Friday, September 20, 2019
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Patrick Chappatte TED Talk: "A free world need political cartoons."
We need humor like we need the air we breathe, states editorial cartoonist
Patrick Chappatte.
In a July 2019 TED Talk in Edinburgh, Scotland, Chappatte makes his case about the necessity of satire, particularly cartoons.
"Political cartoons were born with democracy, and they are challenged when freedom is," he says.
Direct link to TED page here.
In a July 2019 TED Talk in Edinburgh, Scotland, Chappatte makes his case about the necessity of satire, particularly cartoons.
"Political cartoons were born with democracy, and they are challenged when freedom is," he says.
Direct link to TED page here.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Brian Cox Masterclass with Theo
Not cartoon-related, but a fun clip nevertheless.
Here is renowned actor Brian Cox (HBO's "Succession," "Manhunter") teaching a 30 month old baby named Theo the Hamlet soliloquy using his Shakespeare Suzuki method. Theo is already an impressive thespian.
Here is renowned actor Brian Cox (HBO's "Succession," "Manhunter") teaching a 30 month old baby named Theo the Hamlet soliloquy using his Shakespeare Suzuki method. Theo is already an impressive thespian.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Cartoonist Musa Kart Exonerated in Latest Battle with Erdogan
Via CRNI:
Turkish cartoonist Musa Kart was found not guilty of “insulting through publication and slander” Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a cartoon published in the daily Cumhuriyet on February 1, 2014.
The offending cartoon depicts Erdogan, then prime minister, as a hologram fecklessly looming over a money-laundering operation that purportedly involved hundreds of people as well as government officials. After the government squelched any investigation into the alleged scam, Musa Kart noted that the only one going to trial over the affair was the whistle-blowing cartoonist.
The court dismissed the charges against the award-winning Musa Kart on the first day of the trial, disappointing President Erdogan’s lawyers, who were hoping to land the defiant cartoonist a 9-year prison sentence.
Monday, September 16, 2019
Bill Schelly 1951 - 2019
Comics historian and writer Bill Schelly has died. The cause was multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood cells. He was 67.
Bill was a comics fan and also a writer of books about comic book creators. He wrote a lot, shedding the light on the fans and the creative professionals in the comic book (and sometimes movie) business. A few of his books are:
- Sense of Wonder: A Life in Comic Fandom (TwoMorrows Publishing, 2001; revised North Atlantic Books, 2018)
- Man of Rock: A Biography of Joe Kubert (Fantagraphics, 2008)
- Harry Langdon: His Life and Films (substantially revised and appended second edition, McFarland, 2008)
- Founders of Comic Fandom: Profiles of 90 Publishers, Dealers, Collectors, Writers, Artists and Other Luminaries of the 1950s and 1960s (McFarland Books, 2010)
- American Comic Book Chronicles: The 50's (TwoMorrows Publishing, 2013)
- Harvey Kurtzman: The Man Who Created Mad and Revolutionized Humor in America (Fantagraphics, 2015)
- Otto Binder: The Life and Work of a Comic Book and Science Fiction Visionary (North Atlantic Books, 2016)
- John Stanley: Giving Life To Little Lulu (Fantagraphics, 2017)
Nick Caputo has a wonderful recap of Bill's life here. In Bill's autobiography, he recounts the moment he discovered comic books and became a fan. His high school friend in Pittsburgh, William Shields, also collected comics:
"What's This?" I asked Richard, pointing to the sheet with the Eye character. "Some kind of comic book?" "Yeah." "Where do you buy it? I've never seen this character on the racks." I wondered if there were regional comic book companies that didn't distribute their wares in Pittsburgh. "Idiot!" He said, laughing. "It's not like a regular comic book. You have to send away for it. It's probably printed like Rocket's Blast-Comiccollector." We looked through the copy of RB-CC which was duplicated by the same printing method our school teachers used for pop quizzes and worksheets. I didn't know the name of the process, but the print was purple. We were captivated by page after page of advertisements for old comic books, some dating back to the 1940s. Shields let out a long whistle. "Look at this! someone wants fifteen bucks for Captain America # 1!" "That's nuts!" I replied, shaking my head. "Who would pay that much?" "I don't know, but a lot of the other old stuff is only three or four bucks. I think I'll get some of 'em, if I can figure out which ones are the best." "That's too much for me, but here's a copy of Spider-Man # 1 for a buck-fifty. I think I'll send for that." Although the ads for much-sought-after back issues were fascinating, I was equally interested in the fanzines that promised information about comics of the past. Just the idea that you could buy a bunch of different magazines about comics fascinated me. What a momentous, mind-boggling development this was! My joy know no bounds!
This is a terrible loss and one that is sudden. I had not heard that he was battling cancer. The idea that we have lost him and the potential of more of his writing is a sad thought to contemplate. He will be missed.
Related:
Bill Schelly site
Mark Evanier
Friday, September 13, 2019
1959 Interview with Al Capp
Li'l Abner creator Al Capp is interviewed on this 1959 Smithsonian Folkways record. He talks about his creative process, satire and whether comic books are the root of juvenile delinquency. He is interviewed by Howard Langer, editor of the Scholastic Teacher Magazine. A link to the complete liner notes, which include a transcript of the entire interview is here.
Here are both parts of the interview.
Related:
Video: 1970 "This is Al Capp" TV Special
The Al Capp Murals of Worcester, MA
Al Capp's Schmoo Comic #5
Thursday, September 12, 2019
From the Dick Buchanan Files: Ton Smits Cartoons 1951 - 1967
Ton Smits' (1921 - 1981) cartoons appeared all over the place for many decades. But it wasn't always that way. Although he was from the Netherlands, he liked American cartoons in the American magazines.
After mailing many batches of cartoons for more than a year to Saturday Evening Post cartoon editor John Bailey in New York City (comprised of thirty cartoons per batch), the magazine finally published the first of his cartoons in 1949. This was just the beginning. Five years later, with American magazine sales increasing, he was offered a contract from The New Yorker.
My friend Dick Buchanan has some great samples of Ton Smits' gag cartoon work and some more about this remarkable cartoonist's life. Take it away, Dick:
---
TON SMITS
Cartoons 1951 - 1967
Ton Smits was a prominent Dutch painter, cartoonist and comic artist. In 1921 he was born in Vegheland and moved to Eindhoven in 1938. His first cartoon was published in 1941 in the magazine De Humorist, signing his work "Tommy." In the Helmondse Courant he published the comics "Karel Kwiek," "Daniel Daazer" and "Dolly and the Jewelry Robbery."
Although his paintings won awards, Smits is most renowned for his simple cartoons. During World War Two, living in Eindhoven, he drew portraits lampooning Hitler, Goebbels, and Goering. These cartoons were hidden for fear of reprisals, but immediately after the war they were sold as postcards, wildly popular throughout several European countries. After the war the Dutch newspapers which had published his cartoons honored his anti-Nazi efforts.
In 1947 Smits moved to Amsterdam where he produced political cartoons. Given a copy of Look magazine by an American soldier, Smits was intrigued by the cartoons. He decided to try his luck and submitted his work to American magazines. After a year of rejection, John Bailey, humor editor of The Saturday Evening Post, became the first to recognize the universal appeal of Smits' seemingly effortless drawings. His first cartoon was published in America in 1949. During this period, Ben Roth signed Smits as a client of the Roth Agency and invited Smits to visit New York City. Smits took him up on the offer, and Bailey introduced him to America editors and fellow cartoonists. Roth hosted Smits on several occasions during the early 1950’s, helping to cement Smits’ status as cartoonist of international renown. His first New Yorker drawing was published November 13, 1954 and he continued to be a contributor until 1980.
A celebrated cartoonist and painter, Smits won numerous prizes. In 1964 he received the Palma d'Oro, at the Salon of Humor in the Italian Bordighera which, at the time, was the highest award for artistic expression of humor in the world. He also designed the well-known "vignette" for International Cartoonale, a yearly cartoon and art gallery staged in Knokke-Heist, Belgium. The Dutch Cartoonist Society awarded Smits their annual award. Today there is an annual cartoon prize named for him, the Ton Smits coin.
To top it off, in Eindhoven, there is a small museum called the Ton Smits Huis. It’s his former home and workplace. When Smits decided he needed a personal home studio, he commissioned architect Fons Vermeulen to design the building. Like Smits’ cartoons, the home is modern and unusual. Visitors can view some of the 20,000 cartoons and paintings Smits created over a lifetime of work.
From 1949 until 1980, Smits’ cartoons appeared in many of America’s foremost magazines including Collier’s, The Saturday Evening Post, Look, This Week Magazine, 1000 Jokes Magazine and Playboy.
Smits was a master in observing the human psyche which he expressed in subtle, gentle drawings. Although he never fulfilled his dream of being a circus clown, Ton Smits' drawings achieved the same goal. He made people smile.
Here is a small sample of his delightful work . . .
1. TON SMITS. The Saturday Evening Post January 27, 1951.
2. TON SMITS. This Week Magazine July 13, 1952.
4. TON SMITS. This Week Magazine April 5, 1953.
5. TON SMITS. This Week Magazine December 19, 1954.
6. TON SMITS. Look Magazine April 16, 1957.
7. TON SMITS. Look Magazine September 16, 1958.
8. TON SMITS. Look Magazine June 9, 1959.
9. TON SMITS. Look Magazine May 12, 1959.
10. TON SMITS. The Saturday Evening Post April 18, 1959.
11. TON SMITS. The Saturday Evening Post July 18, 1959.
12. TON SMITS. For Laughing Out Loud October-December, 1960.
13. TON SMITS. Look Magazine January 31, 1961.
14. TON SMITS. 1000 Jokes Magazine September-November, 1962.
15. TON SMITS. Look Magazine July 17, 1962.
16. TON SMITS. The Saturday Evening Post November 17, 1962.
17. TON SMITS. Look Magazine December 3, 1963.
18. TON SMITS. 1000 Jokes Magazine March-May, 1964.
20. TON SMITS. Boys’ Life March, 1967.
After mailing many batches of cartoons for more than a year to Saturday Evening Post cartoon editor John Bailey in New York City (comprised of thirty cartoons per batch), the magazine finally published the first of his cartoons in 1949. This was just the beginning. Five years later, with American magazine sales increasing, he was offered a contract from The New Yorker.
My friend Dick Buchanan has some great samples of Ton Smits' gag cartoon work and some more about this remarkable cartoonist's life. Take it away, Dick:
---
TON SMITS
Cartoons 1951 - 1967
Ton Smits was a prominent Dutch painter, cartoonist and comic artist. In 1921 he was born in Vegheland and moved to Eindhoven in 1938. His first cartoon was published in 1941 in the magazine De Humorist, signing his work "Tommy." In the Helmondse Courant he published the comics "Karel Kwiek," "Daniel Daazer" and "Dolly and the Jewelry Robbery."
Although his paintings won awards, Smits is most renowned for his simple cartoons. During World War Two, living in Eindhoven, he drew portraits lampooning Hitler, Goebbels, and Goering. These cartoons were hidden for fear of reprisals, but immediately after the war they were sold as postcards, wildly popular throughout several European countries. After the war the Dutch newspapers which had published his cartoons honored his anti-Nazi efforts.
In 1947 Smits moved to Amsterdam where he produced political cartoons. Given a copy of Look magazine by an American soldier, Smits was intrigued by the cartoons. He decided to try his luck and submitted his work to American magazines. After a year of rejection, John Bailey, humor editor of The Saturday Evening Post, became the first to recognize the universal appeal of Smits' seemingly effortless drawings. His first cartoon was published in America in 1949. During this period, Ben Roth signed Smits as a client of the Roth Agency and invited Smits to visit New York City. Smits took him up on the offer, and Bailey introduced him to America editors and fellow cartoonists. Roth hosted Smits on several occasions during the early 1950’s, helping to cement Smits’ status as cartoonist of international renown. His first New Yorker drawing was published November 13, 1954 and he continued to be a contributor until 1980.
A celebrated cartoonist and painter, Smits won numerous prizes. In 1964 he received the Palma d'Oro, at the Salon of Humor in the Italian Bordighera which, at the time, was the highest award for artistic expression of humor in the world. He also designed the well-known "vignette" for International Cartoonale, a yearly cartoon and art gallery staged in Knokke-Heist, Belgium. The Dutch Cartoonist Society awarded Smits their annual award. Today there is an annual cartoon prize named for him, the Ton Smits coin.
To top it off, in Eindhoven, there is a small museum called the Ton Smits Huis. It’s his former home and workplace. When Smits decided he needed a personal home studio, he commissioned architect Fons Vermeulen to design the building. Like Smits’ cartoons, the home is modern and unusual. Visitors can view some of the 20,000 cartoons and paintings Smits created over a lifetime of work.
From 1949 until 1980, Smits’ cartoons appeared in many of America’s foremost magazines including Collier’s, The Saturday Evening Post, Look, This Week Magazine, 1000 Jokes Magazine and Playboy.
Smits was a master in observing the human psyche which he expressed in subtle, gentle drawings. Although he never fulfilled his dream of being a circus clown, Ton Smits' drawings achieved the same goal. He made people smile.
Here is a small sample of his delightful work . . .
1. TON SMITS. The Saturday Evening Post January 27, 1951.
2. TON SMITS. This Week Magazine July 13, 1952.
3. TON SMITS. The Saturday Evening Post January 24, 1953.
4. TON SMITS. This Week Magazine April 5, 1953.
5. TON SMITS. This Week Magazine December 19, 1954.
6. TON SMITS. Look Magazine April 16, 1957.
7. TON SMITS. Look Magazine September 16, 1958.
8. TON SMITS. Look Magazine June 9, 1959.
9. TON SMITS. Look Magazine May 12, 1959.
10. TON SMITS. The Saturday Evening Post April 18, 1959.
11. TON SMITS. The Saturday Evening Post July 18, 1959.
12. TON SMITS. For Laughing Out Loud October-December, 1960.
13. TON SMITS. Look Magazine January 31, 1961.
14. TON SMITS. 1000 Jokes Magazine September-November, 1962.
15. TON SMITS. Look Magazine July 17, 1962.
16. TON SMITS. The Saturday Evening Post November 17, 1962.
18. TON SMITS. 1000 Jokes Magazine March-May, 1964.
19. TON SMITS. 1000 Jokes Magazine December, 1963-February, 1964.
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