Thursday, March 28, 2019
My Heritage Auction Items -- Bidding Ends this Sunday
It's time for another round of Heritage auctions of my collection. Due to my move I have been pretty well forced to substantially prune my collection (or establish a trucking service between Florida and Nova Scotia!).
This time it is almost all original art, with a lot of unusual and rare items that you won't see up for sale anywhere else. In addition to American comic strip, editorial and illustration art, there's going to be quite a bit of European work as well. Most of that was collected by Jim Ivey direct from the artists when he made his landmark research trip there in 1959-60. If you're into European artists, the coming weeks will offer you some items I know very little about in many instances, and the guys at Heritage often couldn't supply additional info. So maybe you'll find a hidden gem.
Here's what's up for bid this week (auctions ending Sunday). These auctions aren't tagged with my name, so follow the links provided here to view them:
Wacky cover cartoon to a Puck's Library issue of the 1890s by Louis Dalrymple. Little knick of board off the upper left which doesn't affect the image. Nice large piece, perfect for framing.
Superb colored illustration by cartoonist Harry E. Godwin ran as a magazine page in a 1904 Philadelphia Inquirer Sunday. Beautiful large piece with nice coloring. Although the Heritage description says it is in lesser condition, trust me that it displays beautifully. Was up on my den wall for many years. Where you gonna find another Harry Godwin piece?
A huge collection of dingbat cartoons by famed editorial cartoonist Jim Ivey. Ivey really outdid himself on these small cartoons in my opinion. He has a gift for simplifying his subjects down to a mere few lines, which is what afforded him quite a bit of fame in the old grease crayon days of political cartooning. If you are the high bidder, message me and I'll tell you the story behind the creation of these dingbat cartoons. It's kind of interesting.
A delicious Rudy daily comic strip by William Overgard, with accompanying long and interesting letter from the artist. You all know how I love Overgard's Rudy, so I'll refrain from gushing. I supplied this to Heritage in a beautiful matte and frame, but I don't see that mentioned, so I guess they removed it. Grumble, grumble.
Here's a very funny cartoon by European cartoonist Puig Rosado. I don't know anything about the man, but he certainly captured the 1950s American predilection for giant tail-finned cars. Note that it takes no less than four mechanics to keep this hulking beast running! A classic car enthusiast or car mechanic would go ape for this cartoon. Note that the cartoonist inscribed it to Jim Ivey, so it dates to 1959-60.
Vaughn Shoemaker, famed two-time Puliter winning editorial cartoonist offers a cartoon that transcends day-to-day politics. This classic piece laments the demise of the old "romantic" locomotive in favor of streamlined art deco bullet trains. This very large cartoon looks like a million bucks, and imagine how a railroad enthusiast would love to display this on their wall. Shoemaker art doesn't often come up for sale in my experience. (By the way, this comes from a collection I purchased of railroad-themed cartoons, so be on the lookout for more neat train stuff in coming auctions).
That's it for this week's auction, but stay tuned for more. And please remember that if you enjoy Stripper's Guide, feel free to bid a little extra as a thank you for the blog. Hey, I'm not proud!
This time it is almost all original art, with a lot of unusual and rare items that you won't see up for sale anywhere else. In addition to American comic strip, editorial and illustration art, there's going to be quite a bit of European work as well. Most of that was collected by Jim Ivey direct from the artists when he made his landmark research trip there in 1959-60. If you're into European artists, the coming weeks will offer you some items I know very little about in many instances, and the guys at Heritage often couldn't supply additional info. So maybe you'll find a hidden gem.
Here's what's up for bid this week (auctions ending Sunday). These auctions aren't tagged with my name, so follow the links provided here to view them:
Wacky cover cartoon to a Puck's Library issue of the 1890s by Louis Dalrymple. Little knick of board off the upper left which doesn't affect the image. Nice large piece, perfect for framing.
Superb colored illustration by cartoonist Harry E. Godwin ran as a magazine page in a 1904 Philadelphia Inquirer Sunday. Beautiful large piece with nice coloring. Although the Heritage description says it is in lesser condition, trust me that it displays beautifully. Was up on my den wall for many years. Where you gonna find another Harry Godwin piece?
A huge collection of dingbat cartoons by famed editorial cartoonist Jim Ivey. Ivey really outdid himself on these small cartoons in my opinion. He has a gift for simplifying his subjects down to a mere few lines, which is what afforded him quite a bit of fame in the old grease crayon days of political cartooning. If you are the high bidder, message me and I'll tell you the story behind the creation of these dingbat cartoons. It's kind of interesting.
A delicious Rudy daily comic strip by William Overgard, with accompanying long and interesting letter from the artist. You all know how I love Overgard's Rudy, so I'll refrain from gushing. I supplied this to Heritage in a beautiful matte and frame, but I don't see that mentioned, so I guess they removed it. Grumble, grumble.
Here's a very funny cartoon by European cartoonist Puig Rosado. I don't know anything about the man, but he certainly captured the 1950s American predilection for giant tail-finned cars. Note that it takes no less than four mechanics to keep this hulking beast running! A classic car enthusiast or car mechanic would go ape for this cartoon. Note that the cartoonist inscribed it to Jim Ivey, so it dates to 1959-60.
Vaughn Shoemaker, famed two-time Puliter winning editorial cartoonist offers a cartoon that transcends day-to-day politics. This classic piece laments the demise of the old "romantic" locomotive in favor of streamlined art deco bullet trains. This very large cartoon looks like a million bucks, and imagine how a railroad enthusiast would love to display this on their wall. Shoemaker art doesn't often come up for sale in my experience. (By the way, this comes from a collection I purchased of railroad-themed cartoons, so be on the lookout for more neat train stuff in coming auctions).
That's it for this week's auction, but stay tuned for more. And please remember that if you enjoy Stripper's Guide, feel free to bid a little extra as a thank you for the blog. Hey, I'm not proud!
Labels: Heritage Auctions
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Ink-Slinger Profiles by Alex Jay: Harold M. Talburt
Harold Morton Talburt was born on February 19, 1895 in Toledo, Ohio according to his World War II draft card which also had his full name.
In the 1900 U.S. Federal Census, Talbert was the younger of two sons born to Katie, a widow. Also living with them were a “brother-in-law”, William Talburt who repaired watches, and a servant. They were at 434 Raymer Street in Toledo.
The 1910 census said Talburt’s mother married William, now a jeweler. The family of four were Toledo residents at 733 Norwood Avenue.
A profile at the Syracuse University Library said Talburt was “the high school correspondent for the Toledo Times and in 1916 was a reporter at the Toledo News-Bee.”
On June 5, 1917, Talburt signed his World War I draft card. The cartoonist worked for the News-Bee and resided at 2020 Calumet Avenue in Toledo. He claimed his mother as a dependent. Talburt was described as short and slender with blue eyes and black hair.
In 1920 Talburt and his brother, Clarence, lived with their mother, a widow again, in Toledo at 2020 Calumet Avenue. Clarence worked at the post office while Talburt cartooned at a printing office.
The Ohio, County Marriage Record, at Ancestry.com, said Talburt married Margaret Coombs on November 6, 1920.
Syracuse University Library said Talburt was hired, in 1921, to cartoon at the Scripps-Howard news bureau in Washington, D.C.
American Newspaper Comics (2012) said Talburt created Casey the Cop which ran March 6, 1922 to June 23, 1923. It was syndicated by United Feature Syndicate. In 1925 Talburt produced The Spudz Family which ended March 10, 1926.
According to the 1930 census, Washington, D.C. was Talburt’s home. The newspaper cartoonist and his wife lived at 401 Connecticut Avenue.
Talburt was at the Washington Daily News when he won a Pulitzer Prize for his 1933 cartoon, “The Light of Asia”.
The 1940 census recorded Talburt, his wife and two children in Montgomery, Maryland at 100 Kennedy Drive. His highest level of education was four years of high school. In 1939 he earned over five-thousand dollars.
Talburt’s address was same on his World War II draft card which was signed on April 27, 1942. He was employed by the Scripps-Howard Newspaper. His description was five feet four inches and 135 pounds.
The Virginia, Marriage Record, at Ancestry.com, recorded Talburt’s second marriage to Frances Karn Long on March 24, 1947 in Alexandria, Virginia. Talburt’s parents were Harry Talburt and Katherine Sloser.
The Evening Star (Washington, DC), December 15, 1946, reported Talburt’s election as president of the Gridiron Club for 1947.
Talburt passed away October 22, 1966 at his home in Kenwood, Maryland, according to The New York Times. The paper said his first wife passed away in 1944. Talburt was a member of the National Press Club and the White House Correspondents Association. He retired in 1963.
—Alex Jay
Labels: Ink-Slinger Profiles
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Obscurity of the Day: Casey the Cop
When United Press decided to get into the syndicated feature game in 1922, United Feature Syndicate started out with just two comic strips (that I know of). One was Al Posen's Them Days are Gone Forever, a cute rhyming strip, and the other was Casey the Cop by Harold M. Talburt. Both were quality features, but in my opinion Casey the Cop was the star attraction and had the potential of being a blockbuster hit that would run for decades.
You wouldn't expect too much from a feature about a dim-witted cop. Those had been a staple of comics pages practically since they were invented, and they were pretty stale and formulaic. However, Talburt's sense of the absurd combined with his superior cartooning ability revived the genre and cooked up a daily dose of deliciously gourmet wackiness. Even when a gag doesn't really work (the bottom strip for example), the expressive physicality of Casey, the ridiculous hat on the flapper, and a very rare female jump-out-of-the-panel take make readers not care much if the 'official' gag isn't up to par -- they're too busy grinning over the presentation. (The other three samples above are each firing on all eight cylinders in my opinion; I laughed out loud at #3).
Unfortunately, Casey was created for a very small start-up syndicate by a creator who definitely had bigger plans for his career. Maybe if the strip had found a long list of subscribers from the start, Talburt and his syndicate would have stuck with it, but they didn't, and Talburt shortly gave up the strip and went on to a long career in editorial cartooning, even winning the Pulitzer in 1933.
The delightful Casey the Cop ran from March 6 1922* to June 23 1923**.
* Source: Brooklyn Eagle
** Source: Albany Evening Herald
Labels: Obscurities
Comments:
As we all know, and as you note in the text,
it is United Feature Syndicate - the "Feature" being singular.
But the copyright notice on the displayed strips read "Features" - plural.
Any idea how long that lasted?
it is United Feature Syndicate - the "Feature" being singular.
But the copyright notice on the displayed strips read "Features" - plural.
Any idea how long that lasted?
Hi DD -- It was Tom Heintjes who pointed out the lack of an 's' on UFS to me many years ago when I made the error on an article I wrote for Hogan's Alley. I still have to remind myself every time I type in the name to be sure to drop the 'S'. As for how long the 'S' stood when they first got rolling, that's hard to answer. Looking at newspapers online, I see the copyright without an 's' right from the beginning of Casey in other papers. Why it was given with an 'S' in the Buffalo Express (whence my samples came) is a mystery. Looks like a normal syndicate slug to me, but I guess the newspaper typecast it themselves. -- Allan
PS -- DD, is Daily Cartoonist no longer sending emails? Mine stopped, and its not going into spam as best I can tell.
PS -- DD, is Daily Cartoonist no longer sending emails? Mine stopped, and its not going into spam as best I can tell.
I can't help but notice that the "S" in "Features" is misaligned from the rest of the copyright slug. Which makes me thing somebody added that in later.
Allan - I asked around and apparently some people still get emails on occasion (for whatever reason),
but according to the powers in charge they are "not something we’re actively supporting or maintaining."
but according to the powers in charge they are "not something we’re actively supporting or maintaining."
DD --
Major :-(
Maybe I'm in a too small fan group but I would consider a Daily Cartoonist email worth a $ subscription plan.
--Allan
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Major :-(
Maybe I'm in a too small fan group but I would consider a Daily Cartoonist email worth a $ subscription plan.
--Allan
Monday, March 25, 2019
Ink-Slinger Profiles by Alex Jay: Cliff Knight
Clifford Burnham “Cliff” Knight was born April 12, 1885, in Norwalk, Connecticut. Knight’s full name and birth date were on his world War I draft card. The Bridgeport Post (Connecticut), December 24, 1957, said he was a Norwalk native.
1900 U.S. Federal Census recorded Knight as the youngest of two sons born to Charles, a farmer, and Emily. The family, which included Knight’s paternal grandmother, resided in Vernon, Connecticut.
At some point Knight moved. In the 1910 census, Knight was a resident of Akron, Ohio. The newspaper cartoonist was a lodger at 30 Elinore Court. One of Knight’s cartoons was reprinted The Labor Digest, April 1914.
Cartoons Magazine, June 1915, said Knight was a cartoonist with the Hartford Post in Connecticut.
The Editor & Publisher, December 8, 1917, told how Knight broke into the newspaper business.
He was named Clifford Burnham Knight, but even with this handicap lived and finally decided he would have to earn a living if he didn’t want to break his habit of eating three times a day. He went to Akron, O., where City Editor “Bill,” Weygandt, of the Beacon Journal, gave him his first cartoon job. He covered the office with chalk dust while he dug out likenesses of prominent rubber magnates on the Hoke plates, which he unloaded himself. Finally, he decided he was losing about $2,000 a month and Cleveland was losing the services of a future Satterfield. So one day he sewed $8 inside his vest and visited the Sixth City, where he found an uncertain sort of job on the Leader, which then existed by the grace of Dan Hanna. Later, he went to Hartford, Conn., and has been employed as chalk-plate cartoonist, by the Post, and more recently with the Hartford Courant….Knight lived in Manhattan, New York City when he signed his World War I draft card on September 12, 1918. Knight lived at 118 West 44th Street while his wife, Lelah Katherine Knight, was in Kent, Ohio. The date of their marriage is not known. Knight was an artist and editor employed by R.H. McCready. Knight was described as medium height, slender build with grown eyes and hair.
The Fourth Estate, February 8, 1919, reported that Knight was the editor of L’s Bells. Editor & Publisher, September 18, 1919, profiled Knight.
Newspaper cartoonist Knight was single when the 1920 census was enumerated. He resided in Manhattan at 65 West 48th Street.
The Mixer and Server, August 15, 1921, reprinted an item from the Hartford Courant, “Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Burnham Knight, of New York, who were recently married, have returned to New York after a short stay in this city. Mrs. Knight was Miss Daphne E. Keeney, one of the builders of the original Brooklyn Bridge and other important edifices.”
Editor and Publisher, January 7, 1922, said “Clifford Knight. cartoonist and special writer, has left the staff of the Exhibitors Trade Review, New York.”
News of the birth of Knight’s son was published in the Fourth Estate, February 27, 1926, “A son has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Burnham Knight. Mr. Knight is cartoonist on the Bridgeport, Ct., Evening Star. He was formerly an artist with New York papers, including the Evening Mail before it was absorbed by Munsey interests.”
According to the 1930 census, Knight, his wife and son made their home in Vernon, Connecticut.
American Newspaper Comics (2012) said Knight drew Happy Days and Whoopee Days for the Graphic Syndicate in 1930. Knight trademarked the series as recorded in the Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office, June 17, 1930.
For Comic Cartoon Strip for Newspaper and Magazine Publication.In the 1940 census, Knight said he was a freelance writer whose highest level of education was the eighth grade. His Vernon, Connecticut house was valued at ten-thousand dollars and the home for his wife and children, Clifford and Patricia.
Claims use since Nov. 25, 1928.
Ser. No. 299,768. Daily Graphic, Inc., New York, N.Y.
Filed May 1, 1930.
Happy Days and Whoopee Days
Knight passed away December 23, 1957, in Boston, Massachusetts. His death was reported the next day in the Bridgeport Post.
Hartford—Dec. 24 (AP)—Clifford Burnham Knight, 72, outdoor writer and copy reader for the Hartford Courant, died yesterday in Peter Bent Brigham hospital, Boston. Mr. Knight, also a cartoonist, suffered a ruptured thoracic artery last week, and was transferred to the Boston hospital when a kidney condition developed after he had been in Hartford hospital several days. Mr. Knight, who began his newspaper career as a cartoonist on the Akron (Ohio) Beacon at the age of 20, had been a member of the Courant staff since 1945. His home was in Rockville. A native of Norwalk, he worked on the New York Evening Mail, the now defunct New York Graphic, New Haven Times-Union and the Bridgeport Times-Star and The Hartford Times before joining the staff of the Courant in 1945. Mr. Knight leaves his widow, Mrs. Daphne E. Knight, a daughter and son, and three grandchildren. Funeral arrangements are incomplete.Knight was laid to rest in Vernon, Connecticut.
—Alex Jay
Labels: Ink-Slinger Profiles
