Attempted Bloggery: Swim

Showing posts with label Swim. Show all posts

Thursday, March 1, 2018

E. Simms Campbell and Dorothy McKay: Eight Cartoons from Esquire

A group of five color cartoons by E. Simms Campbell torn from copies of Esquire in the 1930s are listed together on eBay. As luck would have it, on the back of three of these are cartoons by Dorothy McKay. Let's have a look at how these two distinctive cartoonists helped to define Esquire's brand of humor in the 30s.

First off, for 1939, this E. Simms Campbell "Harem Girls" swipe at Hitler seems disappointingly tame:

E. Simms Campbell
"It's Adolph Hitler. He wants to know if he can borrow some dancers[.]"
Esquire, July 1939, page 42

This gag cartoon from 1939 retains some political relevance today:

E. Simms Campbell
"He won't pay for the oil. He said it was stolen from him anyhow!"
Esquire, August 1939, page 35

In a Father's Day gag, Dorothy McKay's sly saleswoman (on the flip side of the Hitler cartoon) wants to know a little too much about the children's young father. The size of the family says it all.

Dorothy McKay
"Well, now, let's see—what does your daddy do in his spare time?"
Esquire, July 1939, page 41

The "Harem Girls" are back again, this time in a labor dispute that leaves the sultan flummoxed. This gag would have mirrored some of the widespread social upheaval during the Great Depression. As a practical matter, though, are the women in the harem really employees?

E. Simms Campbell
[Harem Girls on Strike]
Esquire, August 1934, page 39

On the other side of the page, Dorothy McKay illustrates one of the hazards faced by susceptible swim instructors. Her female bather appears less glamorous than Mr. Campbell's typical women.

Dorothy McKay
"He was teaching me to swim[.]"
Esquire, August 1934, page 40

Swim instructors aren't the only ones with a weakness for attractive women, it seems. Here Mr. McGregor works closely on his student's form:

E. Simms Campbell
"—but when do I hit the ball[,] Mr. McGregor?"
Esquire, July 1937, page 72

On the opposite side of the page, Dorothy McKay's priest attempts to return a foul-mouthed parrot to the pet shop. Just look at his body language!

Dorothy McKay
"That's the reason I sold him to you, Reverend—I thought you'd reform him[.]"
Esquire, July 1937, page 71

The final cartoon in the set pretends to leave everything to our imagination but we all know exactly what's going on, don't we? This seems a good time to ask a basic question about gag cartoons: Why have them in color? If the color doesn't add to the joke, does it add to the atmosphere enough to justify its use? Does color need to be justified at all? To help you decide, here's a cartoon with almost nothing but atmosphere:

E. Simms Campbell
"Don't look now of course, George—but the moon is simply marvelous tonight!""
Esquire, September 1939, page 71

E. Simms Campbell
eBay Listing Ended January 25, 2018

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1930s-Esquire-Magazine-Full-Page-Cartoons-E-Simms-Campbell-5-pgs-ESQ5-/323003424076?hash=item4b34811d4c%3Ag%3AZpkAAOSwcgNZCl8q&nma=true&si=YQGb25QThn5Fxe78BW8tTy6VzZY%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

E. Simms Campbell
eBay Item Description

Note: Perhaps you've noticed. Attempted Bloggery is looking at the work of cartoonist E. Simms Campbell (1906-1971). I seek scans or photographs from readers of original Campbell art or rare published works not already available on the internet. Sure, I'll take work by Dorothy McKay as well. I'm not so particular.

Do we need more color cartoons today? Certainly color cartoons can be lovely to look at, but why are the world's best cartoons in black and white? Or are they? Your opinions are welcome in the comments section. Simply scroll down and you'll find it. I promise.

External Links:

E. Simms Campbell's Wikipedia Entry

E. Simms Campbell on Ink Spill

E. Simms Campbell in Christopher Wheeler's Cartoon(ist) Gallery

E. Simms Campbell in Print: Insider Histories: Black Cartoonist E. Simms Campbell. Robert C. Harvey intervied by Michael Dooley. March 3, 2015

E. Simms Campbell on We Too Were Children, Mr. Barrie. October 6, 2012

E. Simms Campbell at American Art Archives

E. Simms Campbell on Eli Stein Cartoons.com: "We All Have to Start Somewhere" Department. Case in Point No. 15. September 6, 2011

E. Simms Campbell in Potrzebie. October 10, 2007

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Friday, March 24, 2017

Dorothy McKay in College Humor, September 1937

Much sophomoric humor—the sort that was published in, appropriately, College Humor—allows the reader to feel intellectually superior to the characters in the gags. Thus Dorothy McKay gives us two cartoons in the September 1937 number with characters who aren't exactly the brightest bulbs in the box. The first—and more disturbing—has fun at the expense of the country bumpkin who apparently knows how to swim but, when his wife is drowning, can't seem to move anything but his lips. And his son is no better.

"Reckon we shoulda learned maw t'swim last summer, Ed!"
Dorothy McKay, College Humor, Vol. 6, No. 1, September 1937, page 41

The second cartoon presents a scenario which might be more familiar to the college student of 1937. It depicts a young woman introducing her mother to the Princeton man voted most likely to succeed. Presumably she is the only one on the porch who doesn't quite grasp the full implication of that honor. Or does she...?

"Oh, mother! This is Mr. Merton of Princeton. He's the student most likely to succeed!"
Dorothy McKay, College Humor, Vol. 6, No. 1, September 1937, page 44

Note: The May 1937 issue of College Humor is located in the Steven Boss humor magazine collection at Columbia University. It's in the Rare Book & Manuscript Library so don't bother with the stacks. My thanks to Karen Green, Curator for Comics and Cartoons—I love saying that—for her assistance.

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Monday, April 20, 2015

Stepping into the Ocean with Lee Lorenz

An early example of original cartoon art by Lee Lorenz was offered on eBay in 2013. The eBay seller thought it was a New Yorker cartoon, but then, sellers will be sellers. The price was reduced from $875 to $675 and then $499 without attracting a bid. Whether or not it was ever published anywhere, it's a buoyant example of Mr. Lorenz's cartoon art.