From the Dick Buchanan Files: The Cartoon Clip Album

Dick Buchanan has a better memory than I do, but I think it's been eight years going on nine since he started sharing his amazing Cartoon Clip File with me here on this blog. I am very grateful for the scope of his collection and his amazing research into the lives of the great single panel cartoonists from the golden age of magazine cartooning. Here's Dick with some (very) kind words and over two dozen terrific cartoons from his files. Thanks and take it away, Dick!

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THE CARTOON CLIP FILE ALBUM

The Cartoon Clip File originated in the late 1950’s when your friendly crackpot curator was merely an eccentric teenager, struggling as a minor market cartoonist. As was the custom of many cartoonists at the time, cartoons were clipped from magazines to comprise a morgue. This morgue was intended to help one draw unfamiliar objects or locales and, more importantly, to spark gag writing. Over the years the Clip File was maintained with cartoons found in magazines we obtained here and there. Inspired by our friend, the late great Leopold Fechtner, curator of “the world’s largest” collection of more than a million jokes, our simple pile vintage gag cartoons became a collection. It grew and grew. Now, some have called it a trove. Go figure. 

One day we decided it would be a good idea to share our trove of vintage gag cartoons with others. After searching high and low, we stumbled upon the Mike Lynch Cartoon Blog, right in front of our so-called face. Lo and behold, Mike kindly provided the Cartoon Clip File some space to share what we have accumulated over many years. It goes without saying, Mike Lynch, a gentleman and scholar, has been supportive and helpful in many ways. It has been a pleasure to be able to contribute our trove with others and we truly appreciate the time and effort Mike made to bring the Cartoon Clip File to life. Thanks!

The Cartoon Clip File staff, both real and imagined, thought it would be a good idea to look back over the many previous Mike Lynch posts and comprise a special collection of mid-century gag cartoons which are our particular favorites. Take a look . . .


1. ED NOFZIGER. The Saturday Evening Post March 5, 1949.

 

2. ALEC. Punch October 3, 1953.

 

3. DICK CAVALLI. Collier’s February 21, 1953.

 

4. CHON DAY. Collier’s June 22, 1956.

 

5. JOHN DEMPSEY. The Saturday Evening Post January 21, 1951.

 

6. JERRY MARCUS. American Legion Magazine November 1, 1958.

 

7. VIRGIL PARTCH American Legion Magazine March, 1948.

 

8. AL ROSS. 1000 Jokes Magazine Summer, 1950.

 

9. SEVIOUR. Punch June 17, 1953.

 

10. L.H (Lawrie) SIGGS. September 23, 1953.

 

11. MARTHA BLANCHARD. 1000 Jokes Magazine September – November, 1964.

 

12. ROY WILLIAMS. Collier’s September 18, 1948.

 

13. GAHAN WILSON. Look Magazine April 16, 1957.

 

14. GEORGE WOLFE, This Week Magazine October 25, 1945.

 

15. ORLANDO BUSINO. For Laughing Out Loud May – July, 1957.

 

16. CLYDE LAMB. Judge October 26, 1953.

 

17. SMILBY (Francis Wilford-Smith) Look Magazine July 18, 1963.

 

18. CHARLES ADDAMS. True Magazine June, 1949.

 

19. JOHN GALLAGHER. Collier’s January 7, 1955.

 

20. STAN & JAN BERENSTEIN. Collier’s December 16, 1950.

 

21. LEO SALKIN. Judge March, 1947.

 

22. FRED LUNDY. 1000 Jokes Magazine Spring, 1950.

 

23. TOM HENDERSON. The Saturday Evening Post March 20, 1948.

 

24. JEFF KEATE. 1000 Jokes Magazine September – November, 1964.

 

25. LARRY HARRIS. 1000 Jokes Magazine Spring, 1951.

 

26. WILLIAM STEIG. True Magazine July, 1949.

- Edited from the original blog entry of October 7, 2022