Mike Lynch Cartoons

Thursday, September 21, 2017

Midcentury Modern Graphics: Modern Home Laundry Planning Guide 1961

Here are all of the great graphics from the Modern Home Laundry Planning Guide. It's copyright 1961 by the Hamilton Manufacturing Company in Two Rivers, WI. This oversized color brochure (8.5" x 11") is still vibrant more than 50 years later. There is no filter on these pics. As always with these kind of advertising promos, the artist or artists is uncredited.

The Hamilton Manufacturing Company started in 1880 as a wood type factory. By the turn of the century, the

" ... company grew and expanded its product line to include type cabinets and other furniture useful in the press room, then to furniture for dental and medical offices and labs, drafting tables and furnishings, and the first gas-powered clothes dryer. Forging ahead with the technology of new materials, the company switched from using wood to using steel to manufacture furnishings in 1917. The company changed its name to Hamilton Wood Type Manufacturing, and today is known as Hamilton Laboratory Solutions, manufacturer of laboratory furniture and fume hoods."

You can go to Two Rivers, WI and visit the Hamilton Wood Type and Printing Museum, where the above quote was taken. Its line of drafting tables are still coveted today.

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

From the Dick Buchanan Files: Magazine Cartoons from Life and Judge 1931 - 38

Here is another trip down retro gag cartoon lane with my friend Dick Buchanan and his massive collection of great, funny, sometimes moldy-oldy gag cartoons.

Here's Dick:

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The great humor magazines Life and Judge originated in the 1880’s, but by the 1920’s they were in decline. When The New Yorker debuted in 1925 their fate was sealed. To paraphrase humorist Fred Allen, “they were on a treadmill to oblivion.” Life Magazine went from a weekly to a monthly and ceased publication in 1936. Judge managed to stay afloat until 1947, albeit as a risqué cartoon joke magazine.

During the 1930’s Life & Judge published the work of several talented young cartoonists would become key members of the New Yorker stable. Perry Barlow and Richard Decker were frequent Life cover artists. Ned Hilton, Otto Soglow and Chon Day contributed Judge covers. Barbara Shermund’s work appeared in both magazines.

The gags haven’t aged well. Some were already old. But much of the artwork stands the test of time, to be sure.

Here are a few cartoons from Life and Judge magazines.

1. RICHARD DECKER. Decker usually had couple cartoons in each issue. Life August 1935.

2. PERRY BARLOW. A Life favorite and frequent cover artist. Life July 1935.

3. FRANK BEAVEN. Beaven has been described as an occasional contributor to many magazines but a regular in none. Judge January 1937.

4. CHON DAY. Different style by Chon Day. His cartoons appeared in both Life and Judge in the 1930’s. He did a Judge cover in 1938. Life. May 1934.

5. OTTO SOGLOW. Soglow also with different style. Judge January 24, 1931.

6. ED GRAHAM. Early appearance of a gag which would crop up over and over for decades. Life September 11,1931.

7. MISCHA RICHTER. Richter’s first New Yorker cartoon did not appear until 1942. Judge May, 1938.

8. NED HILTON. Another Life regular and frequent cover artist. Life September, 1935.

9. LARRY REYNOLDS. Life July, 1934.

10. DOROTHY McKAY. McKay was a fine New Yorker and Esquire cartoonist, illustrator and painter. Life July, 1935.

11. BEN ROTH. Ben Roth was the eldest of the four cartooning Roth brothers. Judge June, 1937.

12. ADOLPH SCHUS. Life May, 1934.

13. RICHARD DECKER. After Decker settled in with The New Yorker most of his outside work was in the advertising realm, most notably his long running Philadelphia Bulletin campaign. Life August, 1935.

14. ROBERT DAY. Life July,1935.

15. Dr. SEUSS. Theodor Geisel’s familiar Dr. Seuss creatures first appeared in Life but this one is from Judge January, 1937.

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

THE BOY WHO WOULDN'T EAT HIS BREAKFAST Story and Pictures by Elizabeth Brozowska

Here are some wonderful illustrations from THE BOY WHO WOULDN'T EAT HIS BREAKFAST, copyright 1963 by Wonder Books ("with washable covers"). It's by Elizabeth Brozowska, whose work was unknown to me until I saw this vintage kids' book in an antique shop in Arundel, Maine recently.

Elizabeth Brozowska did a number of children's books. She was also drawing a National Newspaper Syndicate comic titled "Geraldine" during this time. The midcentury modern strip would have a run of four years between 1962-68 (AKA "Josephine" in Holland).

There is little about her on the web. More of her graphics are at the Fishinkblog.

Here are some of her paintings from THE BOY WHO WOULDN'T EAT HIS BREAKFAST.

Monday, September 18, 2017

American Can Company: "Miracle of the Can" Booklet Drawings by Barney Tobey

From the American Can Company, here is the complete "Miracle of the Can" brochure with drawings by New Yorker cartoonist Barney Tobey. This small (5" x 7") publication tells you all about canning in this undated, but most likely post-war, informational booklet. The fact that so much of it is in color, tells me that there was a sizable budget for the project. There are drawings and a couple of cartoons about cans by Mr. Tobey.

The American Can Company came to be in 1901, and was around for a good part of the century in Manhattan, and then in Connecticut. It was bought by Primerica and then Primerica was bought by Citigroup. The American Can Company is no more, as the holding companies having divested themselves from manufacturing.

The fun thing here is to imagine Mr. Tobey being asked to draw all this and to come up with some cartoons about cans. The one rule, being, of course, you CAN NOT make fun of cans. And it is no joke! Polar history aficionados know that it was poor canning that doomed the 1845 John Franklin expedition!