Joe Dator: The Art of Procrastination

Joe Dator's New Yorker cartoon from the issue of January 6, 2020 describes a dilemma familiar to those who work at home, and perhaps to everyone else too. The original art was sold on eBay January 9 for a reasonable But It Now price of $750. Prior to publication, shading must have been added digitally.

"I don't understand it—no matter how much I drink coffee, play
on my phone, refresh my email, look up things online, go to the
kitchen for snacks, message my friends,  scroll Twitter,
and play with the cats, I still can't get any writing done."
Joe Dator
Original art
The New Yorker, January 6, 2020, p. 39

Detail

Detail

Verso

Joe Dator
eBay listing ended January 9, 2022

https://www.ebay.com/itm/284598994308?hash=item42436c0584%3Ag%3AM0cAAOSwiz9h2IGH&nma=true&si=64J6TuENCQvl%252FEQuIbsoMEcDQlw%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Joe Dator
eBay item description

Ski spot by Filip Fröhlich and cartoon by Joe Dator

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/2020-01-06/flipbook/38/

Note:  I've learned my lesson and did not use Joe Dator's title, Procrastinating Writer, for the title of my post.

Ski spot by Filip Fröhlich

Image added August 7, 2022

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Joe Dator: Throne Room Upgrade

The original art to Joe Dator's New Yorker cartoon of March 15, 2021 was sold by the artist on January 8 for an eBay best offer somewhere under $750. That's a royally good deal.

"How do you like the standing throne?"
Joe Dator
Original art
The New Yorker, March 15, 2021, page 53

The composition makes use of many diagonal lines from the upper left to the lower right, emphasized by strong shading. 

Detail

Joe Dator's signature

On the back is an unfinished drawing. Is it the beginning of a desert island cartoon?

Verso

Joe Dator
eBay listing ended January 8, 2022

https://www.ebay.com/itm/284599135758?hash=item42436e2e0e%3Ag%3Ax70AAOSwzDxh2JqS&nma=true&si=64J6TuENCQvl%252FEQuIbsoMEcDQlw%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Joe Dator
eBay item description

04031

Laurent de Brunhoff: Babar in Celesteville

With original Babar art, earlier work is often the more desirable. Laurent de Brunhoff's two-page spread from Babar à la fête de Célesteville (1954) is already second-generation Babar—Jean de Brunhoff being the creator—but fairly early in the son's long run. The original art of Babar and family walking through Celesteville is currently available from a dealer in Vienna.

Laurent de Brunhoff
AbeBooks listing accessed June 5, 2022

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=22565270487&searchurl=kn%3Dart%2BYoung%26sortby%3D1&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp3-_-title2

Forty years after its creation, the image was published as a limited edition print by the Mary Ryan Gallery:

https://maryryangallery.com/artworks/at-celesteville-by-the-sea/

04030

Dr. Seuss: Better Horses

A souvenir drawing by Dr. Seuss was presumably created for someone named Broder, unless that wasn't his name, who may have been a horse breeder, unless that wasn't his trade. It may just be a work of pure fancy, as drawings of two-headed horses often are.

"'When Better Horses are Breeded,
Broder will Brood them.'           
          (an old maxim by Dr. Seuss)"

Dr. Seuss
AbeBooks listing accessed June 4, 2022

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30781479825&searchurl=kn%3DDr.%2BSeuss%26sortby%3D1&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-image19

Note:  Attention horse breeders and others! I'm always eager to post original art by Dr. Seuss.

04029

Dr. Seuss: Roughs from The Sneetches

Last week's Fine Books and Manuscripts auction at Sotheby's included two preliminary book illustrations by Dr. Seuss for his 1961 classic story "The Sneetches." The signed drawings are close to two of the final published illustrations from The Sneetches and Other Stories, although they may possibly be trimmed; the images extend outward in the final book pages. It's rare to find such preliminary art on the market.

 

Dr. Seuss
Sotheby's Fine books and Manuscripts, Including Americana, Part 2
Lot 1129, July 21, 2022

https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/auction/2022/fine-books-and-manuscripts-including-americana-part-2/seuss-dr-theodor-seuss-geisel-you-want-stars-like-2

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/McBean-and-his-Star-On-Machine_fig2_234777748

https:

Note:  I'd be only too happy to post other preliminary book illustrations by Dr. Seuss, a.k.a. Theodore Seuss Geisel, but I don't have any on file. Those lucky enough to have access to original Seuss roughs are encouraged to submit scans or photos.

04028

The CartoonStock Caption Contest #156

The CartoonStock Caption Contest #156 is now the company's second competition that is pay-to-play. As before, five dollars gets you three entries and a chance at a $1,000 cash prize. Statistics tells us one needs a better than 1-in-200 chance of winning in order to make entering such a contest worthwhile. Surely, the uncharacteristic difficulty of the first two contests is discouraging potential entries, improving the odds for those few who do enter. Like many caption contestants, I remain certain that I have a better than 1-in-200 shot at this, but the fact of the matter is that in the first 155 contests I have failed to win a single one. It would be unwise to get my hopes up. The drawing is by Ellis Rosen.

"Best production of 'Death of a Salesman' ever."
"He never wanted to be known as Burning Dan."
"Shouldn't we beware of geeks burning gifts?"

August 3, 2022 Update:  The Winner

04027