From the Dick Buchanan Files: Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 8 1946 - 1956

Once again, Dick Buchanan has ventured forth into his Greenwich Village apartment and retrieved some golden age of gag cartooning clichés for our viewing enjoyment. And so, at this holiday time, I give thanks to Dick for collecting these single panel gems through the years, and gifting them with us over a half a century since they first saw print.

Miss some of the previous gag cartoon clichés? Here's the links:

Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 1
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 2
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 3
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 4
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 5
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 6
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 7

Take it away, Dick!

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GAG CARTOON CLICHÉS
Part Eight: 1946 – 1956

Here is another installment (eight of ten ... so far) of GAG CARTOONS CLICHÉS from the Golden Age of clichés, selected in the from the Dick Buchanan Cartoon Clip File . . .

AT THE OPERA.

1. STAN GOMBERG, The Saturday Evening Post December 8, 1951.

2. WALT WETTERBERG. The Saturday Evening Post January 13, 1951.

3. VIRGIL PARTCH.  Collier’s October 9, 1948.

COSTUME PARTIES.

1. DON CHRISTENSEN.  Liberty August 3, 1946.

2. FRED LEVINSON.  The Saturday Evening Post  June 11, 1956.

3. MELL LAZARUS. The Saturday Evening Post  January 27, 1951.

INFORMATION BOOTH.

1. KIRK STILES.  American Legion Magazine  March, 1947.

2. SALO ROTH.  The Saturday Evening Post  November 29, 1949.

3. DICK CAVALLI.  1000 Jokes Magazine  November, 1954 – January, 1955.

PARROTS.

1. DICK CAVALLI.  The Saturday Evening Post  January 21, 1953.

2. RAY HELLE.  The Saturday Evening Post  January 1, 1949.

3. GEORGE PRICE.  Collier’s  December 1946.

HOSPITAL NEWBORN NURSERY.

1. SYDNEY HOFF.  1000 Jokes Magazine  Fall, 1953.

2. AL KAUFMAN. The Saturday Evening Post June 5, 1954.

3. REAMER KELLER.  The Saturday Evening Post  January 31, 1948.

Miss some of the previous gag cartoon clichés? Here's the links:

Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 1
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 2
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 3
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 4
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 5
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 6
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 7

Richard Corben 1940 - 2020

 

Illustrator and comic book artist Richard Corben, best known for his "Den" series that first premiered in Heavy Metal Magazine, passed away after heart surgery. He was 80 years old.

From his wife, Dona Corben:

"It is with great sorrow and loss that I must share the sad news that Richard Corben died Dec 2, 2020 following heart surgery. He will be missed tremendously by his family, his friends, and his fans.

"Richard was very appreciative of the love for his art that was shown by you, his fans. Your support over the decades meant a great deal to him. He tried to repay your support by working diligently on each piece of art going out to you. Although Richard has left us, his work will live on and his memory will live always in our hearts.

"I will continue to conduct sales of Richard's art through the Corben Studios website at corbencomicart.com. I will also be managing the ongoing process of publishing his work internationally. Please give me and my family a little time to collect ourselves and we'll get back with you in 2021.

A self-admitted shy boy born in Missouri and raised in Kansas, Richard Corben studied art and copied comics (like Tarzan and Brothers of the Spear) as a youngster. In art school, he produced a five minute animated film with his father's 8mm camera -- despite there NOT being an animation course offered by the school. He married and settled in with a Kansas City industrial film company. 

From his site:

"After nearly ten years at the film company, Corben felt frustrated that he really hadn't given his art career a chance. He started drawing so called "underground" comix and fanzines. About this time Warren Publishing Company began publishing a series of black and white horror comics, CREEPY, EERIE, and VAMPIRELLA. This was a perfect match for Corben's interests and he drew several stories for CREEPY on speculation. Unfortunately none of these were accepted. But the "wannabe" comic book artist persevered and even met James Warren at a science fiction convention. Finally Warren and his editor Bill Dubay relented and started sending Corben scripts to draw. At last a foothold was established in his comic career. Even with the responsibilities of a wife, daughter and house the young artist felt with the steady flow of comic work, he could quit the full time job at the industrial film company and devote all his time to drawing.

 

"The underground comix surge spread to Europe and requests to reprint Corben underground features began to appear. His fantasy character DEN that appeared in the American underground comic GRIM WIT, went on to the French METAL HURLANT, then back to the American HEAVY METAL. When the popularity of the undergrounds began to diminish, the Corben's started FANTAGOR, a publishing company mainly devoted to publishing Richard's comics. This business wasn't enough to support them so he also began drawing for American comics, D.C., MARVEL, DARK HORSE, and others."

 

His "Den" series was adapted as part of the Heavy Metal animated film in 1981. He also created the iconic Bat Out of Hell album cover. 

He has won many awards, including the prestigious Grand Prix at Angoulême. In 2009, he was elected to the Will Eisner Hall of Fame.

Related:

2012 TCJ interview: “And to Have More Control, I Would Have to Do More”: Richard Corben on Adapting Edgar Allan Poe

 

 

Turner Classic Movies: Mark Hamill on Laurel and Hardy

Every Monday this December, all day long, Turner Classic Movies shows Laurel and Hardy shorts. Here's "Luke Skywalker" himself, Mark Hamill, reminiscing about watching these two reelers on TV when he was a kid. It's a heartfelt, personal tribute to the comedy team.

From the Dick Buchanan Files: Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 7 1937 - 1963

Here we go again with a list of gag cartoon clichés and three samples each. That's 21 clichés and 63 sample cartoons so far, and there is more to come. This is all thanks to the effort and time that Dick Buchanan spends putting into this, and I'm grateful for it. Here are links to the previous entries in this series:

Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 1
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 2
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 3
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 4
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 5
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 6

Take it away, Dick! And thanks!
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GAG CARTOON CLICHÉS

Part Seven: 1937 – 1963


This is the seventh installment of GAG CARTOONS CLICHÉS, selected in the usual haphazard manner from the Dick Buchanan Cartoon Clip File for the delight and amusement of all . . .







WILLIAM TELL.


1. TOM HUDSON. The Saturday Evening Post January 15, 1949.

2. SIDNEY HARRIS. Cartoons & Gags August, 1960.

3. BOB BARNES. For Laughing Out Loud January – March, 1962.

CRAWLING THROUGH THE DESERT.





1. VIRGIL PARTCH. Collier’s June 22, 1956.




2. CHON DAY. The Saturday Evening Post September 28, 1962.




3. VIRGIL PARTCH. Look Magazine May 18, 1963.





LIFE RAFT SURVIVORS.

1. AL JOHNS. The Saturday Evening Post November 21, 1959.




2. DANA FRADON. Collier’s March 4, 1955.




3. FRANK BAGINSKI. The Saturday Evening Post. October 26, 1963.





SPEEDING TICKETS.




1. LEONARD DOVE. Look Magazine December 13, 1955.




2. PHIL INTERLANDI. Collier’s May 27, 1955.




3. DON TOBIN. The Saturday Evening Post. April 18, 1953.




BED OF NAILS.




1. BUFORD TUNE. College Humor October, 1937.




2. BILL O’MALLEY. Collier’s June 15, 1945.




3. GEORGE WOLFE. Gags October, 1951.

Those links again:

Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 1
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 2
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 3
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 4
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 5
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 6

From the Dick Buchanan Files: Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 6 1945 - 1956

Here we go with another in a series exploring classic gag cartoons and classic gag cartoon clichés. This would not be possible were it not for Dick Buchanan's vast file of great old gag cartoons lodged in his Greenwich Village abode. I really love this series, and am intrigued by all of the variations on these old, familiar tropes. Please join me in thanking Dick and enjoy these golden age cartoon clichés.

Oh, in case you missed it, delve into the previous segments here:

Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 1
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 2
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 3
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 4
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 5


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GAG CARTOON CLICHÉS
 Part Six: 1945 – 1956

 
The words cliché and stereotype both come from the French and originally were synonymous terms.  Their meanings today are distinctly different.  A cliché is something hackneyed, such as an overly familiar or commonplace phrase, theme or expression while stereotype today refers to an often unfair and untrue belief many people may have about people or things with a particular characteristic.

In the wide world of gag cartooning some clichés still remain, but gags rooted in stereotypical images have gradually disappeared over time, to be replaced by a more introspective and personal approach to humor.

Today we eschew the present and take a look at some gag cartooning cliché’s from the mid-century era. Some of these clichés are relics of the bygone past, while others are still a part of the gag cartoon world.  A new twist on an old gag is always welcome. However, some subjects such as “Reading the Will” seem to have inspired little, if any, imagination.

This is the sixth installment of GAG CARTOONS CLICHÉS chosen from the vast Dick Buchanan Cartoon Clip File . . .



BURGLARS WITH MASKS.

1. RALPH NEWMAN. American Legion Magazine  March 1947.

2. DICK CAVALLI.  1000 Jokes Magazine  November, 1955 – January 1956.

3. VIRGIL PARTCH.  Collier’s  November 10, 1945.

GREETING CARDS.

1. DICK CAVALLI. American Legion Magazine  July, 1954.

2. KATE OSANN.  Collier’s  October 14, 1950.

3. MORT WALKER. The Saturday Evening Post  November 29, 1949.

OLD CODGERS.

1. TOM HUDSON. American Legion Magazine  September, 1953.

2. HENRY BOLTINOFF.  1000 Jokes Magazine Winter, 1952.

3. CHARLES ADDAMS. True Magazine  October, 1945.

READING THE WILL.

1. MARTHA BLANCHARD.  The Saturday Evening Post  May 30, 1953.

2. SYD HOFF.  True Magazine  June, 1952.

3. W. A. VANESLOW. 1000 Jokes Magazine  Fall, 1949.

THE LINEUP.


1. BOB BARNES.  American Legion Magazine  March, 1948.

2. RONALD LINDQUIST.  The Saturday Evening Post  May 30, 1953.

3. DON TOBIN. The Saturday Evening Post  June 24, 1950.

Want to keep going?

Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 1
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 2
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 3
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 4
Gag Cartoon Clichés Part 5