George Booth: Calling Howard in London

A drawing sold last month on eBay shows cartoonist George Booth following his muse to unusual places. The cartoon depicts a transatlantic phone conversation in which three speakers, if that's indeed the correct term, chat with an unseen man in London named Howard.

The page is given over almost entirely to long columns of text in three conjoined word balloons. Drawings of the three speaking characters are pieced together in patches at the bottom. 

The patches impart a seeming third dimension to the drawing.

It isn't clear why the word balloons of three different speakers should be connected in this manner:

Pinholes are in each corner, apparently. There is a copyright symbol by the signature.

The ink of the unruly 1978 work has faded. The art is framed and matted.

Printer's notations are present including "Note / Do not let the line work break up." Hinges, marked Horan Engr. Co. (of Manhattan), are in place.

How commendable of the Princeton framer to use a date stamp!

The eBay listing sold on November 12.

George Booth
eBay listing ended November 12, 2025

https://www.ebay.com/itm/267296486978?itmmeta=01KBBAC7ZQTZ948577XF2MW941&hash=item3e3c1cb642

George Booth
eBay item description

Note:  Any reader who may know just where this drawing was published should get in touch with me. Readers in possession of other George Booth drawings are invited to tell their stories and send scans or photos. Or we could have a conference call.

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