Lászlo Roth: Five Spot Drawings

Lászlo Roth was one of many accomplished illustrators who provided spot drawings to The New Yorker. Five originals that were presumably published in the magazine have been framed under glass as a group. The set is from the collection of Ben Roth, the artist's grandson who has also sent along a published photograph of the designer.

Note:  My thanks to Ben Roth for contributing the wonderful images in today's post.

I would like to hear from anyone who can identify precisely when any of these spots were published. If it helps, the blog archives have a single New Yorker spot by Lászlo Roth which is known to have been published in 1978.

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Lászlo Roth: Making the Diagnosis

Jeff Nelson has uncovered one final late Esquire cartoon by Lászlo Roth, one that seems to avoid mixed media and, to a large degree, color. Jeff writes, "By this point in 1958, Esquire had cut way, way back on the full-color, full-page cartoons. This one is a mere quarter-page. Still, it provides a nice little coda to his works in that magazine." Indeed it does.

Lászlo Roth
Esquire, November 1958, page 60

Image courtesy of Jeff Nelson

Note:  Once again Jeff Nelson has gone above and beyond in his research of the Esquire cartoons of Lászlo Roth. This is his sixth contribution here, at least.

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Lászlo Roth: Still More Esquire Cartoons

The third and final installment of Lászlo Roth's 1950s color cartoons from Esquire once again shows the artist mixing his media and playing with collage. Roth's approach is fairly uncommon and may have been an attempt to define a distinctive visual style for himself. Once again, Jeff Nelson has provided the images.

"Darling, may I drag you home?"
Lászlo Roth
Esquire, September 1955, page 89

Image courtesy of Jeff Nelson

"Pop, can I have the camel tonight?"
Lászlo Roth
Esquire, June 1956, page 122

Image courtesy of Jeff Nelson

Camel Crossing
Lászlo Roth
Esquire, August 1956, page 60

Image courtesy of Jeff Nelson

Pepito's Steakhouse
Freshly Killed Beef Daily
Lászlo Roth
Esquire, June 1957, page 117

Image courtesy of Jeff Nelson

Pages from Esquire Classic:

Note:  I offer my thanks once again to Jeff Nelson for furnishing us with the images of Lászlo Roth's cartoons from Esquire. This is the fifth blog post to benefit from his efforts.

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Lászlo Roth: More Esquire Cartoons

This week we have seen a single example of artist Lászlo Roth's work as a New Yorker spot illustrator dating from the 1970s. We have also seen a trio of his color Esquire cartoons published in the 1950s. Jeff Nelson has now come forward with four more of Roth's Esquire cartoons, each published in 1955. As with the cartoons shown in yesterday's post, they make use of a variety of unusual media and include elements of collage.

"Boss, everybody in the office chipped in so you could get a little practice. . . just in case!"
Lászlo Roth
Esquire, February 1955, page 63

Image courtesy of Jeff Nelson

"Will you stop drawing all over the wall!"
Lászlo Roth
Esquire, April 1955, page 74

Image courtesy of Jeff Nelson

"Furthermore, an apple a day keeps the doctor away!"
Lászlo Roth
Esquire, May 1955, page 72

Image courtesy of Jeff Nelson

"Bwango takes his wife everywhere[.]"
Lászlo Roth
Esquire, August 1955, page 60

Image courtesy of Jeff Nelson

Spread views from Esquire Classic:

Note:  Once again I want to thank Jeff Nelson for providing the images by Lászlo Roth from Esquire magazine.

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Lászlo Roth: Esquire Cartoons

Yesterday's post about illustrator Lászlo Roth identified him as a New Yorker spot artist. This prompted reader Jeff Nelson to shed some light on another aspect of Roth's career. Jeff sent in three vintage color cartoons from Esquire magazine. These were published between January 1955 and January 1957. They are noteworthy for their versatile technique and for the prominent and unusual use of collage elements in each of them.

"Adam, I'm turning over a new leaf today!"
Lászlo Roth
Esquire, January 1955, page 47

Image courtesy of Jeff Nelson

"How are you fixed for blades?"
Lászlo Roth
Esquire, May 1956, page 83

Image courtesy of Jeff Nelson

"I've been coming here for fifteen years and they haven't struck oil yet[.]"
Lászlo Roth
Esquire, January 1957, page 90

Image courtesy of Jeff Nelson

From Esquire Classic:

Note:  My sincere thanks go to contributor Jeff Nelson for allowing me to keep this Lászlo Roth appreciation going a bit longer.

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Lászlo Roth, New Yorker Spot Artist

The history of New Yorker spot drawings is rife with mysteries. Far less is known about the spots than about the cartoons or covers created for the magazine. Some are by familiar names—Otto Soglow, James Thurber, Arthur Getz, Abe Birnbaum—with familiar, even unmistakeable, styles. Others, though, are by less familiar, or sometimes frankly obscure, artists. Identifying these illustrators is often challenging. Signatures may be illegible, or mere initials, or absent altogether. In my June 27 post, I noted a long-forgotten spot drawing signed with only a first name, Lászlo, from the issue of June 19, 1978. It depicts children on a camel ride, very likely the one at the Bronx Zoo. Who might Lászlo be, I wondered. There are any number of artists with the name, but none is widely known for working at The New Yorker.

Or so I thought. The answer, I believe, was to be found all along on eBay. A series of original works of greeting card art by illustrator Lászlo Roth (1921-1996) had been listed on the auction site since at least October of 2020 and was eventually sold for an undisclosed price (less than $200) on July 19, 2021. Promisingly, Roth signed his name Lászlo with an acute accent over the á (but not the o).

The eBay listing identifies him as a New Yorker artist and, in this case, that might even be accurate. Lászlo's technique seems very versatile, and his style shifts from one group of subjects to the next. Unfortunately, the eBay listing gives no examples of the artist's work on scratchboard, which is apparently what he used for the New Yorker spot. Still, he seems to be the Lászlo we're looking for.

Lászlo Roth
eBay listing ended 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/323962024635?hash=item4b6da432bb%3Ag%3AtBIAAOSwQjhdtzAj&nma=true&si=WEtIFz5%252FkfY9UxP8WWeB%252FCaqeVQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Lászlo Roth
eBay item description

[End of eBay listing]

Spot drawing by Lászlo Roth and cartoon by George Booth

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1978-06-19/flipbook/034/

Note:  I'd love to hear from anyone with more information about Lászlo Roth and his spot work for The New Yorker.

Today, happily, The New Yorker gives full credit to its spot artists.

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George Booth: A Song After Dark

Cartoonist George Booth turns 95 tomorrow. That makes today the perfect occasion to enjoy the original art from one of his 1978 New Yorker man-in-the-bathtub cartoons. It was sold at Swann Galleries some four decades after publication in regrettably faded condition. It is generally accepted wisdom that a cartoonist should strive to simplify compositions and omit unnecessary detail. Thank goodness Booth doesn't follow that advice.

"Last night I heard a cicada."
George Booth
Original art
The New Yorker, June 19, 1978, page 35

George Booth
Swann Auction Galleries
March 21, 2017
Hammer price

https://catalogue.swanngalleries.com/Lots/auction-lot/(THE-NEW-YORKER--CARTOON--CATS)-GEORGE-BOOTH-Last-night-I-he?saleno=2440&lotNo=263&refNo=726662

With buyer's premium

Spot drawing by Lászlo Roth and cartoon by George Booth

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1978-06-19/flipbook/034/

Note:  I've been hearing a cicada or two recently myself.

I would be happy to post more original drawings by George Booth that are held in private collections. Please share scans or photos with me.

August 7, 2021 Update:  The spot artist is evidently Lászlo Roth. I have updated the post accordingly.

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