top illustrators (Gannam, Dohanos, Schaeffer, Briggs, Sundblom), but the vast majority were still done by Crockwell. Also made and lectured on experimental films, (e.g. Abstract Animated Moving Pictures).