Sitting on an Easter Egg: Oscar Berger Proposed New Yorker Cover Art

Proposed cover art for The New Yorker by Oscar Berger (1901-1997) shows a broody hen sitting on a decorated Easter Egg. The fanciful image portrays the hen smiling despite the inflated dimensions of the egg she has produced. The color palette is limited to red, black, and white.

Oscar Berger
eBay Listing Ended February 14, 2020

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Oscar-Berger-Signed-New-Yorker-Cover-Sketch-original-Art-NR-/143528805946?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=WEtIFz5%252FkfY9UxP8WWeB%252FCaqeVQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc

Oscar Berger
eBay Item Description

Oscar Berger
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03584

Ted Key: Leftovers

So…what's in your lunchbox today? Dick Buchanan has contributed a scan of a long-forgotten 1951 color gag cartoon from The American Magazine. The artist is Ted Key, famous for creating the panel cartoon Hazel as well as the characters Peabody & Sherman for Jay Ward.

"Have a nice Easter?"
Ted Key
The American Magazine, March 1951

Scan by Dick Buchanan

Note:  My sincere thanks to the energetic Dick Buchanan for making his forty-fifth contribution to Attempted Bloggery! Go ahead, count 'em! Dick maintains the exhaustive Dick Buchanan Cartoon Clip Files from which he contributes regularly to Mike Lynch Cartoons, most recently an informative post entitled "From the Dick Buchanan Files: New Yorker Luminaries 1933 - 1942." 

By the way, Dick recently did some outstanding work researching John Gallagher and he should now be considered a leading authority on this gag cartoonist. Here are the gems he has uncovered:

John Gallagher Gag Cartoons 1951 - 1970

John Gallagher Part Two: 1000 Jokes! - Gag Cartoons 1954 - 1965

I'm happy to share some other recent favorite posts of his:

From the Dick Buchanan Files: Show Business Gag Cartoons 1945 - 1962

From the Dick Buchanan Files: Caption-less, Wordless Gag Cartoons 1946 – 1963

After that, I'm afraid you're on your own. By the way, Attempted Bloggery seeks other high-quality scans of long forgotten published rarities such as the one here by Ted Key.


Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Ted Key

Dick Buchanan

Easter

Attempted Bloggery's Rehashed Index

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Ted Key: Ready for Easter

Cartoonist Ted Key brings an imaginative use of color to a mostly black and white cartoon. It was published in The Saturday Evening Post of  April 17, 1954.

"Eggs dyed?"
Ted Key
The Saturday Evening Post, April 17, 1954

Scan by Dick Buchanan

Note:  My thanks to Dick Buchanan for providing us with this scan from the legendary Dick Buchanan Cartoon Clip Files. Dick contributes regularly to Mike Lynch Cartoons, most recently a fab post entitled, "From the Dick Buchanan Files: Favorite 50s Gag Cartoons 1950 - 1959." He's cooking with gas, Daddy-O!

Ted Key, the creator of Hazel, is new to the blog. Ink Spill includes him in the One Club, an exclusive group of cartoonists who have published one and only one cartoon in the New Yorker.

Does anyone have the page number for this cartoon? Enquiring minds and obsessive-compulsive bloggers want to know.


Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

The Saturday Evening Post

Easter

Passover

Baseball

Dick Buchanan

Attempted Bloggery's Hoppy Index

Attempted Bloggery supports net neurtrality

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Charles Addams: Rabbit Ears

The New Yorker's Easter 1983 cover was created by Charles Addams. The bunny family of four are gathered in front of the television set, a jeweled egg reminiscent of Fabergé. Cable television was not yet universal and the TV set therefore has an antenna often called—very appropriately in this case—rabbit ears. A rare cover signed by the artist was sold at Heritage Auctions in 2014.

Charles Addams, Signed cover, The New Yorker, April 4, 1983

Heritage Auctions, April 20, 2014

http://comics.ha.com/itm/memorabilia/new-yorker-magazine-cover-only-autographed-by-charles-addams-new-yorker-1983-/a/121416-10553.s#Photo

Note:  Visit the archives for further blog reading about the following topics:
Charles Addams
Easter
Signed magazine covers

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Walt Disney's "Funny Little Bunnies" (1934)

Walt Disney's Silly Symphony "Funny Little Bunnies" from 1934 has none of the famous Disney characters, but there are lots of cheerful, industrious bunnies and a few extremely productive hens as well. They are all hard at work making Easter eggs.

Image added April 13, 2014

"Funny Little Bunnies" (1934)
Walt Disney Studios

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