Cartoonist Mary Gibson's Sketchbook

Above: a self-portrait of Mary Gibson, her cartoon portfolio in hand, from BEST CARTOONS OF 1944.


I received an email from a fellow named Chris about a cartoonist named Mary Gibson.

"My mother, Mary Gibson, was a fairly well known cartoonist during the 1940s and 50s. Her work appeared in several national publications, The New Yorker, Esquire, Collier’s, etc. Your blog shows one of her cartoons. Mary died in 2007. I am currently in the process of scanning her cartoons to create an archive of her work."

This was terrific news and I wish Chris all the best with scanning in years of national and local cartoons that his mother drew. 

 

Above: a sketch of Mary Gibson drawn by fellow cartoonist Kirk Stiles.

Chris sent on a few scans from Mary Gibson's sketchbook. I expected to see some interesting doodles from Ms. Gibson. But I was in for a surprise. She was not the only person who drew in her sketchbook. There are drawings by other cartoonists of the period. She must have passed it around when she and other cartoonists were getting together or doing the rounds of the gag cartoon markets.

Kirk Stiles sketches a boxing match:

Looks like cartoonist Eric Peters was there too:

Salo drawing more of the same:

An unsigned sketch of that man with the hat:

George Wolfe with a (self?) portrait of a man who appears to have cut himself shaving:

This sketch is signed "G.H. Greene" and I am sorry to say I do not know who he is:

An unsigned drawing -- but it looks a little like Al Ross drew it:

 

Here's a drawing by Al Ross:

My thanks to Chris for letting me share these.