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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Wednesday, June 24, 2026

The CartoonStock Cartoon Caption Contest No. 207

In the CartoonStock Caption Contest number 207, two fish are sitting in a bar. The bartender takes a phone call and looks at them. The fish nearer the bartender speaks. The cartoonist is Tim Hamilton.



The monthly cash prize contest has new rules: Five dollars will still buy up to three entries but now three additional dollars optionally can buy a fourth entry, and so forth ad infinitum. Real cash prizes are fifty percent of the total prize pool (previously $500) for first place and ten percent of the prize pool (previously $100) for each of five runners up. As of this writing, I've put $260 into the first fifty-two pay-to-play contests and this fifty-third challenge brings my total cash outlay up to $265. Having achieved runner-up status with three previous cash prize entries, I've collected $300 from CartoonStock, so I'm still playing with the house's money, at least for the time being. Because the contest is no longer subsidized by cash from the vast coffers of CartoonStock, the contest's odds should now be just a little less favorable. Yet the prize pool, just before I entered near the contest's close, already exceeded the old thousand dollar contest. Enough people must have felt inclined to pay $3 for additional entries. 
The prize pool on June 22 at the 10:00 PM hour


My entries at 11:20 PM on June 22 raised the prize pool even higher:



I found this contest to be especialy difficult, at least when sober. My three captions are listed below, above the break. In my head, I can hear the contest judge Lawrence Wood groaning—or worse. I did not pay for additional entries, essentially throwing the last two captions back in the water.
"Can't you see I'm a fish out of lager?"
"Say we had to go back to the Hudson."
"Just tell them some fish story."
* * *
"Hey, bartender, do you serve fish here?"
"We're not taking calls from fishmongers."
















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Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Attempted Bloggery at Fifteen

Fifteen years ago today, I launched an endeavor called Attempted Bloggery. All aboard!

"My God! Somebody's launched us."
"Peter Arno's Side-Show," College Humor, Vol. 2, No. 2, July 1936, p. 11



Back on June 14, in anticipation of this milestone. I sought out ChatGPT for an Artificial Intelligence perspective on these nearly 5,300 posts. I tried to keep the prompt neutral in tone: "In about 100 words, comment on the blog Attempted Bloggery over the past fifteen years." Here's what I got in return:



Why, thank you. It was not my intention to go fishing for compliments here, yet I do find myself feeling somewhat flattered by the machine's kind words. I suppose I'll keep this blogging adventure going for a while longer—for my own sake if not the bot's.



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Monday, June 22, 2026

My Entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #995

In The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #995 from the issue of June 22, 2026, a tortoise whose shell is decked out as a soccer ball also bears a satellite dish. He talks excitedly with another tortoise wearing no special sporting garb. My submission is shown below. The drawing is by Felipe Galindo (Feggo). 

"The World Cup has taught me that I'm still just a Knicks fan."



These captions were at risk for a yellow card:

"I've got incredible reception! Now I'm all set for the match with the hares."
"Guess what sport I'll be watching."




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Tuesday, June 16, 2026

Miguel Covarrubias: Negro Drawings, Copy No. 5/100

 The limited edition of Negro Drawings (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1927) by Miguel Covarrubias consists of one hundred copies that were specially bound, numbered, and signed, with an original drawing laid in. Copy no. 5 was listed on AbeBooks on April 17. It has subsequently been sold, probably last month, by Capitol Hill Books of Washington, DC, for $3,500.






Miguel Covarrubias
Capitol Hill Books listing ended between April 17 and May 24, 2026



Note:  There are ninety-nine other drawings by Miguel Covarrubias in the limited edition of Negro Drawings and I'd be happy to post any that collectors would care to share. 


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Monday, June 15, 2026

My Entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #994

In The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #994 from the issue of June 15, 2026, a harried man has just checked out from a grocery store, loaded down with an impossible amount of produce from his knees up to the ceiling. The cashier holds out his register receipt and speaks. My submission is shown below. The drawing is by Colin Tom. 

"Was that your gray Prius they just towed?"



These captions didn't check out:

"Would you like to check my work?"
"Were those your car keys in Aisle 4?"
"Our best customers like to use the wagons."



June 27, 2026 Update:  The Finalists






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Wednesday, June 10, 2026

Arthur Rackham: Aesop's Fables Limited Edition, No. 1103/1450

David Brass Rare Books, Inc., of Calabasas, California, offers a signed, limited edition of Arthur Rackham's exceptional Aesop's Fables (William Heinemann, 1912). 


The price is $3,250.

Title page

Signed limitation page, no. 1103 of 1450

I am most intrigued by the announcement of a 1912 exhibition of Rackham's original book illustrations at London's Leicester Galleries:


The North Wind and the Sun


The Oak and the Reeds



Arthur Rackham
AbeBooks listing accessed May 24, 2026
https://www.abebooks.com/signed/Aesops-Fables-RACKHAM-Arthur-illustrator-AESOP/32452382040/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&ref_=pe_aep_AEP_wants_buyer-wants&cm_ite=img

Arthur Rackham
AbeBooks item description


Arthur Rackham
AbeBooks store description

Note:  I was not able to attend the Arthur Rackham exhibition at Leicester Galleries in 1912 and neither were my great grandparents. Still, I might like to see the price list, from anyone who may have benefitted from art-loving great grandparents who were also pack rats.


Longtime readers may recall that I am also looking for a price list or catalogue from Peter Arno's 1932 exhibition at the Leicester Galleries.  



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Monday, June 8, 2026

My Entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #993

In The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #993 from the issue of June 8, 2026, three pigs are seated at a trough in a restaurant looking at the menus. The one on the left is speaking. My submission is shown below. The drawing is by Avi Steinberg. 

"Could you explain for my brothers the advantages of having a brick oven?"



These captions weren't quite good enough for me to serve up:

"Is the slop fresh?"
"I don't suppose the catch of the day is wolf?"
"It appears the house specialty is bacon."



June 21, 2026 Update:  The Finalists




June 27, 2026 Update:  I voted for the caption from Pamplona.




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Thursday, June 4, 2026

Ludwig Bemelmans: A Girl on Horseback

An original spot drawing of a girl sitting on horseback by Madeline author and artist Ludwig Bemelmans was published in The New Yorker in May of 1961. The art was framed in-house, apparently, and became part of the collection of writers Neil and Susan Sheehan. As a writer for the magazine, Susan Sheehan must have had access to a very nice selection of original art. This piece was sold on May 15 by Second Story Books.


Ludwig Bemelmans
Framed original spot drawing
The New Yorker,
May 13,1961, p. 161

Ludwig Bemelmans's initials

Ludwig Bemelmans
eBay listing ended May 15, 2026


Ludwig Bemelmans
eBay item description



It looked great in print, yet readers could easily have missed it in the back of the magazine sandwiched between columns of advertising.
Ludwig Bemelmans
The New Yorker, May 13,1961, p. 161


Ludwig Bemelmans
Original spot drawing
The New Yorker,
May 13,1961, p. 161


With a spot drawing by Ludwig Bemelmans






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