Monday, May 18, 2020

Dick Hodgins, Jr.'s 1963 AP Newsfeatures "Dial Log"



Here's an Associated Press promo package for "Dial Log" drawn by Dick Hodgins, Jr. This is a copy he mailed to fellow cartoonist Al Kilgore.

Hodgins was a veteran cartoonist, who worked for the Associated Press for a couple of years. (He was also an editorial cartoonist, and he worked on "Hi and Lois," Boner's Ark" and "Hagar the Horrible." He assisted Hank Ketcham and was the primary artist for "Half Hitch." The guy had chops!) During this time he was actively supplying member AP newspapers with art, and he also helped develop a TV Guide competitor: the Dial Log. Here's a copy of the promo package that he mailed to cartoonist and caricaturist (and Sons of the Desert founding member) Al Kilgore. He thanks Kilgore for his help.




Just in case you want to know who's who:


I really like the snazzy midcentury modern layout:


The Dick Hodgins, Jr. "Dial Log" feature is a combo of news, gag cartoons and factoids about TV personalities. Since it cites new shows like "The Patty Duke Show," "The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters" and "The Outer Limits," this puts us into the fall 1963 TV season.

The bio of Hodgins, Jr. tells us that he was raised in Binghamton, and attended the School of Visual Arts in NYC. Upon graduation, he was in the army during WW 2, stationed in Japan where he edited a service newspaper. He also contributed both art and writing to the Stars and Stripes newspaper.

He's worked for the Associated Press for seven years at this point, and his father is the renowned editorial cartoonist for the Orlando Sentinel.

"He is called the 'Owl' by his fellow newspaper men because of his black horn-rimmed glasses, and his habit of working late into the night over his drawing board at home in his study."






This was nicked from a recent eBay auction. I don't own this.

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