Showing posts with label bathtub. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bathtub. Show all posts

Sunday, June 28, 2026

George Booth at "Drawn From The New Yorker: A Centennial Celebration"

Cartoonist George Booth (June 28, 1926-November 1, 2022) was born one-hundred years ago today. He is best known for his work in The New Yorker, a magazine that was one year of age when he was born and that got to celebrate its own centennial last year. The Society of Illustrators held a major exhibition in honor of the magazine, "Drawn From The New Yorker: A Centennial Celebration" curated by cartoonist Liza Donnelly. Three original Booth works were included.

Booth's cover art for the issue of February 16, 1976, has a dog and a cat sitting on an area rug facing away from each other. They are surrounded by ornate interior patterns. The animals do not seem to be paying attention to each other exactly, but then they cannot be said to be unaware of each other's presence. 
 
George Booth
Original art
The New Yorker,
February 16, 1976


George Booth
The New Yorker, February 16, 1976




A cartoon from the issue of August 13, 1973, is part of a recurring Booth scenario: a man sits in his bathtub talking about whatever is on his mind while his wife does housework. The home is illuminated by a bare light bulb and filled with cats. 

The artwork reveals Booth's use of patches on both the man and the woman to get their faces just how he wanted them. There is a pencil notation at the lower right that indicates where the signature was moved photographically for publication.

"How about supper in the tub tonight, Hon?"
George Booth
Original art
The New Yorker,
August 13, 1973, p. 78

"How about supper in the tub tonight, Hon?"
George Booth
The New Yorker,
August 13, 1973, p. 78

With a drawing by George Booth




Finally, there was a cartoon about making music and making dinner:
"Last call for stuffed peppers or I feed 'em to the dog!"
George Booth
Original art
The New Yorker, September 27, 1976, p. 37
Pussycats Need Love, Too, Dodd, Mead & Co., 1980

"Last call for stuffed peppers or I feed 'em to the dog!"
George Booth
The New Yorker, September 27, 1976, p. 37
Pussycats Need Love, Too, Dodd, Mead & Co., 1980



With a spot by Jeanine[?] and a drawing by George Booth






Note:  It turns out the stuffed peppers drawing was the subject of a blog post here four years ago for George Booth's ninety-sixth birthday.


In case you were wondering, there's a lot more Booth on the blog here. 






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Sunday, August 18, 2024

Peter Arno's Side-Show for March 1937

The March 1937 installment of Peter Arno's "Side-Show" is definitely a keeper. I'm keeping my copy. The magazine is College Humor. These Arno cartoons must have created a sensation among young readers, but they were never collected and have been lost to popular culture for many decades. My guess, though, is that the people who encountered these drawings when they were coming of age remembered them fondly for life.

"Hurry, dear! Our guests are beginning to arrive!"
Peter Arno
College Humor, March 1937, p. 18
 

"Gosh, I forgot to look at your teeth, didn't I?"
* * * 
"After the part where you tell them to 'speak now or forever hold their peace'—er—don't pause too long."

Peter Arno
College Humor, March 1937, p. 19



Here's the original art for each of these as seen on a 1985 contact sheet from the Nicholls Gallery:

"Hurry, dear! Our guests are beginning to arrive!"

"Gosh, I forgot to look at your teeth, didn't I?"

"After the part where you tell them to 'speak now or forever hold their peace'—er—don't pause too long."


Note:  For those keeping score at home, I am still looking for the published versions of three of the Peter Arno College Humor cartoons consigned to the Nicholls Gallery in 1985. There's also a "rather dumb" Otto Soglow psychoanalysis cartoon that should be in one of these issues as well.

"It's the master's idea—says it keeps them out of the Stork Club."
Peter Arno
Original art
College Humor, c. 1936-1937

"It isn't every student I'd let mark her own examination paper, Miss Dawson."
College Humor, c. 1936-1937


"You may shut off the heater now, Oglethorpe!"
Peter Arno
Original art
College Humor, c. 1936-1937




An organ grinder on the street feels sad that his monkey has more satisfying interactions with people than he does. He goes to a psychoanalyst and soon after changes places with the monkey.
"I think rather dumb." —Barbara Nicholls
Otto Soglow



So I'm keeping an eye out for "It's the master's idea—says it keeps them out of the Stork Club," "It isn't every student I'd let mark her own examination paper, Miss Dawson," and "You may shut off the heater now, Oglethorpe," but if any reader should already know where they are hiding out, please do tell.

All right, if you insist, I'll give you my own best guess for the location of these cartoons: College Humor, February 1937. Unfortunately, I don't see a copy currently available for sale but one was sold on eBay not all that long ago.
Modeled by Bil Baird
Color photo by Dudley Lee
College Humor, February 1937




College Humor, February 1937
eBay listing ended June 28, 2024

College Humor, February 1937
eBay item description





Here are some better images made with a scanner:

So please give a shout if you have a copy. And for heaven's sake, stay out of the Stork Club.


July 13, 2025 Update:  At long last, I can confirm that the three Arno cartoons are indeed from the February 1937 issue. I have made small corrections to the captions on the two horizontal cartoons.




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Sunday, June 27, 2021

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

With buyer's premium



Spot drawing by Lászlo Roth and cartoon by George Booth








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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Wednesday, March 18, 2020

The Cartoon Collections Caption Contest #67

This week I hope my entries in the Cartoon Collections Caption Contest #67 really clean up. The drawing is by John Klossner.

"I told you we could still have fun while social distancing."
"It's my turn to have the rubber ducky."
"Darling, could you run back to Manhattan for the bubble bath?"
"Do you still want to continue our trial separation?"





March 25, 2020 Update:  The Winner



Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:
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Sunday, August 19, 2018

Morny Fine Quality Bath Soaps

A full page ad for Morny bath soaps dating from 1940 demonstrates how to sell soap to New Yorker readers: make sure the temperature is just right.


Morny Fine Quality Bath Soaps
The New Yorker, November 9, 1940, page 63




Note:  Clothing, you may recall, is optional this week on Attempted Bloggery. Strip down to help combat global warming.


Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:


Advertising


Bathtubs

Nudes

Attempted Bloggery's Tepid Index

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Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Peter Arno's Hurried Note

As he [Peter Arno] told Joseph Mitchell:  "I don't think anything could be as much fun as to get a good hold on a pompous person and shake him or her until you can hear the false teeth rattling."
—Michael Maslin
Peter Arno: The Mad, Mad World of The New Yorker's Greatest Cartoonist

New York:  Regan Arts, 2016, p. 50

Who was Arno calling a pompous person? A woman languishing in her bath perhaps? Idly tasting bon-bons? Dangling a cigarette holder? Dictating a white lie to an amanuensis? What on earth could Arno be all fired up about?

"Er—'Dear Cousin Clara:  Just a hurried note before I catch my train'."
Peter Arno, Original art
The New Yorker, March 17, 1928, page 22

Swann Galleries, January 24, 2013, Sale 2300, Lot 100 with hammer price
With buyer's premium

"Er—'Dear Cousin Clara:  Just a hurried note before I catch my train'."
Peter Arno, The New Yorker, March 17, 1928, page 22

Note:  There are two things you can find a fair amount of around here:

Peter Arno

Original New Yorker cartoon art

Now would you please hand me the soap?

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Saturday, April 19, 2014

My Entry in the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #423

Those concerned about my declining prospects in the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest can breathe a sigh of relief that after two weeks of inexplicable flightiness I now have resumed my customary weekly submission. Nevertheless, I don't think my odds are too much better. Here is my entry for Contest #423 for April 14, 2014. The frothy drawing is by Gahan Wilson. The squeaky-clean caption is by me.

"May I get the parquet floor wet just this once?"


Here are a few other unused caption ideas of mine:
"Quick, Mavis, my Speedo!"
"Guess where the word creepy comes from?"
"Don't just stand there!  Lock the front door!"
"I'm taking the tub and leaving you."
"You know how you always say I'm getting carried away?"
"Care to join me?"
"You were right. We should have replaced it with a Jacuzzi."
"It's time for our walk."
"No, it's too late for bubbles."

April 25, 2014 Update:  The Finalists


May 5, 2014:  Winning Caption




Note:  Last week I didn't remember to submit my caption. No wonder I didn't become a finalist! Read the details of Contest #422 here. Turtle power!

If you'd like to see more posts about Gahan Wilson, you've come to the right place. See all the unsettling stuff here.

Gahan Wilson's New Yorker work is in the Condé Nast Collection here.

The website for the documentary "Gahan Wilson:  Born Dead, Still Weird" by Steven-Charles Jaffe is here. I don't think much is happening over there right now.

Gahan Wilson's 2009 radio interview on the Leonard Lopate Show is archived here.

You can find news about Gahan Wilson on Ink Spill here.

There are also a few illustrations by Gahan Wilson on The Pictorial Arts blog here.

Meanwhile, it's the last day of National Library Week. See my posts celebrating libraries here.

My Easter posts may be seen here.

You can still read my posts about Passover here.

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