GRIN AND BEAR IT by George Lichty Part One

I grew up with the newspaper panel GRIN AND BEAR IT. It's been ongoing since 1932, with newspaper cartoonist George "Lichty" Lichtenstein (1905-1983) supplying his trademark flowing, loose cartoony lines until the 1980s. It was syndicated nationally in 1940, by Field Enterprises. 46 years later, the property was sold to King Features.

The panel is incongruous. Simultaneously sketchy and illustrative, the feature poked fun at the middle class, its language, laziness and hypocrisy.

Take a look at the first panel below. Look at the looseness of the line -- and the mean perspective on the stove front and the ironing board, all creating a dynamic line to the husband. The fellow's black waistcoat emphasizes that he is the character to linger on. 

More Lichty GRIN AND BEAR IT panels from the 1960s here. Although he would lose the crayon shading (perhaps a nod to decreasing panel sizes), his style was remarkably steadfast.

Go look at Animation Resources big Lichty page here.

-- This has been an edited version of an piece that originally ran on January 4, 2012.