1949 THE OOGLIES/1952 Walt Kelly Profile/1969 POGO BIRTHDAY SPECIAL

Here is a lot of lovely media (magazine, comic book, TV animation) from 1949, 1952 and 1969 -- all about one of the masters of cartooning, and a personal favorite of mine and just about every boy cartoonist: Walt Kelly.

Allan Holtz' Stripper's Guide blog transcribes a 1952 Editor and Publisher article on Walt Kelly. The 38 year old Kelly had just received the "Billy DeBeck Award" from the National Cartoonists Society, the "Oscar" of the cartooning world. (The award was later renamed the "Reuben" after Rube Goldberg.)


Above: Image from a scan of "The Ooglies," from The Brownies comic book, Dell Four-Color #244, September 1949. Complete story at Pappy's Golden Age Blogzine.

Big hat tip to Journalista!

Above: a local TV listings book from what year I don't know, but isn't that a lovely portrait of Mr. Kelly and Porkypine and Pogo? I have a small trove of photos of cartoonists on the hard drive, and this one deserved to be seen. I just didn't include any background information with it. The mag probably commemorated the 1969 POGO SPECIAL BIRTHDAY SPECIAL, co-directed by Chuck Jones, with voices by Les Tremayne, June Foray, Mr. Jones and Mr. Kelly.

And here it is, THE POGO SPECIAL BIRTHDAY SPECIAL, in three parts:

Gag Cartoons ... The Kind Men Like

Above LAUGH RIOT, February 1966.

Mark Anderson shares an original gag cartoon from the above issue of LAUGH RIOT (I think) by the one and only Bill Hoest.

Bill Hoest was one of Hefner's favorite cartoonists. Even so, Hef couldn't buy all of Bill's output. I bet this cartoon was first turned down by Playboy before it made the rounds.

And what output: Bill was not only a major magazine cartoonist, but he also was syndicated in Parade Magazine (Howard Huge), and National Enquirer (Bumper Snickers), as well as helming a number of comic strips (Agatha Crumm, What a Guy!), of which The Lockhorns survives today, syndicated in over 500 papers. On top of this, Bill served as National Cartoonists Society president. He won NCS Division Awards for syndicated panel (twice) and gag cartoons. He passed away in 1988.

Some background on Humorama:

LAUGH RIOT was published by Humorama. Humorama published a variety of "mags men like," all risque back then in the 1950s, 60s and 70s -- tame nowadays. They had titles like JEST, GEE-WHIZ! BREEZY, GAZE, JOKER, STAR, SNAPPY, and others. They had bawdy stories, racy cartoons, and photos of loose women in loose attire -- wink wink nudge nudge.

Mark scans not only the front, but also the back of the original, where we can see there are words written and then crossed out, and there are other little marks ("47%") and stamps with the name and address of Humorama.

Here's my take on those marks:

A lot of the gag cartoons that ran in one magazine, might be republished years later in another one of their mags. Sometimes you can make out a history of where the cartoon was published by reading the back of the original. I'm guessing, but it looks like this Bill Hoest cartoon was bought for the February 1966 issue of LAUGH RIOT magazine, then reran in JOKER magazine (May 1972?). I couldn't tell if "Gags for Stags" was the name of yet another magazine or just the department that it appeared in. All my searches for "Gags for Stags" magazine turned up nothing.

If anyone else out there has copies of these mags or a better working knowledge of the markings on the back, please me or Mark know. I'd love to hear from you.

A great gallery of Humorama magazine covers from the Bipcomics Web site.

1 Day Until Deadline

The Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship

Sandra Bell-Lundy: Developing a Strip with Jay Kennedy

From Sandra Bell-Lundy's Between Friends blog comes a great piece of insider information on the syndicated strip business titled Developing the Strip. For anyone wanting to know the relationship between editor and cartoonist (in this case, it's Sandra and the late Jay Kennedy of King Features), this is a pretty raw look at the development period; a time when the writing and the look of the fledgling strip is hammered out.

"A big problem I seemed to have was not drawing my characters in a consistent style. Jay frequently pointed out hair and nose and neck length discrepancies."

She reproduces comments that Jay wrote on her early efforts.

Above: Jay's comments on noses -- written and drawn by him.

It was interesting to hear that the sales team recommendation ("One day, Jay called me and said the sales people had suggested that I feature Helen more often as she was an African-American woman and it would help make my strip more diverse.") was taken during this time, resulting in a new character.

This is the fifth installment of Sandra's "road to syndication" series.

Road to Syndication part 1

Road to Syndication part 2

Road to Syndication part 3

Road to Syndication part 4

Profession Mangaka Documentary by Benoît Peeters

Belgian comics writer Benoît Peeters has a documentary on YouTube titled "Profession Mangaka" about (what else?) manga.

It's part of a series of documentaries titled COMIX that have been shown on European television. In this episode, 3 manga creators are interviewed: Usumaru Furuya, Jiro Taniguchi, and Kiriko Nananan.

The film is in German. If you don't speak or read German (like me), it's still interesting and easy to follow.

The documentary is in three parts:

Mangaka 1/3




Mangaka 2/3



Mangaka 3/3



Here's a description from a Google-translated TV schedule Web site.

COMIX
Profession mangaka
Directed by: Benoît Peeters

The wave manga is currently expected to descend on Europe. In Japan, which is already a social phenomenon: everyone reads manga, the albums cover all the possible topics, in every style imaginable. This part of the documentary series "Comix" discover the universe and the methods of work of three very different authors. Usumaru Furuya workshop works with a team to produce a series of action as the soap opera "Pi". Jiro Taniguchi, l'auteur de Jiro Taniguchi, author of "Neighborhood distant," also works in a workshop, but his approach is more introspective, more intimate. Finally, the young Kiriko Nananan creates alone, a new form of manga specifically designed for girls.

Related: French cartoonist Olivier Martin lives and works in Japan for two years, soaking up manga style in this 3 part film: part one, part two, and part three.

Tribbles Old and New

Above: top: Kirk dresses down the shore leave party from the TOS episode The Trouble with Tribbles; bottom: same scene, but slightly altered, from Trials and Tribble-ations, a 1996 episode of DEEP SPACE NINE. Notice a couple of DS9 actors sandwiched in that line-up now. Image from the Ex Astris Scientia site.

12 years ago, STAR TREK DEEP SPACE NINE (1993-99) went back in time to STAR TREK THE ORIGINAL SERIES (1966-69) in its episode Trials and Tribble-ations. The DS9 cast, via computer graphics integration, woven into an episode with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and tribbles. Here's a behind the scenes documentary video from the DS9 DVD set:

Trials and Tribble-ations: Uniting Two Legends Part 1

Trials and Tribble-ations: Uniting Two Legends Part 2

1964 Cartoon Booklet THE ART OF LIVING WITH YOURSELF - UPDATED -

Johnny C.'s A Hole in the Head blog presents a 1964 cartoon booklet The Art of Living With Yourself ... and Others.

This booklet is from a series made by The Mental Health Society of Chicago for the Western Electric Company. The cartoon art looks like it came out of any big advertising firm in the early 1960s. Once you rip away the funny art, I agree with Johnny: it's the same good management skills that people are told now -- except with PowerPoint bullet points instead of fun cartoons!

Thanks for sharing this, Johnny!

UPDATE: Dirk Deppey, whose eyes are keener than mine, notes via Journalista! that the book bears the signature of Eisner studio alum Klaus Nordling.

Pin Up Playing Cards UPDATED

My friend Mark Anderson has some cool toys, and occasionally, he shares with others. In this case, he has a set of pin-up cartoon playing cards by an unknown cartoonist. All the cards, each with its unique color gag cartoon, are there to click through and enjoy.

Go read my comments and see if you can add anything to ID the mystery cartoonist. Or, just ogle the fun good girl art!



UPDATE: Thanks to a fellow cartoonist who emailed me, the man who drew those cards is most likely Bill Wenzel! Wenzel was a prolific cartoonist for The Kinds of Magazines Men Like. Thanks, Mac, for shining the light on this.

Above 2 Wenzel cartoons from the Comic Art Fans History of the Sex Cartoon by George Hagenauer.

If You Give Away Your Cartoons for Free, You Won't Make a Living as a Cartoonist

I've been getting some emails asking how I price my magazine cartoons. Is there a formula based on magazine circulation? Do the magazines set their own price? What about the Web?

The major markets have a set price for their cartoons. If you sell a cartoon to, for instance, The New Yorker, they won't call you up to ask how much you want. They all ready have a price for you. The same with Playboy and other major markets. But, you all ready know all this.

When I began magazine cartooning, it was simple: look at a couple of issues, get a feel for their audience and mail appropriate cartoons.

After a while, I had sold some cartoons, but there were still other cartoons, sitting in a pile, unsold. They had done the rounds, and been rejected. How do you turn them into money?

I went to a big newsstand and looked at the magazines. I went to the downtown Brooklyn Business Library to see what kind of business publications they had. An amazing selection! There was a magazine for and about board members. I had cartoons about board members. There was a magazine for veterinarians. I had dog and cat cartoons.

So, I started a new challenge for myself: I mailed cartoons to magazines that did not use cartoons at all.

Yeah, most of the time I was wasting my time and postage. (Yeah, I mail my submissions on paper.)

But some of the publications were interested, and some wanted to buy. And the editors asked what I would charge.

What is the value of your cartoon?

Well, of course, decide if you will work for free. Will you give away your cartoons? If so, then you know your answer is that you will work for the exposure.

If you give your cartoons away for free, you will not make a living as a cartoonist. There are many talented people out there who are giving away their work on the Web, and most of them have to work full-time in jobs other than cartooning.

I show my cartoons for free on my Web site. I think this is just normal business. It doesn't bother me if someone wants to copy one of my cartoons for their friends. But it's wrong if a publication (print or Web) thinks they can just grab a cartoon for free content.

So, when editors asked about my rates, I decided I would not work for free. I want to be a real, working cartoonist. I had a minimum set in my head and if they balked, then I would walk away. This isn't posturing, this isn't being unrealistic. This is me making a living.

If an editor says,"We are looking for free content."

I tell them, I can't afford to give away my work for free.

Sometimes, I lose the client. And the client is worth losing, since they do not recognize that cartoons -- along with the freelance writers, the designers, the photographers -- everyone contributing to the content of a publication -- deserves to be paid.

Cartoonists on Cartooning

Cartoonists contemplate their own profession for your edification and passive amusement.


Atom Bomb Bikini, the blog of cartoonist Rob Ullman, draws an autobiographical comic about his life as a cartoonist in Richmond, VA.

Mick Stevens draws "Anyone Can Be a Cartoonist" at The New Yorker's Cartoonist of the Month blog.

H/t Journalista!

Related: I Almost Drew NANCY by Ivan Brunetti ... as if you haven't seen it by now.

Related: Getting Your Cartoons Out There from my old MySpace blog.

TABOO Edited by Charles Preston Part 2

Hello, and welcome to some risque cartoons circa 1966 from the book TABOO. This is a collection of cartoons that were considered unpublishable and it was edited by Charles Preston who is alive and well and editing the WSJ cartoon. This is the part. The first part of this entry is here.

"Draw me and try for a free two-year scholarship."

Above: The first of several from S. Gross. Gosh, imagine the upswing in enrollment at the Center for Cartoon Studies if this girl went door to door!
You can definitely see the Addams influence in Sam's early work.

"Can I return this get-well card? She died."

Bo Brown's cartoon is great. Such a seemingly pedestrian couple of women in a benign looking picture. The gag line makes it all so hostile and funny.

"Is this where we take the 'A' train to Harlem?"

Above: a number of cartoons concerned the KKK.

"Damn the consequences! If they want her that bad, they can have her!"

Above: I'm a fan of Al Ross' loopy, sketchy style. It almost looks to "rough" to be a final finish!

Did anyone notice what happened to Al Ross' signature in the column of signatures from the book's cover?



Above: click on the tower of artist's signatures to see what I mean.

"Bernice, just what is it you people want?"

Above: Erikson gives us elitist white humor! Yikes!

"So that's how Mary Poppins can fly! She's on the pot."

Above: Sure looks like those are Wednesday's pigtails! And the boy's built like Puggsly.

Above: Another Sam Gross cartoon. Nothing is sacred to this man. His new collection of cartoons, We Have Ways of Making You Laugh: 120 Funny Swastika Cartoons, will be out in March 2008 from Simon & Schuster.

"My doll is frigid."

Above: Well, it's probably better than a Bratz doll.
More KKK humor. Yeesh.

"You see dear, on opening day the Emperor throws out the first Christian."

Even the Christians are made fun of!

"Yes, it's nice, but won't it be kinda heavy to carry on a seal hunt?"

I love Reamer Keller's cartoons. His style is unmistakable.

"Hello there. I'm your friendly neighborhood tart."

Interlandi's great drawing skill is always delightful to linger over. I love her '60s bouffant.

TABOO Edited by Charles Preston

TABOO, an 88 page hardcover collection of gag cartoons, edited by Charles M. Preston, Trident Press 1966, New York, New York. Above is the dust jacket. Click to supersize so you can read the six gags ...

"Let's go out and count phallic symbols"

There are a number of censored cartoon books that are now in print, but this was the granddaddy to them. Most of the cartoons are not so edgy today, natch! A lot have to with racism, homosexuality, and, well, potty humor.

"And as you'll probably notice, I wet my bed."

From the cover:

"For the first time, an outrageous collection of iconoclastic hilarity -- these cartoons, hitherto considered unpublishable, mark a significant point in the struggle against censorship and prudery (and they're funny too)."

"Why, it's Ann Stalkley! I haven't seen you since we were in school together. How in the world do you keep yourself looking so young?"

The above cartoon made me laugh out loud. It's those pooch lips on Ann Stalkley that did it. A great, busy, sketchy city scene. I think I know who the cartoonist is, but I am not sure.


Above: an early Sam Gross cartoon.

"And after a long hot dusty nightride, I find Brito washes my robe whiter than white."

Above: Herbert Goldberg's cartoon isn't funny to me. It looks like to be a rough.

"Holy Moses!"

Above: Henry Martin's cartoon is silly, but it made me smile. I love what he does here with very basic lines and a touch of graphite on pebbled paper.

(Whenever I think of Moses, I think of the Mel Brooks bit from THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART 1.)

"It's a God."

Above: more holy humor. Seems harmless to me! Three little words is all it took to make a good gag -- made even better by the dead-on look of holy beatitude by Joseph.



Above: Interlandi's silent gag and excellent figure work seal a wonderful cartoon together. The look of realization on both of their faces in the penultimate panel is masterful.



Above: the hardcover has a column of cartoonists' signatures on the front cover. A great design touch! And something I didn't notice until today, when I took the dust jacket off the book!

Morrie Turner Video Interview

From the series CNS: After Dark, produced by students at the Graduate School of Journalism at UC Berkeley. The program runs 28 minutes. Mr. Turner's segment begins at 24:46. Kids, you should have given him some more air time!

Political Cartoonist Jeff Danziger Video

This is one of the best interviews I've seen.

Concord Monitor's Great Comics Contest

Above: Comic strip im--- HEY CAT!!!!! HEY!!!!!!! TROUT!!!!!!!!!!!! OUTTA THE WAY!!!!!!!!



Above: Comic strip images by (l. to r.) Tony Murphy and Wiley Miller above the fold!


"The Comics Smackdown Begins" so says Monday's Concord Monitor. It's the CM's Second Annual Great Comics Contest. Staff writer Felice Belman tells us:

"Both 'Shoe' and 'Hager the Horrible' strike us as having run their course. Your first task, as Comics Contest voters, is to decide which of the two will get the ax."

There is no further description of the criteria for a strip "running its course." And then Ms Belman asks readers to pick one of the four strips below to replace the "run their course" strips:

The nice thing about this is that Tony's a friend and it was cool to see his lead character there, on the front page of one of the local papers. His strip is just this month being launched by the Washington Post Writers Group. The nasty thing is that his strip, IT'S ALL ABOUT YOU, the new kid on the block, is competing with older, better known strips. Here are the 4 strips in competition:

• Stone Soup by Jan Eliot

• Rhymes with Orange by Hilary Price

• Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller

• It's All About You by Tony Murphy

And, of course, polls are the absolutely wrong way to go. They are degrading, unscientific and an abdication of the editor's responsibility. Then-National Cartoonists Society President Rick Stromoski wrote about why this is in a letter to the Hartford Courant in October 2006. Here's a link to what he wrote from the Daily Cartoonist Web site.

Factoid: when a strip is on "trial," the paper usually does not pay for the use of the feature. And the syndicate doesn't compensate the cartoonist.

Alison Bechdel on German TV

Here is a report (in German) about Alison Bechdel from a recent German TV show:



And, here is Ms. Bechdel shooting video of the Germans filming her:



From the WCAX TV News series "Drawn Here," about Vermont-area cartoonists, a video report on Ms. Bechdel from May 17, 2007.

Hat tip to Journalista! for links to the video of Alison Bechdel shooting video of the Germans shooting video.

Related: the Newsarama Blog has a round-up of the WCAX series on cartoonists. I did not see any video, but there are text interviews from the Spring 2007 series.

Fortunately, Alison Bechdel posted this WCAX video profile of the New Yorker's Ed Koren.

Apply Now

It's 1 weeks and 2 days until the deadline for the Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship.

THEY'LL DO IT EVERY TIME Ending

Today's Connecticut Post reports that THEY'LL DO IT EVERY TIME, the newspaper cartoon panel drawn by Al Scaduto, will end on February 2, 2008. The decision was made by King Features.

As Tom Spurgeon wrote in today's Comics Reporter:
"It was created in 1929 by cartoon juggernaut Jimmy Hatlo, was nationally syndicated starting in 1936. Bob Dunn followed Hatlo on the feature and Scaduto followed Dunn, giving the strip a strong creative continuity during its multiple decade run."

And I agree, as Tom writes further, that it was surprising that King would pull a feature that had over 100 papers. But, there was no one who could do it like Al Scaduto.

Al was the last of the bigfoot cartoonists -- guys like Rube Goldberg, Elzie Segar and Milt Gross (who Al knew). Perhaps it's fitting that the 79 year old feature ends with him. There is, sadly, no one around to fill those big feet.

Above is a photo of Al and me, taken a year ago. As some of you know, I had the honor of being the Chapter Chair of the National Cartoonists Society Long Island Chapter for a while.

I was pretty nervous about being the ringleader of what's called the Berndt Toast Gang; a legendary group of Long Island cartoonists. Getting up to talk about chapter business, in front of the likes of Scaduto, Giella, Drucker, Orehek, Sy Barry and others, was daunting. I tried not to let it show. the first couple of months I had that whole I'm-not-worthy feeling.

Out of the blue, Al Scaduto called me after a get together. Since I was still on the Long Island Expressway (or, the Long Island Parking Lot, due its reputation for gridlock), he'd leave a message, telling me how much he and his fiance Claire enjoyed themselves at the BTG lunch. And he always thanked me for being responsible for such a relaxed atmosphere at the get togethers.

To get a phone call like this made me feel great. Al was always a gracious gentlemen. He would always ask after me, and my wife, and ask how things are going. And he would listen to the answers.

Al was very much part of the heart of the Gang. He will be missed.

Above right: a small selection of a large number of originals that he brought in last year to show the Gang.

A hat tip to Journalista! where I first saw mention of the CT Post article.

Related links:

Memories of Al Scaduto

Some Al Scaduto Links

Many Happy Returns

A personal note to say thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday this weekend. To my pleasant surprise, my birthday was noted on some chat boards and Comics Reporter.

This is my 1001st posting on Blogger, and I thought I'd share the above drawing, signed "Mike Lynch '76" that was mailed to me by my old friend Phil, some 32 years later.

I first met Phil in 7th grade, back at White Station Junior High in Memphis, TN. He made junior high a lot more tolerable! Thanks, Phil! When I moved away, we stayed in touch during our teenage years. And then, we stopped writing. A couple of decades later, Phil found me via the Web. We've been in touch since then.

The above bit of embarrassing Lynchian juvenilia is from a letter I wrote him when I was 14 years old. All these years later, STAR TREK and drawing are still the two big whoopee cushions in my sofa of life ... along with, of course, Mrs. Lynch, and Roo and Sam and Trout!

And a big thanks to all of you out there. I never knew I had so many nice folks who took time to type a happy birthday sentiment. Gee whiz. Thanks.

STAR TREK Bumpers

From The Original Series (or, if you prefer, The Old Show), here are two bumpers that NBC would place to let you know that "tonight's Star Trek will continue in a moment." Bumpers are the names for these little snippets of music and picture to keep you from going to the fridge or the potty.




Related: Some 42 years later, once again, Leonard Nimoy's voice over reminds you the viewer that STAR TREK is coming soon in this, the first theatrical trailer for the 2008 STAR TREK movie. The trailer came out on Friday, the movie is scheduled for December 2008. More at this Trekmovie link.

Mike Lynch Cartoon in January 2008 Harvard Business Review

The gang at Harvard Business Review has a great selection of cartoons in its January issue by Tom Cheney, P.C. Vey, Pat Hardin, John Caldwell, Scott Arthur Masear and myself.

One of the nice things about cartoons is that you can sneak in something personal that only you will know about. In this case, it's Rufus.

Please allow for a big digression here where I tell you about Rufus, and how I was wrong and my wife was right.


Above: our beloved Rufus, snuggled in Stacy's fiddle case.

Rufus, or "Roo" for short, is a big, lumbering orange, stripy cat that is built like a bull. Although seemingly bred for combat, he lives for love. He's a very large sweetheart of a feline that loves to be talked to, and receive copious pats upon his huge head and his thick, fleecy tummy.

He was, like all of our three cats, a rescue. Rufus was found, tied to a broken down building with a urine-soaked string. A woman who was passing by, snipped the string and took him away from that building in Red Hook. She took him to our vet's, where he was fed, cleaned up, and put in a cage in the back room. Around his time, we were looking for a new kitty, and we'd gone to the vet's.

"Have you seen the orange cat with the large head?" a vet tech asked.

So we sat in one of the exam rooms with the cat that they all called "Big Head." His head was rather large, but not abnormally so (i.e., none of that the-front-part-of-the-cat-tips-over kinda physics here). He sat motionless on wife Stacy's lap. We talked and patted him a bit. He stayed motionless. After 5-10 minutes, he pooped. Right there on her lap, he pooped. Enter vet tech with towels, apologies and an offer to whisk the cat away.

"Oh, no,"said my wife.

I think she started loving the cat right then and there. I was not in favor of the cat who had obviously never been properly socialized. Stacy theorized that he was near feral and scared (shitless). This was a cat who needed a good home to become a good kitty.

So, we adopted Bighead. We brought the problem cat to our home, where he hid behind a bookcase (living room) or under the bed (bedroom). He would only come out in the dead of night, making his presence known at3am by knocking over the garbage. Garbage, he thought, was where the food was. Amazingly, he used the litter box right off.

Well, after a couple of weeks of us talking to him under the bed, and him just staring, staring, staring back at us, Roo began to walk out a little bit. And he watched us with our other kitties back then: Bertie and Max. He watched us talking to them, playing with them. Bighead stared. He was taking it all in. It took a while, but he began to perceive that our place was a place where kitties were patted and no one was beaten or hit or tied up with a string -- well -- then he relaxed.

One of the first things he did was begin to sleep. He slept like the dead, for what seemed like a month. I guess he had never really relaxed before. Heaven knows what life was like in Red Hook.

Anyway, so I like to draw Rufus. From time to time he makes it into a cartoon and from time to time that cartoon will sell. One of the reasons I like him is his stripes. Rufus has those stripes on his face that makes him look worried, regardless of his mood.

One of the things that he had to "learn" was playing. I don't think he ever played before. Thanks to our guys (especially Max), Rufus learned to play -- that it's OK to swat, run & wrestle in fun.

Hence, the cartoon. I told you we'd get to the cartoon!



This cartoon was drawn nearly three years ago. It was submitted 15 times to other markets and other clients. It sold this past fall to Harvard.

Although, sadly, our kitties Bertie and Max have passed away, Rufus has two new playmates -- both rescues -- named Sam and Trout. I better sell some cartoons featuring them or jealousy will read its big head!

Today's Factoid: Some of the cartoons are in B&W, some are in color. The editor will ask for color. It's not up to us cartoonists.

STAR TREK as A-TEAM

For your Friday viewing pleasure. Better and funnier than it sounds.



This'll have to do until I can get my hands on the new STAR TREK theatrical trailer (which you get to see if you paid good money to see the movie CLOVERFIELD this weekend).

Hardcore Nerd to Nerd Factoid: Did you catch the cool Cylon sound effect for Nomad!?

Related: a STAR TREK VOYAGER - A-TEAM version.

Congratulations Stephanie Piro!

I went to get the paper this evening and who do I see on the cover?!

Congratulations to my friend and fellow cartoonist Stephanie Piro upon her winning the Illustrator of the Year award by the Cat Writers' Association for her great illustrations in PAWS FOR THOUGHT: UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOUR CAT IS THINKING written by Anne Leighton. She also won a Certificate of Excellence for her illustrations for another book: 101 COOL GAMES FOR COOL CATS written by Elissa Wolfson. Both books are available in European bookstores, and online via the Cat Lovers Club.

And Stephanie's own book, full of wonderful cat cartoons, MY CAT LOVES ME NAKED, also received a Certificate of Excellence.

Here's the story from the Rochester Times newspaper.

Some samples of the work from her site here.

The Andertalk Cartoon Forum

Over at the new Andertalk Cartoon Forum, there is a topic about pens. Below is an edited version of one of my postings there:

I went thru a period of using charcoal and conte crayons. My wife says she likes this period a lot, but it was a pain to control the line, and, well, of course, you can't really erase anything.



But, now that I see it again today, I do like the swirly, swooshy effect going on in the above panel.

The second cartoon below, which appeared in Barron's, I drew with a one of those Micra Pigma pens. A small one. A #2 I think. You can see that some of the line reproduction is weak. I need to up my line strength.



Related: Mark Anderson announces the Andertalk cartoon forum.

Thanks, Mark, for starting up fun cartoon forum!

"Morty the Dog" Cartoonist Steve Willis

Steve Willis, whose comics I remember from the "black and white explosion" of the 1980s, talks about his life and his choices in the video below.

While attending Evergreen State College, he worked along side fellow students Matt Groening and Lynda Barry. After he left Evergreen, he was approached by Esquire magazine. They liked his cartoons, except for the art and stories, he says. He was part of Clay Geerdes' newave network, and produced most of his cartooning in the early 1980s.

Steve works full time as a librarian now, and cartoons in his spare time. We get to hear his views on creativity and see him draw. The video runs about 9 minutes.



Related: Steve writes about his Evergreen College years.

Gerald Scarfe Interview

Below is Al Jazeera TV Riz Khan's interview and overview of the British cartoonist Gerald Scarfe. It's in 2 parts; about 20 minutes total in length.

While perhaps best known for his work on Pink Floyd's "The Wall" album and subsequent movie, Mr. Scarfe's CV includes many other projects over his 40 year career, such as plays, books, ballet, theatre, opera, and so on. He's a regular fixture in the Sunday Times, as well as a frequent New Yorker magazine illustrator.

Gerald Scarfe Interview Part 1



Gerald Scarfe Interview Part 2

Eric Decetis "Best Selling Greeting Card Cartoonist"

Eric Decetis is a cartoonist. His name didn't sound familiar. But his cartoons are.

He's the guy who drew those ... uh ... "doggy in the crack" cartoons. I see them in the big bookstores. They're on calendars, shirts, Halloween Costume (Really!), etc.


Here's a TV interview with him, where he talks about his education (a science major), how he gets his ideas, etc.

Erich Sokol Playboy Cartoons

Above: lush color detail from one of Erich Sokol's Playboy cartoons.

I don't go to the ASIFA site as often as I should. It's not that I don't like it -- far from it -- the site's great! One of the best! But I wind up having all my time sucked away oohing and aahing over the wonderful work there. Today: A generous helping of Erich Sokol's cartoon work for Playboy. And there are more links to Sokol there as well.

Big hat tip to Journalista!

Do You Cartoon?

It's 2 weeks and 2 days until the deadline for the Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship.

The Professional School of Cartooning 1947 UPDATED

From the pages of the Eli Stein Cartoons blog, comes scans of gag cartoonists and their cartoons. It's all from a brochure for The Professional School of Cartooning circa 1947, run by cartoonist/editor Lawrence Lariar.

"LARIAR SOLD THIS COMIC TO SATEVEPOST

"Lariar's smart, stylized cartoons are a model for many beginners, and his drawings of cute girls are familiar to all. He will criticize your drawings personally!"

Part of the fun is attaching faces to names like Henry Boltinoff, Ed Nofziger, George Wolfe, and Adolph Schus. (No good link found for Mr. Schus, unfortunately.)

Eli, thanks so much for bowing to pressure to scan more of this great old ephemera!

To the right, an ad (Is that a Lariar-drawn cute girl?) from an advertisement in Popular Mechanics Magazine (September 1948) from this page at the Modern Mechanix site.

Related: Eli Stein on the four cartoonist Roth brothers.

UPDATE: The one and only Orlando Busino passed along the below email with additional information on Adolph Schus. Thank you very much, Mr. Busino! Here's Orlando:

Here's a bio. from Lariar's book, BEST CARTOONS OF THE YEAR 1943 :

ADOLPH SCHUS

Born on New York's upper east side. . . lived in Wembly, a suburb of London, where he spent a good deal of his childhood. The zeppelin raids on London during the first world war, sent the family back to America. Except for a year on the continent, during which time he art-edited a publication published in Paris for Americans abroad. He has

been residing in New York. Married a Rochestarian in 1938 and their son was born in 1943. Just before the blessed event they bought a home in Harmon-on-the-Hudson, where Schus will continue to do cartoons for the country's leading magazines.

European Cartoon Center Tour Video

Did you know that there's a European Cartoon Centre in Belgium? I didn't -- not til I saw the below video tour from a European TV show. Looks like a beautiful place! And saying "Centre" instead of plain old "Center" is just so classy!




I've looked at the Web site and I'm ready to go and visit. Sure looks interesting. Lots of gorgrous, color, wordless, single panel cartoons. The hardest cartoons to do!

Let's load up the Mike Lynch Cartoons Bus and visit. Then, afterward, if you all behave yourselves, we'll have mussels and frites!

W.L. Evans Cartoon Course 1913

Good ol' Mark Anderson has some great toys. Toys that you and me would mercilessly kill each other for, should he make us fight to death to own them.

The nice thing is that he shares his toys. In this case, he shares a copy of the W. L. Evans' "Advantages in Cartoon and Caricature Work," a correspondence cartooning course from 1913.

"A good many people have an idea that it takes a person of phemominal [sic] mind to draw cartoons, that cartoonists are people of fine education, etc.

"THIS IS NOT TRUE."

This, of course, explains why cartoonists squander their money on buying the Brooklyn Bridge, trading the family milk cow for the magic beans, and still believe they can make money on the Internets!

Thanks for sharing this, Mark!

Related: For assistance with your education, if you wanna be a cartoonist and are in school (regardless of your major), take a look at the Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship.

Lynn Johnston Ending FBoFW Hybrid Strips

According to this article, Lynn Johnston is bagging her hybrid strip idea and just letting the FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE go into reruns.

I thought the hybrid was an odd idea, but recently she's been doing a strong mix of new material, moving the story of Elizabeth forward in particular, with a little bit of the old cartoons from the early 1980s. But the hybrid idea is like oil and vinegar. A big problem is that early FBoFW looks jarringly different than older FBoFW.

It's too bad that there will be another rerun on the comics pages. But the newspaper comics are like TV now: something for everyone. So, she'll join the late Mr. Schulz in being kinda the Nick at Nite of the comics page.

H/t to Journalista!

Mick Stevens' Studio Tour Video

New Yorker cartoonist Mick Stevens is behind the camera as he walks you through his studio in this 6 minute video.



Related: Mick Stevens is the "Cartoonist of the Month" at the New Yorker Blog.

GINGER MEGGS Cartoonist Jason Chatfield

From the Australian Sunrise TV program: Cartoonist Jason Chatfield talks about taking over the GINGER MEGGS comic strip. GINGER MEGGS, which began in 1921, is a legendary strip in Australia. It's in about 120 markets.

James Kemsley took over the strip in 1984. He passed away last year, but before he died, he cited Jason as the man to take over Meggs.

I met Jason in 2006, at Bunny Hoest's party, and he's a heckuva nice guy. Congratulations on your success, Jason.

The video runs about 5 minutes.

The Spooky Opening of GREAT EXPECTATIONS (1946) David Lean

For your Friday viewing pleasure ....

Here is some serious atmospheric Victorian spookiness from the opening of David Lean's GREAT EXPECTATIONS. It runs just under four minutes. Yeah, it's quite spooky, even if you're watching it here, on that dinky YouTube screen on your computer monitor.

I was thinking about the Chuck Jones produced CHRISTMAS CAROL special and that, really, Dickens was great at doing up these kind of Victorian, chilling moments. Add in a great visualizer like David Lean, and you got a classic graphic moment.

This was a childhood memory for me. I first saw it on a small movie screen in the basement of our house in Lawrence, Kansas. I was in the lower to middle grades at Deerfield Elementary school. My Dad, the university professor, had rented the flick for one of his classes. In this pre-home video time period of the 1970s, to be able to watch a movie in your own home was rare and decadent ,and the only people who did that were either in Hollywood, or Had Serious Connections. Dad had connections!

Another linky: the opening to GREAT EXPECATIONS is one of The Guardian's Top 100 Movie Moments. Actually, it's #89. I think it should be higher.

Related: BFI David Lean page.

Robert Benchley and Fred Allen

The Isn't Life Terrible blog (love the name!) has a two-part entry about two now-nearly-forgotten men of comedy: Robert Benchley and Fred Allen: part one, part two.

Of the two guys, I'm more familiar with Fred Allen. His sarcasm, his nasally tone, all combine to make a very funny title sequence to the movie IT'S IN THE BAG, which you can see in part two of the above blog. It's worth clicking on even if you've never heard of Allen or Benchley. Even if you have a disdain for these gentlemen, go take a peek.

Yeah, it's a crying shame that some of these comics of the past are forgotten now. But that's arguable since there are blogs like the above-named that remind us of the past. Don Brockway, the mind behind the Isn't Life Terrible blog writes:

Those of us who admire entertainers of yesteryear often have a tendency to drift along with the undercurrent of melancholy that is the wake of the public's fickleness in its never-ending search for new amusements. Younger fans who missed the heydays of their idols often make substantial efforts to seek out the portion of the work that survives, then use it to proselytize on behalf of their hero. They shake their heads sadly when few join them in their celebration of those who reached incredible heights of popularity in their own day... only to arrive at a near-total indifference and anonymity in ours.

Above photo of Fred Allen and his wife, Portland Hoffa, from Comedy-o-Rama's Fred Allen tribute page.

My favorite quote from Allen's book TREADMILL TO OBLIVION.

Like Allen, my great grandparents were in vaudeville.

1000 Jokes No. 79 Sept.-Nov. 1956 Part Two

This is the second part of Dell's 1000 Jokes magazine, the No. 79 Sept.-Nov. 1956 edition. For part one, please go here.

While I won't be scanning all 1000 jokes, here is a healthy sample for your viewing pleasure. Let's start with an advertisement that let's everyone know that there's Amazing Proof That Anyone Can Play Music, even Lawrence Welk!

"And I say, as a husband, you're a shining example of a horrible example."

A sketchy, loose, spare gag cartoon. I like how simply this cartoon was drawn. No background, no major details (not even those little lines to denote columns in the newspaper he's holding). By his beard stubble, and the way he's slumped in his chair, we can discern this is the end of a bad working day and the Mrs. is just piling on an insult in what promises to be a bad evening. I can't make out the signature.

"I hope you don't mind. My husband is getting so he hardly notice me any more."

Mort Temes, a prolific gag cartoonist who, so I've been told by colleagues, is alive and well and retired somewhere in the Garden State, contributes the above. Another marriage-in-trouble joke, but a funny idea I've never seen before.

OK, let's cleanse the cartoon palate with some classified ads:



John Gallagher submits that the old timer getting paroled here is in for some massive cultural trouble. Wait until he finds out about Women's Lib and Hillary Clinton and all that!

"We brought the Smiths. They were eating with us when suddenly we remembered we were supposed to be having dinner with you people."

Jack Tyrrell's gag made me smile so I had to include it. I love the squashed hats on the guys, like they just mashed them on their heads and raced over.



"Besides writing the script for the show I have to prepare material so he's the life of every party he goes to!"

Reamer Keller, another new Jersey cartoonist, contributes the above cartoon that certainly brought the WGA strike to mind. I like his loose style.

"Lois, I was wondering .... when my boss comes to dinner tomorrow .... what I mean is .... uh, would you mind ...."

Above: Harry Mace gives us a sense of what a 1950s upscale suburban living room interior looks like in this rather oddball gag.

We now break for an ad:

"I'd like a new suit -- but let me warn you -- I'm fussy!"

Orlando Busino, the one and only, nails it. I like imagining snooty Mr. Fussy here, walking around town in his undies.

"Gosh, I'm sorry, but I ate one -- then I just couldn't seem to stop ..."

Looks like an early Herb Green cartoon. I'm glad he wrote PEANUTS on the bags since I couldn't tell what they were. IMHO, we need to see piles of empty shells and the trainer's enlarged belly for this to scan.


Above: Bob Schroeter with a silent golf gag. I like the succession of expressions on the golfer's face, from expectant in panel one, to downright disgusted.

"Bob and Ruth must have gone over their heads with they bought this place."

Al Kaufman, another prolific gag cartoonist that I see in most every collection of the era, contributes the above. I like these kind of gags that address a still-common problem of living beyond one's means and then suggesting a silly solution.



Above: along the same vein of solving life's problems with silly (yet, at their root, practical) suggestions, Bob Barnes (signing with a stylized "B B"), contributes "Necessity: The Mother of Invention."

"That all depends. Which ocean did you wish to face?"

Al Johns shows us that help ain't what it used to be.


I can't resist another Orlando Busino gag. And it's another one making fun of snooty nose-in-the-air types. Even the chi-chi poodle is pointing her nose in the air! (How does she ever find the fire hydrant, then?)



"She still loves you, doesn't she, Rudy."

Dick Ericson's cartoon took me a moment before I saw the shattered glass on the newsstand floor and actually had that "aha" moment when I got the gag. Maybe the lack of a question mark in the gag line cause me a bit of confusion.


"Dinner ... movies ... and THEN what?"

Sharp line work by Harry Mace as he give us everything: foreground, background, and the three players. I like the touch of Dad's pipe and jar of tobacco by his easy chair.


Above: this worldless Gallagher gag shows us a faux pas that would maybe go unnoticed in the 21st century. Men were more chivalrous back then. Clicking on it gives what I would guess is pretty much the actual size of the original. I admire Gallagher's cartoony line.


Stan Fine with a big multi-panel gag with a cooties-fearin' pre-teen boy at the movies.

"I'll say this for Elsie ... she certainly has an open mind ... and it goes well with her mouth."

I can't make out the signature here, but this is the kind of gag that editors would not buy today. It's insulting to women, maybe even misogynistic. Regardless, I liked the wash technique -- and it seems there's a suggestion of, well, how to put it? It looks like her skirt is not opaque, y'know?

Legendary cartoonist christens USS Georgia with drawing

Alan NeSmith writes about Jack Davis for the Tribune and Georgian in an article titled Legendary cartoonist christens USS Georgia with drawing.

Hat tip to Journalista!

Bob Zahn July 6, 1934 - January 6, 2008

Playboy cartoonist Bob Zahn died on Sunday, January 6, 2008 at the Hospice Care Unit at Citrus Memorial Health System in Inverness, Florida.



Bob lived and cartooned in Syracuse, NY. He was a commercial artist with General Electric there for 35 years, drawing cartoons in his spare time. He drew even more once he retired. He had a syndicated panel, titled "Bigg's Business" from 1972 to 1979. Five years ago, he and his wife Donna moved to Florida.

According to friend and fellow gag cartoonist Randy Glasbergen, when Bob loosened up his style, he would sometimes sign his single panel cartoons "Carroll."

I didn't know Bob, but I've seen his cartoons in Playboy, and other publications like Good Housekeeping and Reader's Digest. He did a prolific number of golfing cartoon books, as well as greeting cards. The energy and verve he felt for cartooning came out in his clean, fun line work. He influenced a number of cartoonist colleagues.

• The Bob Zahn site is here.
  
  
• Bob Zahn cartoons at Cartoonfile.net.
  
  
• UPDATE: A profile by Tom Spurgeon at ComicsReporter.com
  
  
• The obituary from The Citrus County Chronicle Online:

Carroll Robert Zahn Jr., 73, Beverly Hills, died Sunday, Jan. 6, 2008, at the Hospice Care Unit at Citrus Memorial Health System in Inverness.

Born July 6, 1934, in Phoenix, N.Y., to Carroll R. Zahn Sr. and Eva (McKay) Zahn, he moved here five years ago from Central Square, N.Y.

Mr. Zahn retired from General Electric’s military equipment manufacturing division as a commercial artist with 35 years of service.

His enjoyments in life were drawing, spending time with his family and his dog, “Abby.” Other enjoyments included spending time with his Florida friends with whom he enjoyed dinners, playing cards, golf and fishing.

Mr. Zahn was a nationally known cartoonist and published several cartoon books.
He was Catholic.

Survivors include his wife of 53 years, Donna J. Zahn; two sons, Thomas C. Zahn and companion Michael McGuirl of Syracuse, N.Y., and Michael R. Zahn and fiancée Cherie Sutton of N. Syracuse, N.Y.; one daughter, Kelly A. Bogart and husband Jeff of Redwood, N.Y.; one brother, Richard C. Zahn and wife Beverly of Tarpon Springs; five grandchildren, Aubree, Sarah, Lauren, Zachary and Dawna; one great-grandchild, Jalen; and best friend, Vincent Frey of Arizona.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to Hospice of Citrus County, P.O. Box 641270, Beverly Hills, FL 34464.

Chas. E. Davis Funeral Home with Crematory, Inverness.

Eli Stein on the Four Cartoonist Roth Brothers

Gag cartoonist Eli Stein blogs about the Roth brothers, who, under different names, cartooned for the major magazine markets. In his entry, he shows us some sample pages of their art & photos that were part of a brochure for Lawrence Lariar's The Professional School of Cartooning circa 1947-78.

Eli, I loved that story from your 1983 Israel trip!

NYC: Artists Against the War Reception Tonight

If I lived in NYC, I would be at the Artists Against the War reception at the Society of Illustrators tonight.

1000 Jokes No. 79 Sept.-Nov. 1956 Part One UPDATED

Here is 1000 Jokes, a Dell magazine that sold for 20 cents 52 years ago. Since we got a large, bulbous-headed naked Bob Hope coming out of a voting booth, I thought this appropriate fodder for NH Primary Day blogging.

Here are the first 2 pages. Ads, of course. Click on any of these pages to super-size the live long day outta them:



And, then, below, finally, the beginning of cartoony goodness -- and what a beginning! A full page Chon Day cartoon.

"It's all tied up at seven-seven, folks, with a half a pint to go."

"Don't argue with him. Let's plug him."

Above: a cartoon by Gallagher. In a perfect world, there would be a hardcover collection of Gallagher's animal cartoons.

Above: cartoonists Pete Wyma and Bob Schwartz Schroeter with two good ones. Schwartz' Schroeter's cartoon is especially risque. OK, so far this has nothing to do with the NH Primary, but isn't it fun? Hang on. Hope is coming ....

Above: cartoons by Vahan Shirvanian and Stan Hunt. Like I said, you can click to get a huge size. I have not read any of the jokes on these pages, just the cartoons.

And below is a our man, Mr. Hope, quipping politically:



Below: Virgil Partch contributes the visuals to some amusing stories by Avery Weeks. Mr. Partch's work has aged better than Mr. Weeks':


And, closing out today's peek at 1000 Jokes, is a full pager by the one and only Jerry Marcus:


Related: Cartoonist Eli Stein on 1000 Jokes:

Payment was very small, but it always left me with a feeling of satisfaction to be accepted by fellow cartoonists.

Related: Cartoonist and former New Yorker magazine Cartoon Editor Lee Lorenz talks about doing the magazine rounds in NYC back in the day in the February, 14 2000 NY Times:

After the New Yorker stop, they moved on: Collier's, The Saturday Evening Post, Esquire, Sports Illustrated, Ladies' Home Journal, American Legion, True, Cavalier, Playboy. ''At the end of the day,'' Mr. Lorenz said, ''you'd go to '1,000 Jokes,' published by Dell, and the editor would sop up whatever was left.''

UPDATE: I've corrected lady boxers cartoon credit to Bob Schroeter (see above). My thanks to Orlando Busino for correcting my error. Orlando adds:

Bob Schroeter did the two lady boxers ( wrestlers?) gag. Unfortunately he did not have a clear signature and may be doomed to forever be referred to as Bob Schwartz. Bob was a good cartoonist and a very nice guy who worked as cartoon editor for King Feature's LAFF-A-DAY .

Thanks, Orlando!!!

Don't Name Your Comic Book Character "CLINT"

Hat tip to John Klossner! See you tomorrow, John!

The old story goes that there are certain words that are forbidden in comics. I mean, other than those 7 dirty words.

Chief among the forbidden words in the history of comics is the name "Clint."

This link is on a couple of sites. I'm not sure where the blog page is from, other than it's related to U. Penn., but it tells why the name "Clint" is not used. Ditto the word "flicks." I think you can see why above.

The panel above looks like a Simon and Kirby illustration. I think I first heard about this CLINT/FLICK stuff years ago from Archie artist Stan Goldberg (whose first job was in the Timely Comics' bullpen's offices in the Empire State Building assisting Carl Burgos -- so Stan should know). Never saw any examples before now.

- Originally posted by Mike Lynch March 29, 2006.

The New Yorker Cartoonists Blog

The New Yorker Cartoonists have a blog. Mick Stevens is running the show this month, and then it'll alternate between other cartoonists.

H/t tip Comics Reporter and Emdashes.

Dirk Deppey's 50 Best Comics of 2007

I've been reading all of Dirk Deppey's best comics picks for 2007. Dirk is a writer and an editor with The Comics Journal. He produces the Journalista! news site, a daily must-read that covers the world of comics.

I've read a few of the comics he cites, haven't heard of a lot of them, and have heard of a few. I really enjoyed his opinions and I am going to pick up a couple of these.

The thing about Dirk is that he's an omnivore, devouring superhero comics, manga, literary graphic novels, reprints of newspaper comic strips, Web comics, etc. This is worth your time and then some, particularly if you're curious.

We're in a great time for comics. There is so much that's out there, on the shelves and on screen. As Dirk says in his intro:

"Any way you add it up, 2007 was a fantastic year for comics entering the English-language market from all over the world, both in print and online. I bought so many good comics this year that I'm surprised I didn't wind up in bankruptcy court — and there were still an unholy number of critically lauded works that I missed."

Image from the graphic novel THE ARRIVAL by Shaun Tan, that went out of print shortly before the Holidays. My copy, I am told, will get to me by next week.

Tom Spurgeon Interviews "The Daily Cartoonist" Alan Gardner

Alan Gardner talks about the year in comic strips and editorial cartoons in an encompassing interview conducted by Tom Spurgeon.

Saturday Evening Post, January 3, 1959

The first Saturday Evening Post of 1959 gives us an ice skating gag. "Artist Alajalov, who depicts the Wollman Rink in New York's Central Park (give or take a few details), could never make ice skates behave, but he was a whiz on roller skates," reveals an interior blurb.

So nice to see an actual gag on the cover; especially a racy Moms-I'd-Like-to-Double-Lutz sorta gag. Let's take a look at the interior gag cartoons.
Ted Key gives us a great gag. Bounce! Bounce! Bounce! Big Brother Boss is watching you!

Vahan Shirvanian still sells to top markets like Reader's Digest. This same year, he won the National Cartoonists Society Gag Cartoon Division Award.


It's New Year's and it's 1959. Drunks were fodder for humor back then. This was, after all, the era of Thirsty Thurston!


Al Johns gives us an Inuit (they used to be called "Eskimo") gag that is becoming less funny what with the ol' globe warming up and all.

Above: some things change, some don't.

Above: a wordless cartoon that still reads. Although in-line skates are the way most go today, the design of the sleigh is unchanged.
Barney Tobey is a master of the inky wash. Look at those breezy lines!

Dahl shows, without using any words, that the only thing that you should not resist is temptation.


Are there still hurdy gurdy monkeys?


Around here, in the frozen Northern New England area, a lot of the pasty white teenagers go to tanning booths so as to look a Hollywoody, trendy toasty brown. I found the above cartoon by Gene Carr pretty relevant.


Chon Day gives us a great gag expertly depicted in simple line and wash.


And, of course, Ted Key's Hazel panel ends this issue.

Did You Know Cartoonists Pennington and/or Roylance?

We need your help, particularly if you have knowledge of British cartooning between the wars. Read on:

The Warrington (UK) Guardian had two sports cartoonists in the 1930s: "Pennington" and Gordon Roylance. Did you ever hear of them or know someone who did?

"Their work will feature in a new book SO CLOSE TO GLORY by former Warrington Guardian journalists Eddie Fuller and Gary Slater and which will be published by London League Publications in March."

Mssrs. Fuller and Slater are trying to find out more about these two men. If you have any information, please go to this article When cartoons and caricatures were in their heyday from the January 3, 2008 Warrington Guardian.

Cartoon by Gordon Roylance from the January 8, 1934 edition of the Warrington Guardian.

Future Past: 1967 Film Looks at Futuristic World of 1999

This bit of film from 1969 shows what it will be like to use something we now call the World Wide Web circa 1999. It's pretty spot-on, except nowhere is there mention of me and my blog. Hmph!

It runs just under 2 minutes and is narrated by Alexander Scourby. You know Scourby's distinctive velvety tones if you watched TV in the 1960s. I remember his voice from those Jacques Cousteau specials in the 1960s.

Cartoon Consultant Calendar

Up here in the New Hampshire deep freeze, we are looking forward to spring (yes, all ready) and the first outdoor barbecue. If you're a cartoonist, while you are flipping those first burgers of Spring 2008, and watching the tree buds unfurl as you breathe in the warm, rejuvenating air of the new growing season, your mind is going forward, the next cold, bitter winter season. Brr! Not pleasant, but you have to. You need to think up some fresh Christmas gags, some really funny Thanksgiving cartoons. Magazine cartoonists work months ahead. Playboy was, last year, buying Christmas cartoons in July.

From the always terrific Craig Yoe's Arflovers Blog comes The 1952 Cartoon Consultants Calendar by Jack Markow, which will keep you (even though it's January) focussed on May events (Mother's Day, hiking, renting a country place, yacht races, etc.). Now is the time to prep for those themes that editors will buy! And Craig will post more of the calendar on the first of every month!

Big hat tip to Craig for this. I've been to Craig's studio, I've seen Craig's collection and he could show us stuff every day on his blog until the end of time and there would still be a couple of closets full of just great, unique cartoony items to go! Thanks, Craig!

Happy Birthday, Stephanie Piro!!!

Happy Birthday to our new neighbor and long-time friend Stephanie Piro!

Stephanie draws 2 panels: Fair Game, as well as King Features' Six Chix, and she has more books and illustrations here. Her site has t-shirts, jewelry, comics, books, placemats, and more.

Many happy returns, Steph!

Your Cartoons Now in Museumr

Oh, look! Your cartoons can now be in a museum via Museumr!



And your sweet kitty "Trout" can be as well!


Heck, even those Andertoons look better framed!!!

Linky: from the one and only Patricia Storms.

Thanks Patricia!

Hello Kitty products target fashionable young males

For real. The AP has the story.

Uh ... until the crips got My Little Pony tattoos and the Bloods got Barbie's Dream House in their cribs, ain't no way, no how that 20-something males are gonna get into Hello Kitty.

Bob Staake STILL Works with PhotoShop 3.0

Bob Staake, prolific illustrator of mags (New Yorker, Time Magazine, etc.) and children's books for Random House and character design for Nickelodeon and very nice guy, shares three videos of him at work.

In 1995, Bob Staake started creating his illustrations digitally using Adobe Photoshop 3.0.

In 2008, he still exclusively uses the program -- with the help of a mouse, a 17" monitor, and a standard keyboard.

These time lapse digital videos show the artist's illustration process (that as it is) and are posted so that other illustrators, designers and visual creators might gain inspiration from Staake's unconventional and decidedly "old school" work method.

Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship

King Features Syndicate has committed $100,000 to establish an endowed scholarship fund in honor of Jay Kennedy, who served as King Features Syndicate Editor in Chief from 1997 until his untimely death earlier this year.

The Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship Fund, which will be administered by the National Cartoonists Society Foundation (NCSF), will enhance two of the nonprofit organization’s major goals – to advance the ideals and standards of professional cartooning in its many forms and to stimulate and encourage interest in and acceptance of the art of cartooning by aspiring cartoonists, students and the general public.

Applicants must be college students in the United States, Canada or Mexico that will be in their Junior or Senior year of college during the 2008-2009 academic year.

Applicants DO NOT have to be art majors to be eligible for this scholarship.

For more information, go to this link: National Cartoonists Society / The Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship.