Gentlemen, have you noticed that we feel a certain emptiness in our lives now that the football season has ended? Ladies, does a character in
Lee Lorenz's original cartoon art have the guys all figured out? Let's all agree on one thing. If all else fails, March Madness is coming.
Now why does a gag by a major
New Yorker cartoonist on a popular sports subject sell for so shockingly little? It may be because not enough people appreciate the artistry and creativity that goes into making a really good cartoon. As fans of the genre, what should be our responses to this situation? There are at least two very different answers, but one needn't find them contradictory. One is to actively publicize many examples of great cartoon art in the hopes of amusing and educating the public. People need to see that there are better things to hang on their walls than, say, prints of dogs playing cards. The other response is to take advantage of inexplicably low prices by adding a few really fine pieces of original comic art to our own collections when the opportunity arises. Just look at what $75 bought:
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"I call it the post-Super Bowl syndrome. I think it has
something to do with their hormones."
Lee Lorenz, original cartoon art |
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"I call it the post-Super Bowl syndrome. I think it has something to do with their hormones."
Lee Lorenz, original cartoon art |
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Matte inscribed "May the 'Spaceball' Season last all year long. Best of luck! Lee Lorenz"
"Spaceballs," a movie by Mel Brooks, was released in 1987. |
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| Character detail |
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eBay Listing Ended January 2, 2017
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eBay Bid History
One bidder can't believe his luck, so he bids again just to make sure. |
So what should we make of the following excerpt from the Indiana Jewish Post & Opinion for May 27, 1987? It's from an article entitled "The Riddle of the Sphinx" by Arlene G. Peck on the subject of men's general aversion to conversation and intimacy. The end of the paragraph has a remarkable similarity to Mr. Lorenz's caption. Is this just a coincidence? Did someone send the cartoonist a clipping of the article? The movie "Spaceballs" also came out in 1987. I'm going to go out on a limb here and date this cartoon circa 1987.
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"I call it the post-Super Bowl syndrome. I think it has something to do with their hormones."
Lee Lorenz, original cartoon art |
Note: I'm in the information business. If you know more about this cartoon, whether it was published and where, to whom it's dedicated, and how it came to have a caption reminiscent of an obscure article from the
Indiana Jewish Post & Opinion, this is the place to reveal all. Don't bother with WikiLeaks; they don't care about the important things.
So, if you've already been taking my advice and surrounding yourself with brilliant original cartoon art by
Lee Lorenz or other
New Yorker artists, you can also take my other bit of advice and help me publicize that art to a planet that's sense of humor is seriously threatened. Don't believe those politicians who deny the decline of humor. Send photos or scans and help me make the world a funnier place.
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May the Schwartz be with you.
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