Attempted Bloggery: The Gumps

Showing posts with label The Gumps. Show all posts

Saturday, November 5, 2016

Andy Gump for President

Sidney Smith created the popular comic strip The Gumps in 1917. The character Andy Gump ran for President in 1924, at least according to an eBay listing. Numerous pinbacks and pocket mirrors attest to this campaign, most promoting by name a product or establishment. Would these promotions be sufficient for Andy Gump to take on Republican Calvin Coolidge, Democrat John W. Davis, or Progressive Robert M. La Follette? Probably not. After Sidney Smith's death in 1935, cartoonist Gus Edson took over The Gumps strip.

Sidney Smith
"Andy Gump for President
Eat, Drink and Smoke at Saliman Bros."
Pocket Mirror

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1924-ANDY-GUMP-FOR-PRESIDENT-Drink-Smoke-Saliman-Bros-celluloid-pocket-mirror-/112092644525?rmvSB=true&clk_rvr_id=1119358341584&nma=true&si=Yrsw1uWpDv3ERcNtYlNvNuM95EE%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

A pinback promotes Butternut Bread. Years later, the characters of the Peanuts comic strip would promote this product.

Sidney Smith
"Andy Gump for President

Eat Butternut Bread"

Pinback

eBay

Not troubled by pangs of brand loyalty, Andy Gump also promoted Papendick's Dinner Belle Bread and Butter-Krust Bread.

Sidney Smith
"Andy Gump for President
My Platform: Eat Papendick's Dinner Belle Bread"
Pinback

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-ANDY-GUMP-DINNER-BELL-BREAD-COMIC-ADVERTISING-PIN-PINBACK-BUTTON-/391608839354?hash=item5b2db4acba

Sidney Smith
"Andy Gump for President
Butter-Krust Bread for Your Table"
Pocket Mirror

eBay

One doesn't just run for President without first accruing some political experience. Earlier, perhaps in 1922, Andy Gump ran for Congress.

Sidney Smith
"For Congress Andy Gump"
Pinback

eBay

Sidney Smith
"'The News'
Andy Gump for Congress"
Pinback

eBay

What year did he run? There are conflicting reports from eBay:

Note: Mark Landsdown has posted his collection of Andy Gump pinbacks.

Attempted Bloggery's quick links:

Hillary Clinton

Donald Trump

The Presidency

Gus Edson

Butternut Bread

Robert Weber (1924-2016)

Attempted Bloggery's Presidential Index

02009

Friday, July 19, 2013

With Hearty Good Wishes

Four works of cartoon art inscribed to one Richard Portofee have been framed together and are offered for sale by Gallery of History, Inc. A boy playing the trombone has been inscribed and signed by cartoonist Chon Day. A drawing of Andy Gump by Gus Edson is very nicely personalized. A souvenir print of the Bumsteads from "Blondie" is likewise dedicated by Chic Young. A color illustration of characters from "The Katzenjammer Kids" beautifully inscribed by Harold H. Knerr rounds out the delightful quartet.

According to ancestry.com, Richard Portofee was born in 1926 in Mineola, Long Island. He graduated from Nutley High School in Nutley, NJ in 1944. This would have made him either 14 or 15 in 1941at the time he obtained the drawing from Harold Knerr. That sounds about right to me. (I think I started at 16.) There is no biographical information on whether he played the trombone, but I suspect he did.

The set is offered at $4,999, which sounds high to me. I'm never entirely sure whether I should be commenting on offering prices, but I do anyway. Look, it's easy for me sitting at my computer to say an asking price is too low or, more likely, too high, but usually I'm content to let the market sort all that out. Eventually, even expensive works of art offered for sale will sell, even if buyers and sellers have to negotiate a bit. It's simply not in a dealer's interest to offer works, even significant ones, at a price that no one will pay. That said, this is a fairly pricey offering.

Four framed works inscribed to Richard Portofee from cartoonists Chon Day, Gus Edson, Chic Young, and Harold Knerr.
Note the hinge discoloration at the corners of each.

Chon Day, original color illustration of a boy playing the trombone inscribed "Best Wishes to Richard/Chon Day"
A sterling example, incidentally, of poor watermark placement.

Gus Edson, Andy Gump from The Gumps says "I'm proud to include Richard Portofee among my friends!" Very nice.

Chic Young, a souvenir print of the Bumsteads from Blondie inscribed "To Richard Portofee" and signed

Harold Knerr, color drawing with the Katzenjammer Kids saying, "Gesundheit, Richard!"

Inscribed "To Richard Portofee--with hearty good wishes from-- Harold H. Knerr '41." A prize!

http://www.amazon.com/CARTOONISTS-EDSON-HAROLD-KNERR-YOUNG/dp/B009NK49P0

The framed cartoons are being simultaneously listed on Amazon and eBay. Does anyone see a potential problem with this?

http://www.amazon.com/CARTOONISTS-EDSON-HAROLD-KNERR-YOUNG/dp/B009NK49P0

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CARTOONISTS-CHON-DAY-GUS-EDSON-HAROLD-KNERR-CHIC-Y-/370085179781?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item562acbb185

July 17, 2016 Update: This piece has been discounted by about $500 and the watermarks have been removed from the eBay listing. On amazon.com, there is no discount and the watermarks remain.