From the Dick Buchanan Files: "How I Create Humor" from 1950s - 60s Gag Cartoon Insider Journal "The Information Guide"

If you wanted to draw single panel cartoons in the 1950s and 60s, you were in luck: there were a lot more markets then, and there was also more insider trade journals like the one below. "The Information Guide" was a mail order zine aimed at part-time and fulltime cartoonists who were targeting smaller markets.

George Hartman was the cartoonist/editor of the publication, and was nicknamed "Gawge" by his readers. I don't know if a lot of copies exist, but my friend Dick Buchanan has saved his, and shares the "How I Create Humor" columns from the newsletter here.

Here's Dick with an intro and scans of the feature:

As aspiring cartoonist in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, I subscribed to The Information Guide, a publication aimed at full and part-time cartoonists who specialized in cartoons for the trade journals and small markets, which proliferated at the time. George Hartman in Lincoln, Nebraska published it.

George, or “Gawge” as his loyal subscribers liked to call him, was a blue color guy, former minor market cartoonist devoutly dedicated cartooning. In his relentless effort to further magazine cartooning, he constantly wrote to small magazines across the country in an effort to recruit them as markets. As a result new markets did appear in every issue—an eagerly awaited feature for working cartoonists and especially for newcomers, as these were markets that were actually buying. 

“How I Create Humor” is an example of one of the continuing features that appeared in the pages of The Information Guide over the years. “Gawge’s” loyal supporters contributed, offering tips to both aspiring cartoonists and gag writers. 

Here are a few pages from The Information Guide c. 1955-1964. They offer an interesting glimpse into cartooning world of the past.

John Broudhecker -- Mr. Broudhecker created a daily comic panel for Allied Features titled  "Doggone." It ran from 1958 to 1960.

Howard Paris -- Tyndale House published his TUESDAY MORNING WIL BE OKAY, a 1977 collection of Christian cartoons. He also created a series of books CLIP ART PANEL CARTOONS FOR CHURCHES, published by Baker Book House in the 1980s.

Hal Johnson:

J.P. McDole -- John McDole was a machinist who cartooned part-time. He lived his whole life in Portland, OR. He also enjoyed wood carving, and his carvings, I read at this site, reflected his love of cartoons. He gave them to his friends. They are very rare and do not come up for sale. Upon his death, his estate bequeathed $10 million to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.    

Sam Coty -- I believe that this may be the same Sam Coty who painted and etched, and operated a Rockland, Maine art gallery with his wife Sophina Coty for thirty years.

Larry Barth -- Larry cites the brilliance of Orlando Busino here, and I couldn't agree more. No bio information on Mr. Barth, only a few scans of 1960s cartoons published by major markets like Look Magazine and Harper's:

More of Dick Buchanan's great gag cartoon collection:

Dick Buchanan's Cartoon File: 1950s Color Magazine Gag Cartoons

Dick Buchanan's Cartoon File: Funny Vintage Magazine Gag Cartoons 1946 - 1963

Dick Buchanan's Cartoon File: Wordless Gag Cartoons 1944-1964

1953 George Booth Drawings for American Legion Magazine

Dick Buchanan: Winter/Christmas/Holiday Gag Cartoons 1940s-60s

Dick Buchanan: Some PUNCH Magazine Cartoons 1948-1963

Dick Buchanan: Gag Cartoon Clip File 1946-64

Dick Buchanan: Gag Cartoon Clip File 1947-62

Dick Buchanan: Some Favorite Magazine Gag Cartoons 1940-60s

Dick Buchanan: Gag Cartoon Clip File 1931-64