Sight Unseen: Ben Raeburn's Copy of Are You Happy? by Edward Koren

On June 19 of this year, Sleuth Books listed a copy of Are You Happy?:  And Other Questions Lovers Ask (1978) by Edward Koren containing some original art. The price, $90, is a lot to spend for a signed Koren book sight unseen, but just marvel at how enticingly it was described: "Personally inscribed by the author to Ben Raeburn, the publisher of Horizon Books, on the front endpapers, complete with two sketches of book characters. A spectacular copy!" The listing shows only a stock photo, but I am a sucker for "spectacular." I paid my money.

Stock image

Edward Koren
AbeBooks listing accessed October 18, 2025

https://www.abebooks.com/signed-first-edition/Happy-Questions-Lovers-Ask-Edward-Koren/32227245922/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&ref_=pe_aep_AEP_wants_buyer-wants&cm_ite=viewbook

Edward Koren
AbeBooks item description

The drawing, we learn, was of the get-well-soon variety. I, for one, feel better already.

05102

George Booth Greeting Cards by the Dozen

Twelve unused, vintage greeting cards by New Yorker cartoonist George Booth were sold on eBay in May. As a group, they celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, love, friendship, and getting older. Just take a look, Dearie...

George Booth Greeting Cards
eBay Listing Ended May 28, 2020

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-of-12-George-Booth-UNUSED-Vintage-Greeting-Cards-Birthday-Anniversary-etc-/233595289176?hash=item36635d3e58%3Ag%3AtQUAAOSwPKZexxCu&nma=true&si=WEtIFz5%252FkfY9UxP8WWeB%252FCaqeVQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

George Booth Greeting Cards
eBay Item Description Item Description

Earlier in May, the same eBay seller sold a different lot of ten greeting cards, many the same but four of which are not present in the above lot of twelve.

George Booth Greeting Cards
eBay Listing Ended May 9, 2020

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lot-of-10-George-Booth-UNUSED-Vintage-Greeting-Cards-Birthday-Anniversary-etc-/233553073294?hash=item3660d9148e%3Ag%3AzkwAAOSwuhZejg%7EV&nma=true&si=WEtIFz5%252FkfY9UxP8WWeB%252FCaqeVQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

George Booth Greeting Cards
eBay Item Description

Okay, because you've been such a good audience I'll show you one more greeting card also sold in May on eBay, but from a different seller. 

George Booth Greeting Card
eBay Listing Ended May 22, 2020

https://www.ebay.com/itm/vtg-80-039-s-Drawing-Board-George-Booth-get-well-greeting-card-free-ship-20-min-/313082908782?hash=item48e532106e%3Ag%3A6dkAAOSw5R5dUx9W&nma=true&si=WEtIFz5%252FkfY9UxP8WWeB%252FCaqeVQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

George Booth Greeting Card
eBay Item Description

Note:  Attempted Bloggery would like to publish more of the unsung work of George Booth. I can't put it any plainer than that.

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

George Booth

Greeting Cards

Attempted Bloggery's Old Fashioned Index

03331

Babs and Uncle Bill's Copy of The Dead Game Sportsmen by Vip

Vip is the pen name of Virgil Franklin Partch. (Why did I always assumed his middle name started with an I? Ah, well.) The Dead Game Sportsmen is a decidedly offbeat title for a cartoon collection, even for a decidedly offbeat cartoon collection. It was published in 1954, but Babs, Uncle Bill, and kids didn't receive their copy until 1970, inscribed with a tongue-not-in-cheek "Get Well" drawing. Were they all sick?

Virgil Partch
AbeBooks Listing Accessed July 6, 2020

https://www.abebooks.com/signed-first-edition/Dead-Game-Sportsmen-Signed-Drawing-Virgil/7494336460/bd

Note:  At the time of posting, this book is still available for sale on Abe Books.

Hairy Green Eyeball, a.k.a. Harry Lee Green, has some game scans from The Dead Game Sportsmen here.

Just a hint: uniquely signed, inscribed, or drawn upon copies of books by Virgil Partch always make welcome submissions to the blog. They also make nice gifts.

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Vip

Signed Books with Original Drawings

Get Well

Attempted Bloggery's Cure-All Index

03321

Vermont Cartoonist Laureate: The Flowery Ed Koren

Ed Koren is now the State of Vermont's Cartoonist Laureate, an honor he has been awarded for the coming three years. That still leaves forty-nine states with no Cartoonist Laureate, an appalling oversight on their parts. It seems only right that the United States should also consider appointing a national Cartoonist Laureate. Given the spirit of camaraderie that reigns inside the Beltway, it should be easy to select a suitable candidate.

Back in 1992, Mr. Koren created an uplifting, color drawing on New Yorker stationery for political cartoonist Draper Hill (1935-2009), apparently as a get-well note. The drawing was sold by DuMouchelles of Detroit in the year of Hill's death, and now has been sold again by Royal Books of Baltimore.

Edward Koren, Drawing on New Yorker letterhead dated 15 May 1992.
Inscribed "For Draper [Hill]~Please accept these friends to speed
you back to your accustomed self./Ed Koren"

http://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/edward-koren-amer.,-1935-,-mixed-media-on-paper,-2455-c-c7eaa81f5e

Edward Koren, Drawing on New Yorker letterhead dated 15 May 1992.
Inscribed "For Draper [Hill]~Please accept these friends to speed
you back to your accustomed self./Ed Koren"

http://www.royalbooks.com/pages/books/131811/ed-koren/original-drawing-by-ed-koren-inscribed-to-cartoonist-draper-hill

Note:  Read my other posts about Vermont Cartoonist Laureate Edward Koren here.

01066