V.Gene Myers on Harvey Kurtzman

This happened almost by accident. You'll remember, I blogged about Esquire magazine's cartoons. I had posted about Bob Mankoff coming onboard at Esquire Magazine. And I then put a sampler of old gag cartoons from Esquire up on the blog. This all reminded my friend, gag cartoonist V. Gene Myers, about his experiences with then-Esquire magazine cartoon editor Harvey Kurtzman.

V. Gene recalled that during the 1970s, he had sold some cartoons to Esquire in the 1970s, when Harvey Kurtzman was its cartoon editor. I never knew that Kurtzman was the cartoon editor! Mr. Myers very kindly volunteered some edits that Kurtzman had made on his (Myers') drawing. If you know Kurtzman, you know that he would place a piece of tracing paper over an original with comments and drawings directed to the artist as to how to change it to make it better. Kurtzman was, truly, a hands-on editor. And Mr. Myers kept the edits!

My sincere thanks for sharing this and I am glad it all happened. Here is V. Gene Myers:

"Here is a 'rough' gag I sold to Esquire in the 70's when Harvey Kurtzman was cartoon editor. The notes were on an overlay of tracing paper for me to change for the finished drawing.

"The one page reads:

"'Needs a tight rendering, particular emphasis on dead man's hand and spoon-spilled soup on the counter top. If Myers comes in, I'd like to meet/talk with him. HK.'

"I did meet with him and it was great! Nice guy, funny guy, and always nice to me whenever I would see him. Wrote great notes on each gag. I have another where he wrote, 'Wowee! Kazowee! Funny gag!'"

"Yankee Yiddish" Cocktail Napkin Cartoons by Lawrence Lariar

If you know your gag cartoons, then you know who Lawrence Lariar (1908-1981) is. He's the guy who put together the BEST CARTOONS OF THE YEAR books from 1942 to 1971. He was also a writer of mystery novels (under the pen names Michael Stark, Adam Knight and Marston la France), as well as the title "famous cartoonist" of Bill Griffiths' graphic memoir INVISIBLE INK: MY MOTHER'S SECRET LOVE AFFAIR WITH A FAMOUS CARTOONIST. 

Here are a bunch of his cocktail napkins. The full box, in fact. These are copyright 1955 by Mr. Lariar. I know this because each individual napkin has that printed on its backside. It was produced by Monogram, 2500 18th Street, San Francisco 10, Calif.

These are all just oddball, dusty ethnic punning kinda jokes. But I guess in 1955 it was good stuff. And you certainly have to know some Yiddish expressions to "get" the humor.

The ironic thing is that even though Lariar edited so many top-selling gag cartoon anthology books, one rarely sees his cartoons. I mean, if you have the covers to some of his BEST CARTOONS books, then you can see some his art there, and sometimes it's in his intros to the books. But he does not put many drawings of his own into the cartoon books he edits. This is the first time I have seen so many in one place.

There are 35 designs here. One of them is a repeat and I left it off. Even in 1955, you couldn't trust advertising!

A few related links to Lawrence Lariar-edited cartoon collection books:

BEST CARTOONS OF THE YEAR 1944

BEST CARTOONS OF THE YEAR 1945

BEST CARTOONS OF THE YEAR 1959

Sketches from CARTOONING FOR EVERYBODY by Lawrence Lariar

YOU'VE GOT ME - AND HOW! 

Esquire Cartoon Album

Bob Mankoff retired from his Cartoon Editor post at The New Yorker at the end of last month, and on Monday, May 1, 2017, Esquire Magazine announced he would be their Cartoon and Humor Editor.

Here's a look at some of the history of Esquire cartoons, and its surprisingly diverse roster of outstanding cartoonists:

Some magazines, like Collier's and Look, fade away. Others, like Esquire magazine, change with the times. Once a major market for cartoons, Esquire is still published, but with no cartoons (for now).

Today, I'm showcasing a few cartoons from the old Esquire magazine as reprinted in ESQUIRE CARTOON ALBUM, © 1933 - 1957 by Esquire Inc.

"My other boss always gave me a raise when he got fresh — you just got fresh."

The cartoons range in age from the 1930s to the 1950s. By her bobbed hair and his attire, the above cartoon looks like one of the older ones. I like her playing with her hands on her knees. I can't make out the signature of the cartoonist.

"No, no Miss Balcom — this model buttons up the back!"

By now, you're beginning to get the idea: high end drawings coupled with the NYC fashion/business/partying lifestyle. Gilbert Bundy drew this with the touch of a commercial illustrator. Paul Giambarba writes about Bundy here.

Above E. Simms Campbell, one of my favorites. He was one of the few people of color whose talent plowed the way. Simms was a very successful cartoonist whose work appeared everywhere. Esquire signed him to a big contract and his work appeared in every issue from 1933 to 1958. More information at The Pioneering Artists of Color site.

"When I'm reasoning with you, you shut up!"

Above: the one and only Sid Hoff contributes a big wife v. little hubby cartoon. I like the fellow's lightbulb-shaped head.

"The liquor has run out, sir!"

Gregory D'Alessio with a lovely drawing. The book designers for some reason spotted some of the cartoons with color -- or rather, blotched the whole drawing in a block of color. Robin's egg blue is pretty, but unnecessary. It doesn't add anything. Mr. D'Alessio was married to Hilda Terry, another cartoonist, who may be best known for her syndicated feature TEENA.

"O.K. Rembrandt — where the hell's our planes!"

Dorothy McKay (née Jones) with a wonderful expression on the painter's face. Her cartoons can also be seen in the old Life magazine, Collier's, New Yorker and others. She was originally from San Francisco, and studied at the California School of Fine Arts before moving to New York City. Not that we are counting, but there are a number of female cartoonists represented already.

"How do you suppose they hang on upside down?"

Above: you begin to see that some of the cartoons are pretty wacky -- not only in subject matter and point of view -- but in coloring as well. Robert J. Lee was a precursor to Gary Larson.

"Now that was what I call a skirt sale."

Esquire was then and is now -- never short on the cheesecake. Jean Van Saun shows a masterly touch at the feminine figure, and packs in a lot of character, in this one.

"Say the words that will make me the happiest man in the world — say you'll be mine, Mr. Swejckowski, for $62.50 plus overtime."

Ned Hilton (Doesn't he have a cool signature?) with an accomplished line drawing of our polish-named blue collar worker getting begged by Mr. Capitalist.

I love Hilton's ink line.

"I pass."

Another lower class/upper class cartoon. This time, it's a good gag about urban life. I think the signature is of Irving Phillips, but I can't be sure.

"That's what I love about a big city — everybody minds their own business!"

Prolific cartoonist Henry Boltinoff shows that he can do the ink and wash magazine gag style as good as the rest of 'em.

"Of course I can live on $1000 a month — but what will you live on?"

Above: Barbara Shermund has a wonderful sense of color. The daffy-looking blonde seems pretty savvy. The befuddled look on the face of our man there is, if he hitches up with this woman, going to be the look on his for life.


It was refreshing to see a non-white male cartoonist and several female cartoonists in a "best of" magazine collection whose audience was probably pretty darn white male.

-- Edited from a May 12, 2008 blog entry.