From the Dick Buchanan Files: Old Joke Cemetery 1946 - 1971

Since it's a few days before Halloween it's time to look at some old gag cartoons with gags so old they SHOULD be dead, but, like zombies, they live on. Thank you, Dick Buchanan, for fearlessly dealing with these undead bad jokes. They are moldy oldies, but we love them. 

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OLD JOKE CEMETERY
(1948 – 1971)



The Old Joke Cemetery is where old jokes are laid to rest. We say rest because some of them are only resting, lying in wait until someone calls for an encore and they spring to life. We’re not sure these will spring to life, but they’re old favorites of ours so give them one more chance . . .

1. HARRY MACE. The Saturday Evening Post November 21, 1953.

 

2. DICK CAVALLI. The Saturday Evening Post October 28, 1950.

 

3. BILL KING. Collier’s February 23, 1952.

4. LEW FOLLETTE. The Saturday Evening Post June 5, 1948.

 

5. TOM HENDERSON. Look Magazine July 28, 1948.

 

6. CHON DAY. True Magazine July, 1963.

7. TOM FLANNERY. American Legion Magazine February, 1949.

8. LAFE LOCKE. Collier’s March 28, 1953.

9. DON OREHEK. American Legion Magazine December, 1967.

 

10. STAN HUNT. The Saturday Evening Post June 5, 1948.

 

11. CORKA (Jon Cronin) True Magazine March, 1952.

 

12. AL CRAMER. American Magazine June, 1955.

 

13. BILL HOEST. American Legion Magazine March, 1971.

 

14. JEFFREY MONAHAN. The Saturday Evening Post November 2, 1963.

 

15. SCOTT TABER. The Saturday Evening Post March 9, 1957.

 

16. ERNEST MARQUEZ. American Legion Magazine November, 1950.

17. JOHN DEMPSEY. Look Magazine November 8, 1960.

 

18. SYD HOFF. Collier’s January 26, 1952.

19. CHARLES STRAUSS. Collier’s January 26, 1952.

 

20. ROBERT DAY. This Week Magazine April 8, 1956.

 

From the Dick Buchanan Files: Gag Cartoons 1948 - 1964

Duck Buchanan has delved into his vast collection of magazine cartoons and pulled out some vintage goodies for your edification and, of course, for your laffs. Such a guy!

Thanks and take it away, Dick!

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GAG CARTOONS
(1948 – 1964)

The Cartoon Clip File, housed somewhere in New York’s Greenwich Village (just around the corner from the Old Joke Cemetery) is chock full of gag cartoons from the glorious mid-20th century. Here, for young and old alike, are a few cartoons we recently added to our archives . . .

1. CHARLES STRAUSS. True Magazine October, 1948.

 

2. BOB BARNES. American Magazine August, 1955.

 

3. JEFF KEATE. Collier’s February 16, 1952.

 

4. MARTHA BLANCHARD. Look Magazine December 1, 1964.

 

5. CHARLES RODRIGUES. Cartoons & Gags February, 1962.

 

6. BILL HOEST. Look Magazine June 16, 1964.

7. TON SMITS. Look Magazine March 31, 1959.

 

8. AL ROSS. American Magazine June, 1955.

 

9. LARRY HERMAN. Argosy May, 1964.

 

10. VIRGIL PARTCH. Look Magazine November 3, 1964.

 

11. HENRY BOLTINOFF. This Week Magazine April 1, 1956.

 

12. TOM HUDSON. 1000 Jokes Magazine March – May, 1958.

 

13. IRWIN CAPLAN. This Week Magazine February 17, 1947.

 

14. JOHN DEMPSEY. The Saturday Evening Post November 4, 1961.

 

15. ALEX GRAHAM. Punch February 17, 1954.

 

Vintage Future Transportation Illustrations

 The felixip blog has these cool retro Japanese future machine designs taken from a 1936 Shōnen Club magazine article.

Silly About Cats

SILLY ABOUT CATS was edited by Marbeth Reed. It's Copyright 1959 Doubleday & Co., Inc., and features "The Best Cat Cartoons from American and British Periodicals." So, if you do not find these too funny, I am very sorry. These are the best and you can't do better.

Above: a clearer version of Herb Green's cover cartoon, originally published in the Saturday Evening Post. That's the biggest dang cat I ever saw. Noted: husband and kitty have matching smiles.




Henry Syverson manages action, humor and, ultimately, a little bit of sadness, in this epic cat & mouse tale in 10 drawings. The book, as you'll see, is heavy on Syverson. He's a fellow who knows his cats. Click to supersize and really enjoy.


Al Johns (above) with a wordless cartoon depicting the cat/milkman struggle with the cats mounting a surge.


Mort Walker, he of the gorgeous pen line, gives us a cartoon that, once you see the cat with the bean bag musculature held by the Mrs., gives one a smile. The cartoon is funny, the goofy looking cat makes it funnier.



Above: Henry Syverson with an 8 panel wordless cartoon (read the four across the top, then the bottom four). Once again: another Syverson mini-graphic novel of a story.



Vahan Shirvanian composes a ballet of man v. cat. The cat wins, of course. I like his triumphant trotting pose in the final panel.


Above: more Syverson, one of the unsung heroes of cartoons. He was a mainstay at the Saturday Evening Post. If you described this cartoon to someone, I don't think they would find it funny. But seeing the cat's expression and the mouse peering over the corner, all zestily done to perfection by Syverson, makes this one a rowser.

Above: Gustav Lundberg. Dig the 1950s table & lamp detail. Even though most of those lines in the table do not meet, it still "reads" as a table.

John Gallagher with a usual doozy. Look at all of those doggy noses are bee-lined at the unaware cat. Adding that little bow on the kitty kicks this up a notch.



Henning Gantriis was a prolific cartoonist in his native Denmark. Virtually unknown in the States, here is a rare peek at one of his cartoons. It requires no caption, and is therefore accessible to people worldwide.


Above: we finish up with more Syverson. Just look at that silly cat and the way he washes each foot. I said if before and I'll say it again: the man knows his cats!

 

-- This is an edited version of a blog entry originally published on March 19, 2008.

Wally Wood's 22 Panels That Always Work!!

 Everyone needs to see this, and even if you have seen it all ready, it's always worth a revisit. Twenty two great solutions by Wally Wood to make a dialogue-heavy comic page work graphically.

Some Storyboards From the Tex Avery Animated Short "Deputy Droopy" 1955

 Here are some storyboard layouts for the 1955 MGM animated short Deputy Droopy. 

 Hat tip to Antonio Marques!