Now We Are Six

E. H. Shepard, "The Morning Walk"
A. A. Milne, Now We Are Six, 1927, pages 84-85

http://www.childrensbooksonline.org/Now_We_are_Six/pages/51_Now_We_are_Six.htm

E. H. Shepard, "Anne's Balloon"
A. A. Milne, Now We Are Six, 1927, page 86

http://www.childrensbooksonline.org/Now_We_are_Six/pages/52_Now_We_are_Six.htm

Now we are six. Six years ago today, your mild-mannered cartoon correspondent brought into being a brand spanking new blog. Yes, you're looking at it now. This sixth anniversary finds me on the cusp of meeting some long-term goals, goals I once foolishly expected I could meet handily more than a year earlier, but which have come to mean less and less to me over time. Hitting a million page views on the blog, for one, makes for a nice round number indeed, but it is hardly a ringing endorsement when only thirty-four people worldwide have opted to follow the blog after six years. Similarly, winning five thousand Twitter followers sounds impressive enough, but it has done very little to drive new traffic to the blog. Rather, I seem to have gotten caught up in a senseless churning process on Twitter where accounts follow me for little reason other than that I will follow them in return. Thus the engagement on Twitter isn't all that much better than when I had but a few hundred followers who were more interested in my actual posts.

Attempted Bloggery All-Time Overview Stats
June 23, 2017

Twitter Followers, June 23, 2017

More to my usual point, Now We Are Six, the title of this post, is first and foremost the title of A. A. Milne's 1927 book of children's verse. Three original illustrations by E. H. Shepard from "The Morning Walk" sequence were sold as a set at Sotheby's in 2012.

E. H. Shepard, "The Morning Walk"
Original art
A. A. Milne, Now We Are Six, 1927

E. H. Shepard, "When Anne and I go out a walk"
Original art
A. A. Milne, Now We Are Six, 1927

E. H. Shepard, "Anne's balloon"
Original art
A. A. Milne, Now We Are Six, 1927

E. H. Shepard
Sotheby's Item Description, December 12, 2012

http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2012/english-literature-history-l12408/lot.184.html

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

E. H. Shepard

A. A. Milne

Anniversaries

Attempted Bloggery's Ambulatory Index

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Ronald Searle: Bloomsday

Ronald Searle's 1973 lithograph Bloomsday is Joycean in name only. It is an urban parable featuring an unruly horde of men in business suits fleeing madly at the appearance of a perfect rose over the business district. Searle wants us to remember how to appreciate nature, beauty, and simplicity, things that don't necessarily have a monetary value.

Ronald Searle
Bloomsday, 1973, edition of 99

http://www.art-of-illustration.co.uk/Ronald_Searle/Bloomsday/2039/100/default.aspx

In Blog Post 1400, I chose Bloomsday 2016 as the day I would endeavor to attain my goal of reaching 1,000,000 page views. It didn't happen. Instead I'm at about 769,000, which is more or less where I really expected to be by now. That's just fine with me. I suppose I could reset the million-view goal for a later date, but I no longer see the point. The blog is pretty much what I want it to be already, and whether I entice viewers here en masse through social media seems relatively unimportant. Put another way, it's time to stop and smell the roses.

Note:  Click the aqua link for more posts about Ronald Searle and then ask yourself how I don't have a million page views yet.

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And What Brings You Here?

I'm always fascinated by what keyword searches bring readers to this blog. I'm delighted that over the past week Google sent people my way who were interested in the work of Saul Steinberg, Charles Addams, Gluyas Williams, and Charles M. Schulz, the latter in three distinct searches. I've put a fair amount of effort into chronicling these artists and it's wonderful that Google recognizes this. I'm also pleased that certain Disney topics I've covered here are recalled at the appropriate time by Google's well-tuned search engine. While it's no surprise that a search for attempted bloggery brings traffic directly here, the miracle is that anyone is searching those keywords at all.

I'm baffled though that at least one person searched for anime spanking and landed on this blog. For the record, I claim no expertise in the field of anime spanking and don't pretend this blog could rank as an authority on the subject.

Attempted Bloggery Traffic Sources December 25, 2015 to January 1, 2016 Search Keywords

That data was copied on New Year's Day. Blogger constantly revises its statistics and one day later there's evidence of a different keyword search directing people here, playboy spank cartoons. All praise to Google, as I actually do have a post—just one, mind you—on this topic! 

Attempted Bloggery Traffic Sources December 26, 2015 to January 2, 2016 Search Keywords

Note:  If you absolutely must, here's my lone blog post that seems to be bedazzling Google's search engine on the subject of cartoon spanking. After all, why else would you be here?

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The Missing 1,800 Twitter Followers

By January 16, 2015, I had reached 1071 Twitter followers and I set myself an admittedly ambitious goal.

My Twitter Stats as of January 16, 2015

This goal was that I would add about ten followers each day and that I then would reach some 5,000 Twitter followers handily by January 1, 2016. This in turn would generate a large increase in traffic to this blog, as I would promote it daily with an unending stream of brilliantly compelling tweets. It seemed like a good enough plan, but things didn't quite work out as foreseen. In fact, I'm about 1,800 Twitter followers shy of my goal. What happened?

One of the easiest ways to add more followers—or so it seemed—is to follow more Twitter accounts yourself and hope they follow you back. Unfortunately, this strategy falls apart once you follow 2,000 accounts as the total number of accounts you can have subsequently is limited to no more than ten percent more than the number of accounts already following you. This forces a sudden change in Twitter strategy to include more aggressive unfollowing of accounts which don't readily reciprocate your interest. The end result for me is that I could get just a little more than halfway to my goal of 5,000 followers by yesterday's deadline. 

My Twitter Stats as of January 1, 2016

Even more perplexing, despite my generating almost 6,000 more-or-less earthshaking tweets last year, my blog readership remained unchanged at 15,000 page views each month, give or take.

Attempted Bloggery All-Time Page Views

I hate falling behind. Going forward, I'm going to continue to try to grow my Twitter followers. My new goal is belatedly to reach those 5,000 total Twitter followers by Columbus Day 2016. That should be a piece of cake. What could possibly go wrong?


Note:  Regarding social media, I'm active mostly on Twitter and Google+. I'm not really sure what the others are for.
Follow me on Google+.

Follow me on Instagram.
Pinterest pins from this blog

Follow me on Tumblr.

Follow me on Twitter.

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The Best Attempted Bloggery Posts of 2015

Can you keep a secret? Well, I don't really know if these are absolutely my best blog posts of 2015, but they are my favorites. For each example you can go directly to the entire post by following the aqua links.


You Win Some...
Can you trust an Abe Books description without a photo? Should you spend money based solely upon it? I investigated enticing Abe Books listings on two consecutive days with interesting results. I plan to come back to this subject in 2016. Watch for it...

Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats T. S. Eliot Calendar for 1991
Signed by Edward Gorey

Kings Don't Carry Money Signed with a Drawing by Charles Barsotti
I'm the first to admit that I'm fascinated by minutiae. This book showed how even a trivial original drawing can bring delight. This is the first original drawing in a book by Charles Barsotti I've seen. It's nothing momentous, but it doesn't have to be.

Charles Barsotti, Kings Don't Carry Money. New York:  Dodd, Mead & Co., 1981. Front cover.

A Ronald Searle Valentine:  39 Steps...
I love so many of the artists on this blog, but for me it just doesn't get better than Ronald Searle.

Ronald Searle, 39 Steps...

Ninety Years Ago at Your Newsstand

I got this idea that I was going to show a bunch of magazine covers that might have been on newsstands in 1925 alongside the first issue of the New Yorker. It was a good idea, I think, but probably too time consuming to attempt repeating for other key dates.

Ralph Barton, "Meet the Editors," Judge, February 21, 1925

A Look at the New Yorker's First Issue

The New Yorker turned ninety this year. I decided to have look at what was inside the magazine. I kept it up for twelve glorious issues.

Rea Irvin, The New Yorker, February 21, 1925

Saul Steinberg: The American Sketchbook

Hallmark published annual calendars in the 1960's featuring artwork by Saul Steinberg. I was not aware of these until I started to blog about them.

Saul Steinberg, The American Sketchbook, 1968

A Look at the New Yorker's Second Issue

In the magazine's second issue, art world luminary Eugene Speicher was caricatured by Miguel Covarrubias. I compared contemporary sale prices for nudes by both artists. Just guess who's worth more today.

Miguel Covarrubias in Bali
Carrying the idea forward, I unearth four different versions of a Balinese bather by Covarrubias.

Miguel Covarrubias, Balinesa, c. 1934

Edward Koren:  Do You Want To Talk About It? Personalized Review Copy
This copy of the book is embellished by both Edward Koren and Calvin Trillin. It may be unique.

Edward Koren, Do You Want To Talk About It? 1976

Saul Steinberg's Mural of Cincinnati

A not-quite-lost masterwork.

Saul Steinberg, Mural of Cincinnati

The New Yorker Cartoons of the Year 2014
I didn't review the 2014 annual until 2015. Now the 2015 edition is out and I haven't gotten to it yet. Some things don't change.

The New Yorker Cartoons of the Year 2014
Cartoon by J. C. Duffy

Bob Mankoff for President
Back in March I made my first Presidential endorsement. I should probably stay out of politics.

Bob Mankoff, Bob Mankoff for President
Signed drawing in The New Yorker Cartoon Yearbook 2007

My Entries in the Moment Cartoon Caption Contest for January/February 2015

This is the second caption contest I ever won.

Captioning:  Learning from George Booth
A lesson in cartoon captioning from the master.

Barbara Shermund's Big-Game Hunter
Presenting preliminary New Yorker cartoon art by Barbara Shermund. It's what I do.

Barbara Shermund, "Come, Toby--Mr. Macspratton won't hurt you."
Preliminary art. The New Yorker, October 20, 1934, page 23

City Cyclists: Charles Saxon Original New Yorker Cover Art

Original New Yorker cover art by Charles Saxon is bought for a song.

Charles Saxon, Original art, The New Yorker, June 17, 1985

Al Hirschfeld:  The Algonquin Round Table
Everything you need to know about the classic image. Lunch?

Al Hirschfeld, The Algonquin Round Table, lithograph, edition of 110

Where's Miley?
My caption contest entry is the opposite of the winning caption.

A Look at the New Yorker's Twelfth Issue:  May 9, 1925

This is the final issue from the New Yorker's first year that I got to review. From here it's possible to follow the links back through all twelve issues.

Rea Irvin, The New Yorker, May 9, 1925

Whitney Darrow, Jr.:  The Very Rich Collector
Whitney Darrow shows us what it's like for the art collector with an awful lot of money.

A Piano Recital with Whitney Darrow, Jr.
If you were a really good friend of Whitney Darrow's this is what he might have drawn in your copy of his book if you played your cards right.

Whitney Darrow, Jr. "You're Sitting on my Eyelashes" (1943) inscribed "Best regards to Button + Dave from Whitney"

Ex-collection the Mary Faulconer Estate
Scan courtesy of David from Manhattan

The Dutch Treat Club 1946 Yearbook
I still can't believe what Edward, Duke of Windsor, signed.

Signature of Edward, Duke of Windsor

A Good Copy of the June 20, 1925 Issue of the New Yorker

Go ahead, guess what it sold for!

H. O. Hofman, The New Yorker, June 20, 1925

Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks 2015
This was perhaps my final visit to the great fireworks show.

The fireworks

Photo by Marc Hoffman

Norman Rockwell's Portrait of America
I eat in the best dining rooms!

Norman Rockwell, Portrait of America

Michael Crawford:  The Ethical Appropriator

Cartoonist Michael Crawford knocks my socks off with his paintings.

Michael Crawford, (after Chuck Close), Rauschenberg Minus Nebraska

The New Yorker Book of Political Cartoons Signed by Hillary Clinton

Don't miss this:  a cartoon book signed and inscribed by Hillary Clinton as Senator-elect. 

The New Yorker Book of Political Cartoons (2000)

Blog Post No. 1600:  "The Big Bang Theory's" Homage to Charles Addams
The geeky TV show makes a reference to a classic Charles Addams cartoon and your blogger takes note.

"A death ray?"

Rea Irvin and Al Hirschfeld: Harold Ross as Eustace Tilley

Two artists depict Ross as Tilley.

Al Hirschfeld "+ R. I.," Harold Ross from The Vicious Circle:  The Story of the Algonquin Round Table, 1951

License Plate for Captain Spaulding

Hooray for Captain Spaulding!

"SHNORER"

New Jersey license plate

Charles Addams:  Yes, The New Yorker

Uncle Fester in a vintage ad for the New Yorker.

Delia Ephron and Edward Koren:  Do I Have to Say Hello?
Mr. Koren draws.

2015 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloon Inflation
America's favorite balloons get inflated.

Snoopy and Woodstock

Old Mill:  Arthur Getz Original New Yorker Cover Art
A rare blog post with both original New Yorker cover art and preliminary art.

Arthur Getz, Original art, The New Yorker, September 1, 1980

Lurch as Santa:  Daise Terry's Copy of Addams and Evil
With an original book illustration by Charles Addams.

Charles Addams, Lurch as Santa Claus, inscribed "New York/1947/For Daise Terry/Merry Christmas/Chas Addams" in Addams, Charles. Addams and Evil, New York:  Random House, 1947

Note:  Whew! See also last year's highlights.

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