Thursday, July 14, 2022

The Perfect Piece of Toast: H. T. Webster and Harry Bliss

Yesterday's syndicated Bliss panel calls to mind H. T. Webster's 1948 classic from his series The Thrill That Comes Once in a Lifetime:

The Thrill That Comes Once in a Lifetime:
Newlyweds['] First Breakfast
H. T. Webster
November 27, 1948
The Best of H. T. Webster, 1953





Harry Bliss visits the same territory. He substitutes a dog for the woman at the table. This is something we saw him do in a 2017 panel inspired by a James Thurber New Yorker cartoon, so it certainly looks like a pattern.

Harry Bliss
Bliss

July 13, 2022



Stop me if you've heard this one already. In 2008, Harry Bliss famously borrowed from comic book legend Jack Kirby for a New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest without crediting him. You can read about that controversy here. I have previously documented examples where his cartoon panels seemingly come very close to well-known work by Charles Addams, William Steig, and James Thurber. Coincidence? Tributes? Appropriation? Something else? You decide. Those posts can all be reviewed here. 


Note:  Does that cartoon by H. T. Webster look familiar? It's a favorite of mine and I have discussed it on this blog before. Revisit my musings here.



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