From the Dick Buchanan Files: Cartoons with No Captions 1947 - 1967

It's Friday. What with "staying in place" the past three weeks, I forget what day of the week it is. So ... Friday! A day to celebrate! The end of the work week. Do we still say that? Well, at least that's what we used to say way back in 2019. Hope you and yours are well, despite, you know -- risk of infection and no income.

Dick Buchanan dropped me an email, sending on these wonderful wordless cartoons from the golden age of gag cartooning. Wow. OK, we need this. Thank you, once again, for the calming balm of single panel cartoons, my friend. Take it away (and stay healthy), Dick!

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CARTOONS WITH NO CAPTIONS
(1947 – 1967)


Somewhere in New York’s scenic Greenwich Village, the Cartoon Clip staff has been hard at work pouring through our files to find some mid-century cartoons well calculated to entertain and amuse. This installment is cartoons with no captions . . . a favorite of cartoonists and cartoon editors alike. Take a look . . .


1. TON SMITS. Most of Smits’ work was of the no caption variety. Look Magazine February 13, 1962.

 2. JOHN NORMENT. Norment began working with Bill Yates at 1000 Jokes Magazine in 1955 and was editor from 1960 to 1966. American Magazine July, 1950.

3. ROY WILLIAMS. Williams was one of Disney’s top gag men, a TV performer and a successful gag cartoonist in the 1940’s and ‘50’s. Gaze October, 1960.

4. BURR SHAFER. Shafer’s panel, featuring the character J. Wesley Smith in various historical settings, appeared in The Saturday Review of Literature for many years. Collier’s August 16, 1955.

5. JOHN GALLAGHER. American Legion Magazine October, 1953.

6. SIVIC. Sid Gordin. American Magazine May, 1950.

7. DICK ERICSON. Look Magazine March 24, 1964.

8. VIRGIL PARTCH. American Legion Magazine February, 1947.

9. IRV PHILLIPS. Look Magazine June 16, 1964.

10. CLYDE LAMB. Judge October 1953.

11. HENRY MARTIN. Martin, called the master of the business cartoon, received the National Cartoon Society’s Gag Cartoon Award for 1978 for his work. 1000 Jokes Magazine September – November, 1968.

12. CEM. Over the years Charles E. Martin created many of these silhouette character multi-panels for the Post. The Saturday Evening Post June 11, 1949.

13. JOHN DEMPSEY. Dempsey was one of the Laguna Beach, CA community of cartoonists which included Virgil Partch, the Interlandi Brothers, Ed Nofziger and 1000 Jokes Magazine June – August, 1957.

14. DICK OLDDEN. Another of the Laguna Beach west coast cartoonists. Look Magazine May 30, 1967.

15. DAVID PASCAL. Pascal was a fine cartoonist and illustrator who won two National Cartoonists Society Awards—The Advertising & Illustration Award in 1968 and the Humor Comic Book Award in 1977. The Saturday Evening Post October 24, 1953.