Wallace Wood for Portage Porto-Ped Shoes

"The Abominable Squeaks." So reads the copy of a 1960s-era magazine advertisement for Portage Porto-Ped Shoes. Four vignettes by the formidable Mad magazine artist Wallace Wood depict the untold embarrassment of being the man whose shoes make too much noise. The bridegroom advancing nervously down the aisle, the doctor making night shift rounds on the hospital ward, the game hunter stealthily seeking his prey, even the zookeeper failing to mind his oversized charge—none are spared the indignity of these "abominable squeaks."

The shoes are now priced from $29.95 to $34.95, with the lower-end shoes more expensive than what was quoted in the, presumably earlier, 1967 pair of ads we saw in yesterday's post. Those, of course, were illustrated by The New Yorker's William Steig. Wood is the only cartoonist I have found other than Steig who contributed to these Porto-Ped ads and this single page is the only example I have located for him. But there could be others.

Wallace Wood
The Abominable Squeaks.
1960's-era advertisement for Portage Porto-Ped Shoes

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265845343823

Note:  As my sneakers silently convey me through the lands of vintage advertising and illustration, I am eager to hear of additional cartoon ads by Wallace Wood, William Steig, or perhaps others from this Portage Porto-Ped Shoes campaign.

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My Entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #985

In The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #985 from the issue of April 6, 2026, a couple stands in their backyard, wine glasses in hand, observing a bear playing a fife. The man speaks. My submission is below. The drawing is by Michael Maslin.

"Sooner or later we have to return him to Frontierland."

April 19, 2026 Update:  The Finalists

April 26, 2026 Update:  They are all good, but I voted for the caption from Boxborough.

May 2, 2026 Update:  The Winner

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W. B. Park: Two From Bakery Business

Two illustrations from the children's book Bakery Business (1983) by cartoonist W. B. Park were sold on eBay last fall.

This eBay seller, sellallucan, quirkily likes to photograph both the left and right sides of a given original. In this case, where allowance is made for the crease between the pages, that almost makes sense.

According to Park's biography on the book jacket flap, he resided in in Winter Park, Florida. The eBay seller is today located there. Of the many magazines his work appeared in, The New Yorker is, of course, listed first, followed by Smithsonian and Fortune. Surely TV Guide would have been worth a mention here as well.

W. B. Park
eBay listing ended September 25, 2025

https://www.ebay.com/itm/126632557218?_skw=

W. B. Park
eBay item description

W. B. Park
eBay listing ended October 3, 2025

https://www.ebay.com/itm/116295562231?_skw=

W. B. Park
eBay item description

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Lucretia J. Weed's Copy of Let's Boogie! by James Stevenson

James Stevenson inscribed a copy of Let's Boogie!, his 1978 cartoon collection from Dodd, Mead, to Lucretia J. Weed, publisher at Congdon & Weed. He included an inscription and a drawing of a bear, presumably the tee-shirted one from the cover. The book is no longer available.

Dedication to New Yorker cartoonist Frank Modell

"It's me again."

It's just going to continue and continue

James Stevenson
eBay listing accessed July 10, 2025

https://www.ebay.com/itm/405533342966?_skw=cartoon&itmmeta=01JZVRRE9XZXCWPPSQSDEAJPVK&hash=item5e6babbcf6:g:0zgAAOSwJgpnqPWb

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My Entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #923

In The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #923 from the issue of November 25, 2024, we have two bears sitting outdoors with two teddy bears. My submission is shown here. The drawing is by Ali Solomon.

"Nonsense, Ted—they're named for a president."

December 7, 2024 Update:  The Finalists

December 9, 2024 Update:  I voted for the caption from Sacramento.

December 23, 2024 Update:  The Winner

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The CartoonStock Cartoon Caption Contest No. 184

In the CartoonStock Caption Contest number 184, Goldilocks tries out a hot tub belonging to the three bears. Let's immerse ourselves.

The rules of the monthly cash prize contest have not changed (and neither has my description of them): Five dollars buys up to three entries. Real cash prizes are $500 for first place and $100 for each of five runners up. As of this writing, I've put $145 into the first twenty-nine pay-to-play contests and this thirtieth challenge brings my total cash outlay up to $150. Having achieved runner-up status with two previous entries, I've collected $200 from CartoonStock, so I'm still playing with the house's money, thank goodness. In fact, so few contestants enter that the odds may generally be considered favorable even for us less-gifted caption writers. My three entries are shown below, above the break. The cartoonist is Sarah Morrissette.

"By comparison, you aced the porridge."

"The temperature's just right, but the jet placement is plain wrong."

"Now bring me three Piña Coladas."

* * *

"Stop standing around and fetch me a fourth tub."

"How does 'None of the above' sound?"

September 30, 2024 Update:  The Winner

The Judges Deliberate

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Elise's Copies of Two Books by Milt Gross

Five years ago, PBA Galleries auctioned off two books by cartoonist Milt Gross with original drawings dedicated to either Elise or to Elise and Jimmy. The one for both of them is an atmospheric sketch of Hiawatta, to use Gross's singular spelling of Hiawatha, asleep in her hammock. The charming rendition is from Hiawatta and De Night in de Front from Chreesmas (1950). The other, for Elise alone, of a pipe-smoking pastry chef appears in a copy of I Shoulda Ate the Eclair (1946). Both books are signed simply Milt, indicating a personal relationship.

Milt Gross
PBA Galleries listing of April 19, 2018

https://www.pbagalleries.com/m/lot-details/index/catalog/450/lot/145979/Two-volumes-by-Milt-Gross-with-original-signed-pen-amp-ink-sketches

Note:  Milt Gross is one of those cartoonists in Michael Maslin's exclusive One Club, indicating that he had one and only one drawing published in the pages of The New Yorker. His style is, all things considered, pretty wild for that publication.

Many more books with original Gross sketches are no doubt out there, and I'd be happy to show a few of them here on the blog if anyone cares to submit some good images.

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