In 2001, the Cartoon Bank sold Jack Ziegler's New Yorker original published in the issue of April 30, 1979. Bob Mankoff, the founder and president of the Cartoon Bank, asserted the drawing's value at the time to be $1200 and provided a certificate of authenticity. An unexpected bonus was a hand-written letter from Mr. Ziegler to the purchaser explaining how the cartoon came about. He wrote:
This drawing was done while I was in my thirties & had a great fear of being humiliated should I happen into a jewelry store & ask to take a closer look at something. I was always certain the price would be $200 more than I could afford. It usually was.I'm in my fifties now and still have the same problem...
That's probably a fairly common feeling. Anyone venturing into a jewelry store this time of year in search of an impressive Valentine's Day gift has probably experienced something similar.
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| "This one might be a bit out of your price range, sir. It costs eighteen zillion dollars." Jack Ziegler Original art The New Yorker, April 30, 1979 Filthy Little Things, 1981 |
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| Jack Ziegler's signature |
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| Jack Ziegler eBay listing retrieved January 7, 2019 |
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| Jack Ziegler eBay item description |
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| Cartoons by Jack Ziegler and Jean-Jacques Sempé |
Jack Ziegler
"Late Night with David Letterman"
June 20, 1983
This cartoon is discussed beginning at 3:45
Video added August 30, 2021
With thanks to Jessica Ziegler
Note: I lost track of this eBay sale two years ago and therefore cannot report the outcome. I would like to hear from anyone who knows whether this artwork was sold or what its current whereabouts are.
Original art by Jack Ziegler is often brilliant, funny, and less intimidating than a trip to the jewelry shop. If you'd like to show off some Ziegler art here on the blog, I'm your man.
I like the idea of artists writing notes that provide insights into their published cartoons. Was this a common practice with art sales at the Cartoon Bank? Does it continue? If anyone would like to share a cartoonist's note about a specific cartoon, well, I'm still your man.
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