From the Dick Buchanan Files: Gag Cartoons From Oblivion to Here 1944 - 1970

My friend Dick Buchanan has taken a deep dive into his Olympic-sized collection of gag cartoons from the golden age of gag cartooning and surfaced with some classic gems from the past. Let me step aside and say thanks, Dick, and take it away:


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FROM OBLIVION TO HERE
(1944 – 1970)


Here is another random assortment of mid-century gag cartoons, plucked from the clutches of oblivion, and emerge safe in the friendly confines of the Cartoon Clip File. These recently rescued cartoons are presented to amuse and dismay all those who enjoy such things and if you’ve read this far, that means you. Take a look . . .


1. JACK TYRELL. American Legion Magazine May, 1949.

 

2. BOB BARNES. Collier’s June 25, 1955.

 

3. LESLIE STARKE. The Saturday Evening Post March 26, 1949.

 

4. HANK KETCHAM. The Saturday Evening Post July 15, 1950.

 

5. DICK ERICSON. American Magazine August, 1956.

 

6. TON SMITS. This Week Magazine June 16, 1957.

 

7. BILL HOEST. True Magazine May, 1970.

 

8. VIRGIL PARTCH. True Magazine June, 1952.

 

9. JEFF KEATE. American Legion Magazine July, 1948.

 

10. JOSEPH FARRIS. The Saturday Evening Post September 27, 1958.

 

11. CLYDE LAMB. American Legion Magazine July, 1948.

 

12. LARRY HARRIS. American Legion Magazine August, 1967.

 

13. ROY WILSON. The Saturday Evening Post October 23, 1954.

 

14. PERRY BARLOW. Look June 30, 1964.

 

15. ED NOFZIGER. The Saturday Evening Post July 15, 1950.

 

16. DAVID PASCAL. Colliers March 4, 1946.

 

17. REAMER KELLER. Collier’s April 15, 1944.

 

18. PHIL INTERANDI. Look Magazine October 6, 1964.

 

19. WILLIAM von RIEGEN. Collier’s July 4, 1953.

 

20. ROBERT CENSORI. True Magazine May, 1970.

 

Museum für Kommunikation Berlin: "Role Models: Feminism in Comics and Illustration"

Just opened at the  Museum für Kommunikation Berlin: the gallery show "Role Models: Feminism in Comics and Illustration," which runs through October 10th. There's original art by Alison Bechdel, Julie Doucet and many others. 

Thanks to Paul Gravett, here are some photos of the exhibition:

Happy 95th Birthday, George Booth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Related:

My Interview with George Booth in Hogan's Alley #22

 
Video: George Booth on CBS Sunday Morning

 
Behind the Scenes: "George Booth: A Cartoonist's Life" At the Society of Illustrators October 24 - December 30, 2017

And then there's the time he attended a cartoon class I was teaching: Cartoon Class: George Booth, Puberty & the "Exquisite Corpse"

 

1977: Another Quincy Comic Book Part Two

 

 

Above: the breezy art of QUINCY creator Ted Shearer at its best. This is part two of a complete scan of the QUINCY R-14 comic book, copyright 1977 by King Features. Part one is here. This is all part of something called "Comic Library #2." This educational comic features for the first (and only?) time a funny book appearance by none other than HAGAR THE HORRIBLE's son Hamlet. We open with a five pager, "Quincy and the Homework Blues." Like some of the other stories, this appears to be pasted up from preexisting dailies, resulting in plain odd images, like large blank backgrounds, and, at its worst: Quincy's floating torso at the bottom of page 17. 

 

And here's Hamlet, upsetting dad and mom (Hagar and Hilda) because he is interested in non-Viking pursuits such as sitting quietly and reading. While it's not drawn by creator Dik Browne, its adequately produced. I like some of the gags (the image of the bearded "other kids," panel 2, page 22, for instance) -- one or two of which I recognize from the strip (Helga sewing name tags). For an educational comic book to show a kid being encouraged to throw knives (p. 24) is, I'm sure, not politically correct today. 

 

The above story ends with no character transcendence: Hamlet flees from Hagar, running away from parental authority. Hagar is as unaccepting as ever. Not one character has any enlightenment at all. This is not a satisfying conclusion, but I find this ending sadly true to life. The unidentified floating head on the page below may be that of Sherman H. Saiger, one of the developers of the Supplementary Reading Program. 

 

And here are the answers to all of the puzzlers in this issue, printed upside down so you have to turn your monitor over. 

Related: the QUINCY comic strip (part one, part two) Related: the QUINCY comic book R-05 (part one, part two)

 

-- Edited from an April 28, 2011 blog entry.