The Garden As Of Mid-May 2022

 

Some photos from the garden so far this year. Have a good week. I'm away, but will be back soon.

These pics are from my Instagram. If I'm posting this week, I'll post to Instagram.  

From the Dick Buchanan Files: The Old Joke Cemetery: Laugh in Peace 1944- 1965

There's nothing like an old joke. One that makes you groan and laugh at the same time. And really, there are some jokes whose time is up. They're smelling like bad eggs. But not here at this blog, where the Golden Age of Gag Cartooning is alive and well and eliciting those groans and (I hope) a smile. Here's Dick Buchanan with more from the ...

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OLD JOKE CEMETERY
Laugh In Peace 1944 - 1965


The Cartoon Clip File is located in somewhere in New York City’s Greenwich Village, just around the corner from the Old Joke Cemetery. That’s the place where old gags are put to rest. Few tourists ever stumble upon the Old Joke Cemetery. So, imagine our surprise when we arrived there this afternoon to find a flock of them peering over the gate at what they were told was a vacant lot. Assuming the guise of a harmless neighborhood character, I joined them long enough to learn they were part of a Walking Tour of Greenwich Village Curiosities. How curious, indeed. Apparently, in New York, a vacant lot is more of a curiosity than an Old Joke Cemetery. Go figure.


Pursuant to the fine print in the Old Joke Recovery Act of 1953, it is time share a few of the recent gag cartoons recently interred the Old Joke Cemetery. Some will remain there forever. Others just may pop up again some time. Humor is funny like that . .


1. CHARLES SKILES. American Magazine December, 1955.

2. GEORGE WOLFE. Collier’s March 11, 1950.

3. CHON DAY. The Saturday Evening Post September 13, 1952.

4. GENE CARR. American Magazine October, 1944.

5. BEN ROTH. American Legion Magazine March, 1953.

6. NORMAN HOIFJELD. American Magazine November, 1950.

7. LEO GAREL. The Saturday Evening Post July 10, 1954.

8. HERB GREEN. Argosy Magazine July, 1965.

9. STAN HUNT. Look Magazine March 17, 1960.

10. ROY L. FOX. The Saturday Evening Post January 2, 1960.

11. JOHN RUGE. Colliers July 4, 1953.

12. JOHN SORENSEN The Saturday Evening Post January 29, 1953.

13. W.F. BROWN. 1000 Jokes Magazine Dec, 1957 - Feb, 1958.

14. JACK TIPPIT. Look Magazine January 28, 1964.

15. DON TOBIN. Collier’s February 17, 1951.

16. JACK O’BRIEN. Collier’s October 29, 1954.

17. JEFF KEATE. American Magazine January 1945.

18. WALTER GOLDSTEIN. The Saturday Evening Post June 15, 1957.

19. BILL HARRISON. 1000 Jokes Magazine June – August, 1957.

20. HERB WILLIAMS. American Magazine March, 1949.

The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists: An Open Letter to the Pulitzer Prize Board

 From the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists site:

The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists would like to congratulate illustrator Fahmida Azim and the other contributors to the team that created the illustrated article, “I Escaped a Chinese Internment Camp,” which won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in the recently renamed category of Illustrated Reporting and Commentary. We would like to also congratulate the finalists, The New Yorker cartoonist Zoe Si, and Washington Post editorial cartoonist Ann Telnaes. Cartooning, regardless of genre, is time intensive, often challenging, occasionally dangerous, but always rewarding work.

While we celebrate Azim, Si, and Telnaes, the AAEC once again encourages the Pulitzer Board to consider reinstating Editorial Cartooning as its own Pulitzer category, while also recognizing Illustrated Reporting as a separate form. Each is a different type of journalism, just as Commentary and Feature Writing are considered separate styles, and Breaking News and Feature Photography have separate Prizes.

Editorial cartoons are quick, in-the-moment commentary, whose artists have to educate themselves on complex issues and craft well-informed opinions in a single take that emphasizes clarity under daily deadlines. Illustrated reporting, or comics journalism, takes days, weeks, or months to craft a story, which can run for pages, and which may or may not be presenting an opinion.

By having two separate categories — one for Editorial Cartooning and one for Illustrated Reporting — the Pulitzers can celebrate what makes each genre unique, and recognize the growing field of graphic journalism without slighting the long history of political cartooning. The AAEC asks the Pulitzer Board to consider this proposal for the future.

Signed,
The Officers and Board of Directors of the AAEC

The National Film Board of Canada: "The Tooth" an Animated Short by Guy Delisle

Cartoonist Kayfabe: The Classic Junkie Issue of Green Lantern by NEAL ADAMS and DENNY O'NEIL!

 

Cartoonist Kayfabe looks at the classic Green Lantern/Green Arrow #85 (1971), one of the series' "socially relevant" issues that dealt with drug abuse. It was written and drawn by the one and only team of Neals/Neils: Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams. 

George Pérez 1954 - 2022

 

George Pérez, a giant among comic book artists, has died at the age of 67. The cause was complications from pancreatic cancer.

 

Via CBR:

"Pérez is probably best known for launching the New Teen Titans in 1980 with writer Marv Wolfman, where the two created Cyborg, Raven and Starfire and had Dick Grayson become Nightwing. Wolfman and Pérez later reshaped the DC Universe with Crisis on Infinite Earths, which, in turn, led to Pérez rebooting Wonder Woman in 1987 with a beloved five-year run that redefined Diana for a new generation. At Marvel, where Pérez got his start in comics, he is likely best remembered for two separate runs on the Avengers; with Steve Englehart in the 1970s and then with Kurt Busiek in the 1990s, where the two relaunched the series in 1998 to great acclaim."

Pérez died on May 6, 2022, passing away peacefully at home with his wife Carol and their family by his side. An open memorial service is scheduled to be held at MegaCon Orlando on May 22.

 

 

From the New York Times:

"'Wonder Woman had to rise or fall based on me,' Mr. Pérez said in a telephone interview in December. 'It was a great success that gave me an incredible sense of fulfillment.'

"His editor on the series, Karen Berger, said in an email, 'What set George apart on Wonder Woman was that he really approached the character from a woman’s perspective — I found her relatable and authentic.' Patty Jenkins, the director of the 'Wonder Woman' films, cited this version of the character as an influence."

Via NPR:

"'George Pérez had an art style that was both dynamic and incredibly expressive,' said DC Publisher and Chief Creative Officer Jim Lee. 'His art was the perfect storytelling canvas for some of the most important events in DC history. While he will be sorely missed, his work will live on with a countless number of fans, as well as all the talent he's influenced over the years.'"

The remembrances keep pouring in from fans and pros alike. I remember that as a poor college student that the only comic book that I allowed myself to spend money on was Wolfman and Pérez's Teen Titans. I still have those issues, and it's time I take another look at them these decades later. Pérez left a tremendous bounty of his comic book art and his ease with crowd scenes is amazing. All comic book artists will labor in his shadow.

 

 

 

School of Visual Arts October 1948 Newsletter

 

The Cartoonists and Illustrators School, now known as the School of Visual Arts, had a newsletter back in the day and this is the sixth issue of Caranill from October 1948. ("Caranill" being a "condensation of the words cartooning and illustrating;" a word that was devised by then-SVA student Arnold Izenberg - who won $5 for the name (see page two).)

Cartoonist Scott Taber's daughter sent this four page newsletter to me out of the blue and it knocked my socks off. A wonderful piece of history from the first class of SVA. And I'm told that the SVA library has more, which is always good to know. 

There are a number of "before they were famous" names that are mentioned here. "Scott is mentioned in a column written by fellow classmate, Jerry Marcus. It looks like it was a pretty wonderful school that trained and turned out many good working artists," write Judith Taber. Also in this issue of Carnill: an illustration by Sid Couchey; mentions of some professional cartooning/illustration sales by then-students Dick Cavalli as well as the aforementioned Scott Taber; Paul Gringle is the subject of the "Student Spotlight" column; Al Herman (who may or may not be Al Vermeer) writes about visiting cartoonist Ted Key, creator of Hazel. There are mentions of Silas Rhodes, Burne Hogarth and Tom Gill as well, of course. At least read the exciting "Six C&I 'Gringos' Return from Mexican Painting Tour."

Thank you so much, Judith.