From the DIck Buchanan Files: New Yorker Luminaries 1937 - 1964

20th century gag cartoonists were like sharks: always moving. You had to be. You draw up ten cartoons and sell one. Then you take the remaining batch of nine and go to another market, hoping to make another sale. And you start with The New Yorker. The New Yorker is not just a prestige market, they also pay well. But if the cartoon editor doesn't buy, you peddle your wares down the street, at the next highest-paying market. Dick Buchanan has some New Yorker cartoonist regulars here whose cartoons were published by some of these slightly-less-prestigious-and-slightly-lower-paying magazines like Collier's, Look Magazine, 1000 Jokes Magazine and others.

Thanks and take it away, Dick!

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NEW YORKER LUMINARIES
1937 - 1964


Here is a selection of gag cartoons drawn by some cartoonists who, although their work appeared in many magazines, are best known for their work for The New Yorker. The New Yorker was the top market which most every cartoonist aspired to sell. Needless to say, The New Yorker had a strong, established stable of cartoonists, so it was a difficult, if not impossible market to crack their ranks.
Here is a selection of drawings by the some of the best cartoonists who appeared regularly in The New Yorker during the mid-20th century. Although The New Yorker undoubtedly got “first look” at many of these cartoons, there was a lively market for the ones which they declined. Most of these cartoons appeared in Collier’s, Look or The Saturday Evening Post, a couple of them appeared in the pages of 1000 Jokes Magazine, the happy home for many overlooked drawings. Take a look . . .


1. CHARLES ADDAMS. Collier’s January 28, 1939.

2. PERRY BARLOW. Collier’s November 12, 1949.

3. SAM COBEAN. The Saturday Evening Post February 16, 1946.

 

4. WHITNEY DARROW, JR. Collier’s October 11, 1941.

 

5. CHON DAY. This Week Magazine October 21, 1951.

 

6. RICHARD DECKER. Look Magazine February 12, 1963.

7. LEONARD DOVE. Look Magazine August 5, 1958.

 

8. NED HILTON. Collier’s June 24, 1955.

 

9. SYD HOFF. The Saturday Evening Post September 13, 1952.

 

10. HELEN HOKINSON. Collier’s March 15, 1941.

 

11. ANATOL KOVARKSY. Collier’s August 3, 1956.

12. CEM (Charles E. Martin) 1000 Jokes Magazine June - August, 1961.

 

13. GARRETT PRICE. Collier’s February 20, 1937.

 

14. GEORGE PRICE. Collier’s November 2, 1940.
 

 

15. GARDNER REA. Collier’s April 5, 1952.

 

16. MISCHA RICHTER. 1000 Jokes Magazine September – November, 1964.

 "A diary -- quick!"

 

 

17. CHARLES SAXON. American Legion Magazine October, 1947.

18. BARBARA SHERMUND. Collier’s December 23, 1939.

 

19. OTTO SOGLOW. Collier’s January 8, 1938.

 

20. WILLIAM STEIG. Look Magazine June 16, 1964.

 

21. RICHARD TAYLOR. Collier’s September 10, 1942.

 

22. BARNEY TOBEY. Collier’s September 14, 1946.