Lee Ames: My Berndt Toast Connection With Him and His Illustrations for CIRCUS PARADE (1954)

 

Lee Ames (1921- 2011) was a prolific illustrator of many books, including over two dozen of his Draw 50 book series. Lee was also a member of the Long Island National Cartoonists Society chapter, the "Berndt Toast Gang." He retired to California, and although we never met, we chatted on the phone from time to time. Lee was always very friendly and knowledgeable. He was also the guy who coined the phrase "Berndt Toast Gang."

Here is the background on the Berndt Toast Gang, which I originally wrote and is now part of a Wikipedia entry:

"The Berndt Toast Gang, named in honor of Walter Berndt, is a group of Long Island cartoonists who meet on the last Thursday of each month. As explained by cartoonist Lee Ames:


"When the Long Island group, Creig Flessel, Bill Lignante, Frank Springer, Al Micale and I got together to work for Hanna Barbera in the 1960s, we decided to have a Finnegan's Bar lunch every last Thursday of the month. During that period, Creig brought Walter Berndt to join us. We fell in love with the cigar-smoking old-timer (look who's talking!), as he did with us. After a couple of years he passed away and left us grieving. Thereafter, whenever we convened on Thursdays, we'd raise a toast to Walter's memory. On one such, my big mouth opened and uttered, 'Fellas, it's time for the Berndt toast!' I wasn't trying to be cute at the time, but I'm not displeased that it stuck and we became the Berndt Toast Gang, one of the largest branches of the National Cartoonists Society." 

Here's a peek at just one of the books he did the illustrations for.  You can see why, at the age of eighteen, he was all ready working for Walt Disney. The man had an amazing mastery of the pen. CIRCUS PARADE is a collection of short stories selected by Phyllis R. Fenner. It was published in 1954 by Knopf and is copyright that year by them.

Related:

The Comics Reporter obituary

From the Dick Buchanan Files: Certified Vintage Cartoons 1946 - 1969

Dick Buchanan has dived into his one-of-a-kind Greenwich Village Cartoon Clip File and has come up with these select certified vintage gag cartoons. Thanks for officially certifying these classic magazine cartoons. These are some absolute gems. Take it away, Dick!

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CERTIFIED VINTAGE GAG CARTOONS
(1946 – 1969)

After careful consideration, and over the objections of some, these gag cartoons have been officially designated “CERTIFIED VINTAGE.” Now, at last, feel free to enjoy these gag cartoons from long ago, resurrected from the yellowed pages of 20th century magazines and preserved in the manila folders which comprise the Cartoon Clip File . . .


1. ELDON DEDINI. The Saturday Evening Post May 21, 1949.

2. FRANK ADAMS. Collier’s July 20, 1946.

3. RAY HELLE. The Saturday Evening Post May 7, 1949.

4. ROY WILLIAMS. 1000 Jokes Magazine December, 1956 – February 1957.

5. PETER VATSURES. The Saturday Evening Post October 10, 1953.

6. NED HILTON. Collier’s August 7, 1953.

7. BOB SCHROETER. Collier’s February 2, 1952.

8. GEORGE BOOTH. True Magazine December, 1969.

9. DICK ERICSON. Argosy March, 1957.

10. JEFF KEATE. Collier’s June 10, 1950.

11. GARDNER REA. Collier’s March 1, 1952.

12. ALEX GRAHAM. Punch Summer Number July 6, 1953.

13. JAN van WESSUM. For Laughing Out Loud January – March, 1965.

14. WILLIAM STEIG. Collier’s March 1, 1952.

15. SAM GROSS. Argosy July, 1965.

16. BEN THOMPSON. American Legion Magazine February, 1969.

17. JOHN RUGE. True Magazine February, 1964.

18. VIRGIL PARTCH. Collier’s July 4, 1953.

19. GAHAN WILSON. Look Magazine September 8, 1964.

20. JEFFREY MONAHAN. Collier’s June 10, 1950.

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Video: Marisa Acocella on her New Graphic Novel THE BIG SHE-BANG

 

 

New Yorker cartoonist and author Marisa Acocella talks about her new graphic novel The Big She-Bang in this interview with CUNY-TV's Tony Guida.

Video: Alexander Courage On Writing the "Star Trek" Theme

From the Archive of American Television, here is Alexander Courage, the composer of the original theme to Star Trek, talking about its creation and where the "whoosh" sound of the Enterprise came from. If you don't know, this is a great story. The interview was conducted by Jon Burlingame on February 8, 2000. It runs about 4 minutes.

From the Dick Buchanan Files: Some Favorite Magazine Gag Cartoons 1940-60s

Dick Buchanan was kind enough to pass along some favorite old magazine gag cartoons. I agree with Dick that these cartoons, most of them unseen for over fifty years, deserve an encore. Here's Dick:

"As an aspiring cartoonist long ago, I kept a file of cartoons clipped from every magazine I could find. I still have I still use it for reference and amusement. I am happy to share it's contents. I have forwarded a few samples. There are more."

Gahan Wilson, one of his early cartoons from Collier's, June 24, 1955:

George Booth, The Saturday Evening Post, October 17, 1953:

John Gallagher:

Hank Ketcham in an early 1950's Saturday Evening Post:

Clyde Lamb, American Legion Magazine, October 1952:

Mel Lazarus (not "Mell" yet), in the Saturday Evening Post, January 20, 1951 -- still 6 years away from Miss Peach:

Virgil Partch, Collier's, 1940s:

Rowland Wilson, in that same Saturday Evening Post issue (October 17, 1953) as George Booth (see above):

Henry Syverson. In 1963, even the furniture was funny. From Look Magazine, December 3, 1963:

Jack Tippitt, Look Magazine, July 22, 1958. Two-time NCS Gag Cartoonist of the Year (1963 & 1966):

Thanks, Dick, for sharing these great gag cartoons!

 

 - Originally published June 14, 2016.