Wednesday, July 31, 2019

The Cartoon Collections Caption Contest #34

I think I got away with my entry in the Cartoon Collections Caption Contest #34. The drawing is by Charles Barsotti.


"Define what you mean by 'ill-gotten.'"
"Last week you said I shouldn't feel guilty."
"Can I pay you next week, Doc? Let me enjoy the moment."
"Do you have a vault for safe keeping?"
"May I tell you something in confidence?"



August 10, 2019 Update:  The Winner



Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Charles Barsotti
02997

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Moe Howard: Three Passports

Last month Nate D. Sanders sold more than 1100 items from the personal collection of Moe Howard (1897-1975) of the Three Stooges. The collection, which had remained intact since Howard's death, includes three passports dated 1939, 1955, and 1964. Let's have a look.

1939:




Moe Howard


1955:




Moe Howard

1964:




Moe Howard


Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:


Passports


Attempted Bloggery's Rubber-Stamped Index


02996

Monday, July 29, 2019

My Entry in the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #671

I took a stab at an entry in the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #671 for July 29, 2019. The drawing is by David Borchart.

"They're nearly extinct, so I let them practice hunting."


These captions didn't survive the Ice Age:
"It's taken me years to train my backscratchers."
"You've got to try these backscratchers."
"Nice people. They're having me for dinner."
"After dinner they're going to draw me on the wall."



August 12, 2019 Update:  The Finalists



August 19, 2019 Update:  I voted with Chicago.


August 26, 2019 Update:
  The Winner





Note:  Last week cartoonist Brooke Bourgeois shared with us some new active wear for bicycling. My caption must have slipped out of gear. You might want to take off the training wheels for Contest #670.


Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:


David Borchart


Cavemen

The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest



The Moment Magazine Cartoon Caption Contest

The Cartoon Collections Caption Contest



All the Above Cartoon Caption Contests and More

Attempted Bloggery's Prehistoric Index

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Sunday, July 28, 2019

Edward Koren: A Drawing "For Charlie"

Admittedly there's not very much to see in an old thumbnail image of an original sketch by Edward Koren drawn on the title page of a copy of What About Me?: Cartoons from the New Yorker (1989). The book was inscribed "For Charlie/with best regards/Ed Koren" to an owner of Monroe Street Books of Vermont and sold by the recipient years ago, but the store mistakenly kept it listed online long after the sale, and that's where reader and Attempted Bloggery contributor David from Manhattan found it, saved the image, and attempted to buy the book for a very reasonable $40.


He received instead a different signed copy of the book without any drawing. So it's not a perfect world and indeed this is not a perfect blog. In fact, of the many Koren images to be found here, this is surely the least satisfying. And yet...

The minuscule image is tantalizing. It's clearly a delightful cartoon, even if it isn't one that is destined to change the world. It's a timely reminder of how many enchanting images of this sort remain hidden away in private collections. So something positive could still come of all this. Perhaps the current owner of the book will see this post and make a new high-quality scan to forward to us. That would be ideal. Or...

Perhaps the owners of other Koren drawings in other Koren books will feel inspired to scan them for us to enjoy. That would count as a win as well. Or...

Maybe those in possession of souvenir sketches, roughs, and published work by any number of other New Yorker artists will feel inspired to scan or photograph these works and submit them to the blog. There are a variety of ways this disappointing hint of an amusing drawing could prompt more wonderful submissions.

Even if it doesn't, this is a good example of how challenging it can be to collect and publicize images that were really never meant to see the light of day. But if images intended to be enjoyed privately can somehow become images appreciated publicly, aren't we all a little better off?

Please nod your head yes.


Note:
  I
really don't think David from Manhattan intended to share this teeny tiny image with anyone but me, but I'm grateful to him for the opportunity to disappoint others as well. This is David's thirty-fourth contribution to the blog, but several contributions have included multiple books, so the absolute number underestimates his true impact here.



Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Edward Koren

Signed Books with Original Drawings


David from Manhattan

Attempted Bloggery's Hidden Index


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Saturday, July 27, 2019

Edward Koren: Four Books with Original Sketches

Reader and longtime contributor David from Manhattan returns to this blog with new images of four books personalized by New Yorker cartoonist Edward Koren. These books date from 1980 to 1995 and each contains an original sketch. We've seen other copies of each of these books before, and these were also embellished by Mr. Koren, but the original sketches make each of these four books freshly wonderful in its own way. 
Edward Koren
Drawing of a figure holding a sign, inscribed "For Leo~/With all my best wishes—From your East Coast, North Country country cousin/Ed Koren"
in a copy of What About Me?  Cartoons from the New Yorker (1989)

Scan by David from Manhattan


Edward Koren
Drawing of three women inscribed "To Pamela/with best regards—/Edward Koren"
in  a copy of Quality Time:  Parenting, Progeny, and Pets (1995
)
Scan by David from Manhattan


Edward Koren
Ballot drawing
Inscribed "☐ Yes
              ☐ No
                   ☐ Maybe

My Best
Ed Koren"
in a copy of
 The Art of the New Yorker 1925-1995 by Lee Lorenz
Photo by David from Manhattan

Edward Koren
Drawing of a skier with ski lift and mountain
Inscribed "Laura/with every good thing/Ed Koren
Nov 19 80"

in a copy of "Well, There's Your Problem." (1980)
Photograph by David from Manhattan





Note:  Once again I offer my thanks to David from Manhattan for contributing these unique images. This is David's thirty-third contribution to the blog.

Edward Koren generously provides fans with original sketches in his books and Attempted Bloggery has collected quite a few of these here in the archives. Lucky readers with original Koren art in their libraries are invited to contribute scans or photographs of said art. You may choose to go public or to remain anonymous. Remember, no pseudonym is too outlandish.


Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Edward Koren

Signed Books with Original Drawings

Skiing


David from Manhattan

Attempted Bloggery's Black Diamond Index


02993

Friday, July 26, 2019

The Complete Cartoons of the New Yorker: Five Signed Prints

After The Complete Cartoons of the New Yorker was published in 2004, an enterprising collector printed at least six cartoons apparently from the accompanying CD-ROM and went about obtaining signatures of the five corresponding cartoonists: J. B. Handelsman, Henry Martin, Leo Cullum, Edward Koren, and Jack Ziegler. Koren and Ziegler signed and inscribed these prints; Handelsman and Cullum signed them and added sketches. Martin provided an original drawing on a separate printed sheet of stationery; he did not sign either of two prints. This may indicate that all the signatures were obtained by mail, possibly through the New Yorker's office.

The Koren print gives us an approximate date for all of these: 9/27/2005. It also gives us the recipient's name, William Dutcher. Martin's card is made out to a Timmy, but it is Dutcher's name that corresponds to the eBay seller dutc.will. His eBay biography indicates that he was editor and publisher of something called the Jasoomian in the 1970s.



Dutcher joined eBay on March 11, 2015 but today is no longer a registered user. In May of 2015, he put these prints up for sale on eBay. Interesting curiosities, they sold for a few dollars each.
J. B. Handelsman

Henry Martin


Leo Cullum


Edward Koren


Jack Ziegler

J. B. Handelsman
eBay Listing Ended May 16, 2015
































Another eBay seller purchased three of these signed pieces—the Martin, Ziegler, and Cullum—and relisted them with about a tenfold markup or sometimes more. He took new and better photos but retained the misspelling of Leo Cullum's name. I subsequently lost track of these, but today the Martin remains available on eBay at a discounted price.

Henry Martin


Henry Martin


Henry Martin


Henry Martin


Jack Ziegler


Jack Ziegler


Leo Cullum


Leo Cullum




October 9, 2020 Update:
  Sold!