Saturday, November 23, 2019

 

What The Cartoonists Are Doing, January 1915 (Vol.7 No.1)

[Cartoons Magazine, debuting in 1912, was a monthly magazine devoted primarily to reprinting editorial cartoons from U.S. and foreign newspapers. Articles about cartooning and cartoonists often supplemented the discussion of current events.

In November 1913 the magazine began to offer a monthly round-up of news about cartoonists and cartooning, eventually titled "What The Cartoonist Are Doing." There are lots of interesting historical nuggets in these sections, and this Stripper's Guide feature will  reprint one issue's worth each week.]


CARTOON SHAFTS FROM NIPPON
A Tokyo correspondent to the American press sends the following interesting letter on the subject of cartoons in Japan.

"In no way is the striking difference be tween Oriental and Occidental methods of thoughts better indicated than by the cartoons which are now appearing in Japanese and American periodicals. Those who are interested in psychology will find these differences between American and Japanese brain-processes as reflected by the 'funny men" a very interesting study.

"In the first place, the Oriental neither feels pain himself nor pity for the agonies of others as does the Aryan.

"American cartoons which have reached Japan appear to indicate an almost universal horror at the barbarities of the war, besides a keen sympathy with the sufferers on both sides in Europe.

"Japanese cartoonists have yet to indicate that that phase of the war has appealed to them. They remember well their own great and devastating struggle with Russia, yet no cartoon that has appeared in Japanese papers, and no expression of opinion by any of the papers has considered in any way the pitiful loss of life in Europe or has indicated that the horror of the war is appreciated.

"Instead, the cartoonists find in the battle scenes a vast field for humor, and as Japanese humor usually turns on something mechanical, the Tokyo and Osaka comic papers since the beginning of the war have devoted their pages very largely to picturing fantastic machines of war.

"For instance, a cartoonist shows a grotesque suggestion for bringing down German aviators flying over Tsingtau and spying out the positions of the Japanese troops. The Japanese soldiers carry strapped to their backs life sized pictures of comely Japanese girls doing the weekly wash. The German aviators, attracted by this sight, come down to investigate and are easily picked off by the Japanese sharpshooters.

" 'Why not,' says Osaka Puck, 'send a lot of attractive geishas to Tsingtau. Put them out in full view of the German troops, and the latter will be so attracted by them that they will drop their weapons and fall an easy prey to the Japanese.'

"An accompanying illustration shows a line of palm-waving and graceful geisha girls storming a German trench, while the defenders are so stupefied by their admiration for this body of beauties that swords and guns are dropping from their hands.

"The magazine Rakuten suggests that dropping bombs at Tsingtau proved rather ineffectual. It draws pictures to suggest that the aviators pour out bottles of anesthetics, and when the enemy has fallen asleep descend, tie them up and lead them off to Japan as prisoners of war.

"Some of the comic artists' efforts reflect strange ideas about the soul and the afterworld. A series of pictures show a couple of Japanese soldiers preparing to retire for the night, when they notice a lot of ghosts of German soldiers ascending to Heaven. They quickly throw their tent over the ghosts, thereby making an airship, with which they sail over the bay and destroy all German ships at anchor there.

"Another series pictures an ostrich which ate all of a private's cartridges while the latter was at dinner. The private has no means of killing the ostrich and so recovering his ammunition, but he gets a powerful magnet which attracts the steel-tipped bullets in the stomach of the ostrich and so takes the bird to the camp.

"Another ingenious cartoonist thinks that aeroplanes might be used to sweep the land much as trawlers are used to sweep the sea for mines. A long net is fastened to two aeroplanes, so that it drags on the ground as the aeroplanes fly, and gathers up the enemy to be disposed of at leisure.

"The peace suggestions advanced by the United States have been almost universally derided by the Japanese papers, many of them insisting that the reason for the suggestions is that Germany is being worsted and America would stop the war in order to save Germany."

The cartoons reproduced on this page are the work of Kuroiwa, cartoonist of the Yorodzu Choho, Tokyo, one of the most popular newspapers in Japan.

"PHIFEBIRD" TURNS STORK
Mr. and Mrs. L. C. Phifer of Worcester, Mass., are receiving congratulations on the arrival recently of a bright-eyed seven-pound baby girl. Mr. Phifer is the cartoonist of the Worcester Telegram, and those who are familiar with his little crow, or "Phifebird," which appears usually in one corner of his daily cartoon, will be surprised to know that it has been playing the role of stork.

TO EXCLUDE HARPER'S
In a recent letter to the board of trustees of the New York public library, L. Wiener asked that Harper's Weekly be excluded from the files of the library because of its libelous cartoons of the kaiser.

He called attention to the fact that in a recent issue the kaiser was depicted as a wild boar trampling on children. He suggested that a censorship of magazines be established and all issues containing libelous and vulgar cartoons or articles be excluded from the public files.

The board, however, took the view that such magazines by printing such things hurt themselves more than the subjects they attack.

ELECTED BY ACCLAMATION
"R. C. B." writes to the New York Tribune as follows:

"I hereby announce my candidacy for the office of President of the League - for - the - Suppression -of - the - Use - of - Variations - of - the - Watchful - Waiting - Idea - by - Depleted - Cartoonists - who - Otherwise - Would - Have - to - Draw - a - Skull - with - a - Helmet - and - Mustachios - and - a - Mess - of - Smoke - on - the - Horizon - and - Call - It - War - or - German - Culture."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Roy W. Taylor, cartoonist, formerly with the New York World and Chicago Tribune, and more recently with the Philadelphia North American, died at the home of his mother, Mrs. A. L. Marshall, Washington, D. C.. Wednesday, October 21.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

W. K. Patrick; cartoonist of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, has been elected president of the New Orleans Press Club.

PRESIDENTS AND CARTOONISTS
Says the Beaumont (Tex.) Enterprise:

"It is worthy of note that for the first time in more than fifty years the president of the United States is not being caricatured in an offensive way. The first president to be caricatured offensively by an able cartoonist was Abraham Lincoln, whom Thomas Nast in Harper's Weekly pictured in an exaggerated manner. Nast caricatured many able Americans, particularly James G. Blaine, in an offensive manner, and his offensive cartoons always hurt. Nast's successors caricatured presidents until the assassination of McKinley, when public sentiment compelled the caricaturists to modify their cartoons of public men and particularly of presidents. Neither Roosevelt nor Taft escaped the caricaturists, however, but the caricatures of President Wilson have not been particularly offensive. The sheer greatness of the man abashes even the lawless cartoonist."

To which the Dennison (Tex.) Herald adds:

"Cartoonists generally admit that the president possesses a physiognomy difficult to caricature. Many have tried it but signally failed to show up his features in the ludicrous manner in which his predecessors have been held up to the ridicule of the public. There is no question, however, that the popularity of Mr. Wilson with the whole people has had the effect of staying the hands of those whose business it is to destroy through the liberal use of the cartoonists' pencil."

THE EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF CARTOONS
How pictures, cartoons and illustrations in newspapers and other periodicals help to develop the artistic taste was told by Dean Fordyce of the University of Nebraska to a gathering of teachers recently in Omaha.

The address of Mr. Fordyce was a plea for more serious consideration of newspaper cartoons especially.

"A serious consideration of the illustrations appearing in our literature from day to day," he said, "will do much to open our eyes to the value of the cartoon and the picture, in rendering more concrete the subjects illustrated and in developing in us the power to appreciate beauty everywhere."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

William J. Burns, the detective, has sued the Seattle Times for damages, basing his suit partly on a cartoon with the caption "Would Convict Christ," which refers to the plaintiff's connection with the so-called Oregon land-fraud cases.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


We present herewith the annual Jungle Stew given by the Associated Cartoon Critters of America. The jungle stew was really a unique idea. It originated with Frank Hammond, cartoonist of the Wichita Eagle, whose mascot, as everybody knows, is "Hoots," a corn-fed owl. Hoots gave the party, and invited the other birds and beasts.

The drawing, which at first consisted only of the kettle and the host, was sent from one guest to another, each being requested to fill in his place at the festive board. The "stew" covered the United States like a blanket. It traveled from New Orleans to Duluth, and from Worcester, Mass., to Portland, Ore. The guests include Mr. Patrick's duck, the mascot of the New Orleans Times-Picayune; Mr. Burtt's houn'dog, of the Knoxville Journal and Tribune; Mr. Gregg's gopher of the Atlanta Constitution; Mr. Mulheim's alligator, of the Florida Metropolis; Mr. Plaschke's monk, of the Louisville Times; "Steve," Mr. Schilder's black cat, of the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette; Mr. Satterfield's bear, of Cleveland; "Doc," Mr. Bushnell's lantern-eyed dog, of the Central Press Association; Will De Beck's coon, of the Pittsburgh Gazette-Times; the "Phife- bird," belonging to Mr. Phifer, of the Worcester Telegram; Mr. Handy's bear, of the Duluth News-Tribune; "Polly" from Mr. North, of the Tacoma Ledger, and Mr. Reynolds' tiger cat, of the Portland Oregonian.
"Hoots says he was never treated so cordially before," writes Mr. Hammond, "and I have not been able to get a lick of work out of him since he returned. How would you like a taste of the stew? The jungle stew originated, as you doubtless know, from the foraging expeditions of the knights of the side-door Pullmans. This legend, while hardly appropriate to the present gathering, speaks for the informal nature of the function."


The picture was en route for several months, and after being lost for some time in the wilds of Oregon, finally reached Wichita completed.



MENU

FIELD MICE AND GRASSHOPPERS "Hoots" per Frank Hammond. Wichita Eagle

SUCKERS A LA CREOLE "Quacks" per Mr. Patrick, New Orleans Times-Picayune

FRICASSEED COON Canine contribution per Ernest E. Burtt, Knoxville Journal and Tribune

GOPHER SOUP Contributed by Louis E. Gregg's gopher, Atlanta Constitution

ALLIGATOR STEAK Contributed by Mulheim's alligator, Florida Metropolis

STEWED MONK "Monks" per Paul Plaschke, Louisville Times

MICE ON TOAST "Steve" per Edgar F. Schilder, Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette

PICKLED LARKS' TONGUES Satterfleld's bear, Cleveland. 0.

MARROW BONES "Doc" per E. A. Bushnell. Cleveland. 0.

JES' WIND By Will De Beck's coon, Pittsburgh Gazette-Times

BIRDSHOT The Phifebird, per Luther C. Phifer. Worcester Telegram

BAKED ELEPHANT R. T. Handy's bear, Duluth News-Tribune

FLEA EYEBROWS "Polly" per James North, Tacoma Ledger

SHIN BONES E. S. Reynolds' tiger cat, Portland Oregonian


THOSE VITRIOLIC CARTOONS
War, being founded, as Goethe said, on hatred, necessarily tends to blot out humor. This is what those must bear in mind who lament the coarsening and vulgarizing which have come over the comic papers of England, France, and Germany. In their dealings with the great conflict, lightness of touch disappears, and all that we get is a series of brutal strokes. One feels it in Punch. Its caricatures of Emperor William seems as if hacked out by the sword, and leave him little human semblance.

Similarly in the German paper, Ulk, the cartoons depicting French and English have a bestial quality that shows that so-called German culture is only skin-deep. At them one rather shudders than laughs. Their designers are evidently filled with rage and fear, making the artistic result terrible, perhaps, but never amusing. This extinguishing by the war of good-natured raillery and really witty characterization and attack, among the peoples involved, was inevitable. In a way, it is a good sign. It helps us to understand what war truly is. Only when we be come callous to its fearful aspects is it possible to jest about it. Still, it is rather a pity to see the humorists across the sea suddenly turn vitriolic. — Michigan Tradesman.

CLUB FOR CARTOONISTS
The Artists' League and Cartoonists' Club of St. Paul and Minneapolis has filed articles of incorporation. The object is to assist in the education of artists and cartoonists by the leasing of quarters for meeting purposes, artists' research, and social purposes. The annual dues shall be not less than $25.

W.A. Rogers, "Modern German Gothic Art"


POPULAR IN FRANCE

According to a British army officer in France, the cartoons of Mr. W. A. Rogers, of the New York Herald, have become very popular among the soldiers over there. One of his cartoons, entitled "Modern German Gothic Art," depicting the Rheims cathedral as a Krupp gun, has been hung on the walls of several French garrisons.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

At an exhibition of equal-suffrage cartoons, held at the headquarters of the Women's Political Union in New York, the cartoonists of most of the leading New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Cleveland newspapers were represented. Boardman Robinson, now a free lance, Maurice Becker, and John Sloan, of "The Masses," contributed several striking designs.

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Friday, November 22, 2019

 

Wish You Were Here, from Percy Crosby


Here's a Crosby card that has that enigmatic black and red lettering, and the number 580 in the corner. No maker info, as usual with this series.

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Thursday, November 21, 2019

 

The Newspaper Feature Service Romantic Cartoon Series, Part 14 (1936-1938)

In 1936 the romantic cartoon series settled down to three main contributors: Don Komisarow (DK), Raeburn Van Buren (RB) and Lucy Vierow (LV). In fact, toward the end of the year the trio became so regular that you could expect to see one cartoon per week from each of the three. Been a long time since we had that sort of regularity in this feature. 




Medill (Mel) Loebner's (ML) last two offerings came in  January - February, and Burne Hogarth (BH) also showed up twice, once each in January and April. Other than that, our only other wildcard is a new contributor, Corinne Malvern (CM), who would later go by just Corinne on her cartoons. Her first stint on the feature consists of five cartoons in August - September. Malvern liked to pen her cartoons in titled series; this first series was called "Manners and Mankind." Malvern went on to a career as an illustrator of children's books and was for a time an art editor on Ladies Home Journal


In 1937 we continue in the settled rotation of Komisarow, Vierow and Van Buren until all of a sudden in June, all three of them are replaced by a new trio. This time out contributors are all women; Corinne Malvern returns, and is joined by Gwen Tucker (GT) and Margaret Clark (MC). I know nothing of Gwen Tucker except that she produced one cover for Hearst's Sunday magazine series in this period. Margaret Clark may or may not be the same person as this Australian illustrator, but according to that site she was pretty much out of the business by this time. 

I find it interesting that after pretty much shunning women artists, all of a sudden the editorial direction of this page took a 360 degree turn. A new editor? Did Van Buren and Komisarow all of a sudden become unavailable? Did newspaper clients demand a return to a different sort of cartoon? Did Tucker, Clark and Malvern come cheap compared to the previous trio?



Probably a good guess would be that the editor was flailing about, looking for a way to save this part of the daily magazine page. But it was not to be. All of a sudden at the end of June 1938, Malvern and Clark vanished, and only Tucker was left. She contributed just six cartoons in July. Evidently all three cartoonists were on a one-year contract and once fulfilled that was the end of the feature. The last cartoon to appear as part of the magazine page ran on July 16.

The last Romantic Cartoon, July 16 1938

 

1936


Jan     Su                  M                  Tu                 W                  Th                F                   Sa
1 ? 2 3 DK 4
5 6 RB 7 8 DK 9 10 11
12 13 14 DK 15 16 RB 17 18 LV
19 20 LV 21 22 BH 23 24 DK 25
26 27 28 ML 29 30 DK 31

Feb
1 RB
2 3 4 LV 5 6 DK 7 8 RB
9 10 11 LV 12 13 RB 14 LV 15
16 17 18 DK 19 20 ML 21 22 LV
23 24 25 RB 26 27 DK 28 29 LV

Mar
1 2 3 LV 4 5 RB 6 7 DK
8 9 LV 10 11 RB 12 13 DK 14
15 16 17 DK 18 19 LV 20 21 RB
22 23 24 DK 25 26 LV 27 28 RB
29 30 DK 31

Apr
1 BH 2 3 LV 4
5 6 7 RB 8 9 DK 10 11 LV
12 13 DK 14 15 RB 16 17 LV 18
19 20 LV 21 22 DK 23 24 RB 25
26 27 28 LV 29 30 RB

May
1 2 DK
3 4 5 DK 6 7 RB 8 9 LV
10 11 12 13 DK 14 15 16
17 18 19 DK 20 21 LV 22 RB 23
24 25 26 27 28 LV 29 30 DK
31

Jun
1 LV 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 DK 9 10 DK 11 12 LV 13
14 15 16 LV 17 18 DK 19 20 RB
21 22 LV 23 24 DK 25 26 RB 27
28 29 30 DK

Jul
1 2 3 LV 4
5 6 7 LV 8 9 RB 10 11 DK
12 13 LV 14 15 RB 16 17 DK 18
19 20 21 RB 22 23 DK 24 25 CM
26 27 LV 28 29 DK 30 31 RB

Aug
1
2 3 DK 4 5 LV 6 7 CM 8
9 10 11 CM 12 13 RB 14 15 LV
16 17 18 DK 19 20 LV 21 22 CM
23 24 LV 25 26 CM 27 28 DK 29
30 31

Sep
1 CM 2 3 DK 4 5 RB
6 7 LV 8 9 DK 10 11 RB 12
13 14 RB 15 16 LV 17 18 DK 19
20 21 22 LV 23 24 DK 25 26 RB
27 28 LV 29 30 DK

Oct
1 2 RB 3
4 5 LV 6 7 DK 8 9 LV 10
11 12 13 DK 14 15 LV 16 17 RB
18 19 LV 20 21 DK 22 23 RB 24
25 26 27 ? 28 29 DK 30 31 RB

Nov
1 2 3 LV 4 5 RB 6 7 DK
8 9 RB 10 11 DK 12 13 LV 14
15 16 RB 17 18 LV 19 20 DK 21
22 23 24 DK 25 26 LV 27 28 RB
29 30

Dec
1 RB 2 3 DK 4 5 LV
6 7 8 LV 9 10 RB 11 12 DK
13 14 15 DK 16 17 RB 18 19 LV
20 21 22 DK 23 24 ? 25 26 LV
27 28 29 ? 30 31 LV

1937


Jan     Su                  M                  Tu                 W                  Th                F                   Sa
1 2 DK
3 4 DK 5 6 RB 7 8 LV 9
10 11 12 LV 13 14 RB 15 16 DK
17 18 DK 19 20 RB 21 22 LV 23
24 25 26 DK 27 28 RB 29 30 LV
31

Feb
1 2 LV 3 4 DK 5 6 RB
7 8 9 DK 10 11 RB 12 13 LV
14 15 16 LV 17 18 DK 19 20 RB
21 22 23 RB 24 25 DK 26 27 LV
28

Mar
1 LV 2 3 RB 4 5 DK 6
7 8 9 DK 10 11 LV 12 13 RB
14 15 DK 16 17 18 LV 19 20 RB
21 22 DK 23 24 LV 25 26 RB 27
28 29 30 LV 31

Apr
1 RB 2 3 DK
4 5 DK 6 7 LV 8 9 RB 10
11 12 13 LV 14 15 RB 16 17 DK
18 19 20 DK 21 22 RB 23 24 LV
25 26 LV 27 28 RB 29 30 DK

May
1
2 3 4 DK 5 6 RB 7 8 LV
9 10 LV 11 12 DK 13 14 RB 15
16 17 18 RB 19 20 LV 21 22 LV
23 24 25 RB 26 27 DK 28 29 LV
30 31

Jun
1 DK 2 3 RB 4 5 LV
6 7 LV 8 9 GT 10 11 RB 12
13 14 15 MC 16 17 LV 18 19 RB
20 21 22 GT 23 24 MC 25 26 RB
27 28 GT 29 30 CM

Jul
1 2 GT 3
4 5 6 MC 7 8 GT 9 10 CM
11 12 MC 13 14 CM 15 16 GT 17
18 19 20 CM 21 22 GT 23 24 MC
25 26 MC 27 28 CM 29 30 GT 31

Aug
1 2 3 MC 4 5 CM 6 7 GT
8 9 GT 10 11 CM 12 13 CM 14
15 16 MC 17 18 CM 19 20 GT 21
22 23 24 MC 25 26 GT 27 28 CM
29 30 GT 31

Sep
1 CM 2 3 MC 4
5 6 7 CM 8 9 MC 10 11 GT
12 13 CM 14 15 GT 16 17 CM 18
19 20 21 GT 22 23 MC 24 25 CM
26 27 28 MC 29 30 GT

Oct
1 2 CM
3 4 5 MC 6 7 GT 8 9 CM
10 11 12 GT 13 14 CM 15 16 MC
17 18 19 GT 20 21 MC 22 23 CM
24 25 MC 26 27 MC 28 29 CM 30
31

Nov
1 CM 2 3 MC 4 5 GT 6
7 8 9 CM 10 11 MC 12 13 GT
14 15 16 CM 17 18 GT 19 20 MC
21 22 23 CM 24 MC 25 26 27 GT
28 29 MC 30

Dec
1 GT 2 3 CM 4
5 6 7 GT 8 9 MC 10 11 CM
12 13 14 CM 15 16 GT 17 18 GT
19 20 21 MC 22 23 CM 24 25
26 27 28 GT 29 30 CM 31

1938


Jan     Su                  M                  Tu                 W                  Th                F                   Sa
1 MC
2 3 MC 4 5 GT 6 7 CM 8
9 10 11 CM 12 13 GT 14 15 MC
16 17 MC 18 19 GT 20 21 CM 22
23 24 25 GT 26 27 CM 28 29 MC
30 31 GT

Feb
1 2 GT 3 4 CM 5
6 7 8 MC 9 10 GT 11 12 CM
13 14 CM 15 16 GT 17 18 MC 19
20 21 22 MC 23 24 CM 25 26 GT
27 28 CM

Mar
1 2 GT 3 4 MC 5
6 7 8 CM 9 10 GT 11 12 CM
13 14 CM 15 16 GT 17 18 MC 19
20 21 22 CM 23 24 MC 25 26 GT
27 28 CM 29 30 GT 31

Apr
1 MC 2
3 4 5 MC 6 7 CM 8 9 GT
10 11 12 MC 13 14 CM 15 16 MC
17 18 GT 19 20 CM 21 22 MC 23
24 25 26 MC 27 28 CM 29 30 GT

May
1 2 MC 3 4 CM 5 6 GT 7
8 9 10 CM 11 12 MC 13 14 GT
15 16 GT 17 18 MC 19 20 CM 21
22 23 24 CM 25 GT 26 MC 27 28 GT
29 30 GT 31

Jun
1 CM 2 3 MC 4
5 6 7 GT 8 9 MC 10 11 CM
12 13 CM 14 15 MC 16 17 GT 18
19 20 MC 21 22 GT 23 24 CM 25
26 27 28 CM 29 30 MC

Jul      Su                  M                 Tu                 W                Th                   F                  Sa
1 2 GT
3 4 ? 5 6 GT 7 8 GT 9
10 11 12 GT 13 14 GT 15 16 GT
17 18 19 20 21 22 23
24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31

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Wednesday, November 20, 2019

 

Ink-Slinger Profiles by Alex Jay: Medill Loebner


Medill Loebner was born on June 10, 1910, in Chicago, Illinois, according to the Jaquith Family in America (1982). Loebner’s parents were James Loebner and Anna Wallitzer.

In the 1920 U.S. Federal Census, Loebner was the second of three sons whose parents were Romanian emigrants. Their father was an editor of a Jewish newspaper. The family was Chicago residents at 1923 South Kedzie Avenue.

In 1926 Loebmer graduated from Harrison Technical High School.




According to the 1930 census, the family of five resided at 1119 Independence Boulevard in Chicago. Loebner was a self-employed commercial artist. Information about his art training has not been found.

The Journal of the Proceedings of the City Council of the City of Chicago, May 24, 1935, said a claim for salary was made for Loebner. The Journal, November 26, 1935, said the claim was disallowed.

The Newspaper Feature Service produced a long-running series of romantic cartoons, by several artists, beginning in 1913. Loebner contributed to the series in 1935.

The 1940 census recorded Loebner and his parents in Chicago at 1627 East 67th Street. Loebner worked at a retail art shop. His highest level of education was the second year of college.

The Evening Star (Washington, DC), February 11, 1944, reported the work of the Public Library’s Division of Work with Schools and its outreach program. Loebner designed the posters that “were produced by the students of the commercial art division of the Cardozo High School under the direction of Dr. John Washington.” The posters were used on three Library trucks.

The Jaquith Family in America said Loebner married Katharine Crane Cox in Washington, D.C. on May 17, 1944.

At some point they moved to New York City. Loebner was listed in the 1946 directory at 56 West 70th Street.

Jonas W. Watson, Ancestry and Descendants (1950) said Loebner lived in Astoria, Queens County, New York.

Loebner was one of two artists who illustrated Arithmetic 6: The World of Numbers by Dale Carpenter and Dorothy Leavitt Pepper. The book was published in 1950 and copyright renewed in 1977.

Loebner passed away February 27, 1951, in New York City. The Jaquith Family in America said he died in a subway accident. He was survived by his wife and three children.


—Alex Jay

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Tuesday, November 19, 2019

 

Ink-Slinger Profiles by Alex Jay: Robert McGeehan


Robert Paul McGeehan was born on February 28, 1902, in Parkville, Missouri, according to a family tree at Ancestry.com.

In the 1910 U.S. Federal Census, McGeehan was the second of three children born to Paul, a railroad civil engineer, and Alice. The family resided in Kansas City, Missouri at 4323 Charlotte Street.

According to the 1920 census the McGeehan household had three males and three females at the same address. McGeehan”s father was an oil civil engineer.

McGeehan attended Westport High School where he graduated in 1920. Information about his art training has not been found.




McGeehan was an artist and Brooklyn resident in the 1925 New York state census. He was staying with his uncle’s family, the Pitbladdos, at 660 75th Street. The Kansas City Star, July 28, 1926, said McGeehan’s mother passed away that day. The paper said McGeehan was “formerly a member of The Star’s art staff”.

The 1930 census recorded McGeehan and his wife, Amelia, in Leonia, New Jersey at 176 Central Avenue. The newspaper artist married when he was 25 years old.

The Newspaper Feature Service produced a long-running series of romantic cartoons, by several artists, beginning in 1913. McGeehan contributed to the series in 1935.

MeGeehan and his wife had a son and daughter in the 1940 census. Sometime after 1935 they moved to Manhattan, New York City at 16 West 84th Street. MeGeehan was a photo retoucher at a newspaper and his highest level of education was a year of college.

McGeehan illustrated Genevieve Cross”s book, West with the Mounties, which was published in 1951. The Canadian Patent Office Record and Register of Copyrights and Trade Marks, Volume 79, 1951, said McGeehan lived in Englewood, New Jersey.

The family tree said McGeehan’s father passed away August 14, 1954.

The Rockland County Journal News (Nyack, New York), September 6, 1963, published a photograph of McGeehan posing with his award-winning painting at the Prentice-Hall exhibition of the American Artists Professional League. The caption said McGeehan “is president of the Bergen County Artists Guild and treasurer of the New Jersey Chapter of the American Artists Professional League. He has a studio at 550 Durie Ave., Closter.”

McGeehan was one of three judges at the first sidewalk art show in Eatontown. The Coast Advertiser (Belmer, New Jersey), October 5, 173, described McGeehan as a ‘political cartoonist and former treasurer of the New Jersey State Artist Guild”.

McGeehan passed away on May 9, 1986, in Manatee County, Florida, according to the Florida Death Index at Ancestry.com. The family tree said the city was Bradenton.


—Alex Jay

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This is a great bio! Can you provide a link that I can include in Robert’s WikiTree profile (https://www.wikitree.com/index.php?title=McGeehan-166)?
 
I have a Robert McGeehan original signed painting. Is it worth anything or any idea where I can get it appraised?
 
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Monday, November 18, 2019

 

Ink-Slinger Profiles by Alex Jay: Don Komisarow


Donald “Don” Komisarow was born on April 14, 1914, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, according to his birth certificate at Ancestry.com. His parents were Harry Komisarow and Mary Schefman.

In the 1920 U.S. Federal Census Komisarow was in the household of his Russian-born maternal grandparents, Louis and Anna Schefman. His father, a Russian emigrant, and grandfather were salesmen for a commission house. His mother and grandmother were housewives. They resided in Fort Wayne at 911 Francis Street.

According to the 1930 census, Komisarow’s father, treasurer of a wholesale fruit company, was the head of the household which included a second son, Ralph, his in-laws and a servant. Their home was at 1614 Alabama Avenue in Fort Wayne.

Komisarow’s interest in cartooning was seen in his 1931 high school yearbook, The Legend.




In 1932 Komisarow’s idea was used in Nick Nichols’ Just Supposin’.



Komisarow graduated from North Side High School in 1932. He provided some of the illustrations for the yearbook, The Legend. The art was signed with his initials or last name. 





The 1933 and 1934 Fort Wayne city directories list Komisarow as a student. Who’s Who of American Comic Books 1928–1999 said Komisarow attended the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. The New York World-Telegram and Sun, March 17, 1965, said Komisarow produced work for the Chicago Tribune.

Komisarow had no listing in the 1935 Fort Wayne directory. He had moved to New York City and found work at King Features Syndicate. American Newspaper Comics (2012) said Komisarow drew the Story of Noah and Story of Jacob segments, in 1935, of the Bible Stories series which began in 1933 with Dan Smith.

Komisarow was a regular contributor to the King Features Women’s Magazine Page from 1935 to 1937.



9/19/1935

5/20/1937

 

The Newspaper Feature Service produced a long-running series of romantic cartoons, by several artists, beginning in 1913. Komisarow contributed to the series from 1935 to 1937.

Alberto Becattini said Komisarow, around 1937, ghosted Raeburn Van Buren’s Abbie an’ Slats.

Komisarow was listed in the 1939 Fort Wayne directory at his parents’ address, 4502 South Wayne.

Komisarow was not in the 1940 Fort Wayne directory and has not yet been found in the 1940 census.

American Newspaper Comics said Komisarow was an inker on the daily Superman comic strip from May 13 to October 5, 1940, and the Sunday strip from July 7, 1940 to February 23, 1941.

The Lyons Den column of the New York Post, March 18, 1941, said “Don Komisarow, the cartoonist, and Artie Shaw, the bandleader, have created a cartoon strip about an orchestra leader. The syndicates now are bidding for it.”

In 1943 Komisarow produced the Book-of-the-Month’s Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo adaptation for King Features. The strips were collected in a comic book, American Library #1. Around this time he was an inker at the Will Eisner Studio.

Manhattan, New York City directories for 1942 and 1943 said Komisarow’s address was 336 West End Avenue.

The New York, New York, Marriage License Index, at Ancestry.com, said Komisarow and Julia Schefman obtained a marriage license on April 23, 1943 in Manhattan.

Komisarow was a contract bridge player.

According to the 1945 Manhattan, New York City directory, Komisarow had a studio at 11 West 42nd Street and resided at 300 West 72nd Street. Also living with him was his brother, Ralph, a commercial artist with lettering experience in comic books. A post at Today’s Inspiration said Komisarow and Lou Fine had a partnership producing advertising comics. In 1946 Komisarow and Fine used the pen name, Donlou, on the Thropp Family comics for Liberty Magazine.

A 1956 issue of Art Direction published an article about self-employed artists having to pay business taxes in New York state and said in part:

The New York State Tax Commission has handed down a decision holding that Don and Ralph Komisarow, commercial artists operating as a partnership, were not liable for the Unincorporated Business Tax. The Commissioners found that they were engaged in the practice of a profession and not conducting a business. Efforts on the part of artists in New York state to win professional status recognition have previously been unsuccessful.
Komisarow contributed to Boys’ Life, June 1959 and March 1960.

The Editor & Publisher, October 10, 1959, reported the new television newspaper magazine supplement.

TV Channels, a four-color, rotogravure weekly magazine to be carried by selected newspapers on an exclusive market area basis, will be issued for the first time next June 1.

… Donald Komisarow, the publisher, was for nearly 14 years with Hearst Newspapers and also served with INS, the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Daily News, Miami (Fla.) Herald and United Features Syndicate. Since 1944, he has had his own office, specializing in comic advertising for ad agencies.

… Headquarters is at 11 W. 42nd St., New York.
Komisarow had listings in the 1960 and 1964 Who’s Who in Commercial Art and Photography: A Guide to Artists, Photographers, Agents and Studios in the Graphics Field.

In 1968 Komisarow illustrated Albert Miller’s Captain Whopper. Books in Print Supplement, Volume 2 (1977) published a description of the book, “A salty old sea captain runs a taut ship on a parkbench where a young and ever-growing crew sail the rollicking seas of the imagination with him.” Later in 1968, More Captain Whopper Tales was published with art by Komisarow.

The New York Times, November 25, 1979, reported the engagement of Ellen Robin Kaufer to Komisarow’s son, Joel Harris. The Times said Joel, “an alumnus of Indiana University, is with HDC Publications, New York trade magazine publishers. His father, a partner in HDC, was formerly a cartoonist for King Features.” Komisarow was a Beechhurst, Queens, New York resident.

Komisarow passed away on March 14, 2000, in New York. The Social Security Death Index said his last residence was Long Beach, New York. He was laid to rest at Mount Ararat Cemetery.


—Alex Jay

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