Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Mischa Richter: Tony's Pizza

Be thankful how easily you can order a pizza for delivery. For some it's quite an ordeal. Here by special delivery is an order of original cartoon art for the New Yorker by Mischa Richter, with anchovies.

Mischa Richter, Original artwork, The New Yorker, August 6, 1990, page 63

Swann Auction Galleries, January 22, 2015
Sale 2372, Lot 200
Hammer Price $225
Mischa Richter, The New Yorker, August 6, 1990, page 63

Mischa Richter, Original art, The New Yorker, August 6, 1990, page 63


 Note:  In the vast pizzeria that is Attempted Bloggery, there are several slices on the subject of Mischa Richter. Additional toppings are available.

There's also a good selection here of original New Yorker cartoon art. Salad not included.

I even have another Rapunzel cartoon for you, but you'll have to look for it in my big blog post about New Yorker Cartoons at Auction. Delivery is free and you don't have to leave a tip unless you feel the service is outstanding.

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Monday, June 29, 2015

Whitney Darrow, Jr. for Minute Tapioca

"Who's Having More Fun?" asks this 1951 advertisement for Minute Tapioca. It isn't such an easy question when the Dad gets to fly the kite. This illustration of windy-day fun is by Whitney Darrow, Jr., who scarcely knows how to draw people not having fun.

Whitney Darrow, Jr., 1951 advertisement for Minute Tapioca
"Got an urge to splurge?" asks another ad that also dates from 1951. What does spending money on a new hat have to do with Minute Tapioca, you ask? Good question. Those good folks at General Foods are quick to offer some sound marital advice. Here's how the clever wife of yesteryear ensures that the bills are paid with a smile: "An occasional shopping spree can be good for your soul! Just remember this--feed your husband his favorite dessert and then break the news. He'll be meek as a lamb if you've given him creamy-smooth, super-luscious Minute Tapioca--the real, genuine homemade kind..." Any questions, ladies?
Whitney Darrow, Jr., 1951 advertisement for Minute Tapioca

 This one appeared circa the spring of 1951. "The man with the hoe and his assistants break ground for spring planting. The vegetables may never come up, but the gardeners are growing like weeds, and they need plenty of healthful foods, high in nutritive value. So give them delicious milk-and-eggs desserts made with real, genuine Minute tapioca..." That's right, real and genuine.
Whitney Darrow, Jr., Spring1951 advertisement for Minute Tapioca
Whitney Darrow, Jr.,1951 advertisement for Minute Tapioca


Offered strictly as a public service, here's a 1952 ad with a recipe for a tapioca banana split:
Whitney Darrow, Jr., 1952 advertisement for Minute Tapioca, Farm Journal


 Note:  More advertising by Whitney Darrow, Jr. may be seen on Christopher Wheeler's website, including one of these vintage ads for Minute Tapioca.

There must be other Darrow ads out there for Minute Tapioca. Let me know if you find any new ones, or better scans of these.

Attempted Bloggery is proud to serve up delectable blog posts about Whitney Darrow, Jr.

Got a favorite tapioca recipe? Enjoy it!

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Sunday, June 28, 2015

Whitney Darrow, Jr. for Ford

Are you ready for summer vacation? A 1953 vintage advertisement advises you to "Travelize your Ford now!" Surely the artwork by Whitney Darrow, Jr. has held up better than the advertising copy, which also suggests that you "Put your Ford in 'Trip-top' shape."

Whitney Darrow, Jr. 1953 advertisement for the Ford Motor Company


Whitney Darrow, Jr. Illustration from a 1953 advertisement for the Ford Motor Company
Image added June 30, 2015


Note:  Here's more summer reading about Whitney Darrow, Jr.

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Saturday, June 27, 2015

My Entry in the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #479

I really had no idea what to make of this one. Here is my entry in the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #479 for June 22. 2015. The drawing is by Tom Toro.
"If you don't like the call, consider a campaign contribution."




June 29, 2015 Update:  The Finalists
July 20, 2015 Update:  Winning Caption




Note:  Last week Michael Crawford's Caption Contest cartoon proved once and for all that there is no equality in the bedroom. My caption was all wet. See the split decision on Contest #478.

Tom Toro has appeared on this blog twice before in posts concerning two previous caption contests.

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Friday, June 26, 2015

Whitney Darrow, Jr. for Arrow Sports Shirts

In 1949, short-sleeved Arrow Sport Shirts sold for $3.65 and long-sleeved shirts sold for $4.25. The advertising art by Whitney Darrow, Jr., promotes the shirts as "sure-fire woman bait."  We can surmise though that if they were really anything of the kind they would have sold for a heck of a lot more.
"I understand they're sure-fire woman bait[.]"
Whitney Darrow, Jr.
Advertisement for Arrow Sports Shirts, 1949

Note:  Be sure to catch my earlier posts on the art of Whitney Darrow, Jr., including more advertising. I would love to hear of any other ads Whitney Darrow may have created for Arrow.


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Thursday, June 25, 2015

Whitney Darrow, Jr. for the American Bankers Association

Advertising art by Whitney Darrow, Jr. shows the virtues of neighborliness. America's Full Service Banks want you to know that "Being a good neighbor is good banking." Of course it is.

Whitney Darrow, Jr. Advertising art for the America Bankers Association
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1989-Being-a-good-neighbor-is-good-banking-Print-Ad-Whitney-Darrow-Jr-Art-/231584260218?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35eb7f607a

Note:  For more neighborliness via Whitney Darrow, Jr., check out my other blog posts on the artist. I would love to hear of any other artwork created by Darrow for the American Bankers Association.

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Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Whitney Darrow, Jr. for U.S. Koylon Foam

What is the biggest gift you ever gave Mother? The United States Rubber Company has a product for your consideration. A 1954 advertisement for U.S. Koylon Foam with artwork by Whitney Darrow, Jr. must have appeared around Mother's Day. Here it is the copy writer and not the cartoonist who is most prone to exaggeration. "You couldn't make a bigger hit with her if you gave her the Hope diamond or a strand of Oriental pearls." That's quite a mattress indeed!

Whitney Darrow, Jr.  A 1954 advertisement for U.S. Koylon Foam, a product of the United States Rubber Company


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Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Blog Index: Four Years Before the Masthead

Four years ago today, being purportedly of sound mind and body, I went ahead and published my first blog post. The enterprise has been going on pretty much daily ever since, with a little time off once in a while to recharge the old batteries. Today Attempted Bloggery has become my main recreational pursuit and my primary creative endeavor. It may seem odd to describe a blog, particularly one such as this, as a creative undertaking when so much that I present here is really the creative work of others. Nevertheless, there are innumerable decisions that have to be made about what to include or omit, what opinions to express or observations to make, and most especially what tone to adopt.

Over the course of more than 1,500 posts, the blog has received nearly 600,000 page views, a big enough number though far from too big. Being able to express myself here on whatever subjects compel me is very gratifying. This blog's main focus has come to be New Yorker artists, although it has never been exclusively so. Having my writing noted, for example, by fellow fans of New Yorker cartoons and even occasionally by New Yorker cartoonists themselves is uniquely fulfilling.

I have always been someone who gets energized and inspired by creative individuals. In the course of writing and researching this blog I have personally come to meet perhaps two dozen very talented people, an unexpected benefit of the efforts I have put into Attempted Bloggery. There are a great many potential rewards like this to be found in blogging, but I was especially cheered by how eloquently Walter Isaacson described this new "social phenomenon" in his book The Innovators. Note that last paragraph in particular:
Walter Isaacson, The Innovators

The artists, writers, and even composers whom I've covered in one way or another have been surprisingly numerous. Here is the latest version of the Attempted Bloggery link index which provides links to those artists and topics which have appeared here in the blog these four years and counting:


The Attempted Bloggery Link Index
"Never index your own book."
--Kurt Vonnegut
Cat's Cradle, 1963
New Yorker Artists

Other Cartoonists, Comic Strip Artists, Comic Book Artists, and Animators


Writers

Photographers
Composers
Rockers
America
Entertainers and Personalities
Julie Andrews
Lucille Ball
Tony Bennett
Favorite Subjects

Favorite Places
The Seasons

Holidays


The Attempted Bloggery Centennial Posts
Blog Post No. 100
Blog Post No. 200:  A Shaggy Dog Story

Blog Posts Missing Information (Can you help out, Kind Reader?)
Incomplete publication history

My Social Media
Follow me on Google+.

Other Websites of Interest


June 25, 2016 Update:  This index is no longer being updated. The blog's new fifth anniversary index may be found here.


Note:  There are plenty of topics covered here, right? No, there's nothing yet about pick-up lines, but if you want you can come up and see my etchings.

It was my all-important third anniversary post that finally proclaimed a theme song for this blog. How does it go again?

 For my second anniversary post I reveled in not having an editor! Some things never change.

I summed up my entire first year of blogging with one well-chosen cartoon in my first anniversary post. Don't tell me you've forgotten already!

Of course, to tell my story properly, we need to go back to the very beginning. By the beginning, I mean the very first Attempted Bloggery post from four years ago. It's a little like looking at my baby pictures.

What? You want more? Some people are never satisfied.

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