Showing posts with label George Booth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label George Booth. Show all posts

Sunday, June 28, 2026

George Booth at "Drawn From The New Yorker: A Centennial Celebration"

Cartoonist George Booth (June 28, 1926-November 1, 2022) was born one-hundred years ago today. He is best known for his work in The New Yorker, a magazine that was one year of age when he was born and that got to celebrate its own centennial last year. The Society of Illustrators held a major exhibition in honor of the magazine, "Drawn From The New Yorker: A Centennial Celebration" curated by cartoonist Liza Donnelly. Three original Booth works were included.

Booth's cover art for the issue of February 16, 1976, has a dog and a cat sitting on an area rug facing away from each other. They are surrounded by ornate interior patterns. The animals do not seem to be paying attention to each other exactly, but then they cannot be said to be unaware of each other's presence. 
 
George Booth
Original art
The New Yorker,
February 16, 1976


George Booth
The New Yorker, February 16, 1976




A cartoon from the issue of August 13, 1973, is part of a recurring Booth scenario: a man sits in his bathtub talking about whatever is on his mind while his wife does housework. The home is illuminated by a bare light bulb and filled with cats. 

The artwork reveals Booth's use of patches on both the man and the woman to get their faces just how he wanted them. There is a pencil notation at the lower right that indicates where the signature was moved photographically for publication.

"How about supper in the tub tonight, Hon?"
George Booth
Original art
The New Yorker,
August 13, 1973, p. 78

"How about supper in the tub tonight, Hon?"
George Booth
The New Yorker,
August 13, 1973, p. 78

With a drawing by George Booth




Finally, there was a cartoon about making music and making dinner:
"Last call for stuffed peppers or I feed 'em to the dog!"
George Booth
Original art
The New Yorker, September 27, 1976, p. 37
Pussycats Need Love, Too, Dodd, Mead & Co., 1980

"Last call for stuffed peppers or I feed 'em to the dog!"
George Booth
The New Yorker, September 27, 1976, p. 37
Pussycats Need Love, Too, Dodd, Mead & Co., 1980



With a spot by Jeanine[?] and a drawing by George Booth






Note:  It turns out the stuffed peppers drawing was the subject of a blog post here four years ago for George Booth's ninety-sixth birthday.


In case you were wondering, there's a lot more Booth on the blog here. 






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Saturday, March 7, 2026

George Booth: Laughing Gull Cottage

Welcome to George Booth's Laughing Gull Cottage. His original 1978 art for The New Yorker was sold at Heritage Auctions on November 21. Just try and keep a straight face.

Laughing Gull Cottage
George Booth
Original art
The New Yorker, September 18, 1978, p. 46


The sale was previewed before bidding opened:

George Booth
Heritage Auctions preview accessed November 10, 2025

It sold for under $1,000 before tax and shipping.



Laughing Gull Cottage
George Booth
The New Yorker, September 18, 1978, p. 46

Laughing Gull Cottage
George Booth
Original art
The New Yorker, September 18, 1978, p. 46


With a cartoon by George Booth



Note:  There is always a place for original George Booth art on Attempted Bloggery. The more laughs, the better.



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Friday, January 9, 2026

Another Signed Copy of They Moved My Bowl by Charles Barsotti

I think we can all agree that any book collecting New Yorker cartoonist Charles Barsotti's dog cartoons is a cause for celebration. The Moved My Bowl, published in 2007, fits the bill. A signed copy was recently offered on eBay, now the second to appear on this blog.



Barsotti boldly signed the book in blue marker on the front free endpaper. It is perhaps not the most perfect signature, the bottom of the last two letters having shifted upwards a bit.


Like the cover cartoon, a number of the drawings take place on psychotherapist's couches. 



Barsotti's line is simple, but his humor can be deeply moving, as with the cartoon set in heaven.



As the title page says, the foreword is by Barsotti's fellow New Yorker cartoonist George Booth, who brings a drawing of a cat along to the festivities. Reproduced after that is a 1990 letter from Peanuts cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, a.k.a. Sparky, which may or may not have set this whole project in motion.




The signature bled through the page a bit.









In 2013, I posted a similar copy of this book after it sold on eBay for $15. This time the asking price was $25—but there was a best offer option.


Charles Barsotti
eBay listing ended January 2, 2026


Charles Barsotti
eBay item description



The eBay seller raised the price from $17.99 to $25.00, then accepted a best offer for $17.50.






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Friday, December 26, 2025

George Booth: Calling Howard in London

A drawing sold last month on eBay shows cartoonist George Booth following his muse to unusual places. The cartoon depicts a transatlantic phone conversation in which three speakers, if that's indeed the correct term, chat with an unseen man in London named Howard.


The page is given over almost entirely to long columns of text in three conjoined word balloons. Drawings of the three speaking characters are pieced together in patches at the bottom. 

The patches impart a seeming third dimension to the drawing.

It isn't clear why the word balloons of three different speakers should be connected in this manner:

Pinholes are in each corner, apparently. There is a copyright symbol by the signature.

The ink of the unruly 1978 work has faded. The art is framed and matted.

Printer's notations are present including "Note / Do not let the line work break up." Hinges, marked Horan Engr. Co. (of Manhattan), are in place.


How commendable of the Princeton framer to use a date stamp!

The eBay listing sold on November 12.
George Booth
eBay listing ended November 12, 2025


George Booth
eBay item description




Note:  Any reader who may know just where this drawing was published should get in touch with me. Readers in possession of other George Booth drawings are invited to tell their stories and send scans or photos. Or we could have a conference call.



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Tuesday, November 18, 2025

Guaranteed to Tickle Your Gizzard: Think Good Thoughts About a Pussycat by George Booth

Listed on the AbeBooks website during the weekend of November 8the to 9th, a signed copy of George Booth's 1975 classic cartoon collection Think Good Thoughts About a Pussycat is dated 5 March 1976 and includes an original drawing of a chicken. It is offered by Magnolia Books and More of Ecru, Mississippi, which also lists it on eBay. Mississippi is Booth's home state but this copy is not dedicated to any particular individual. 







George Booth
AbeBooks listing accessed November 9, 2025


George Booth
AbeBooks item description

November 23, 2025 Update:  The eBay seller is looking to make a deal.




At post time, the Booth book is still available for $600. Does it help that shipping is free?



January 22, 2026 Updates:  The price on eBay is now $500.




Note:  There's always room here for more George Booth art. Any reader who's got a book he sketched in or an original drawing, please send photos.






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