Rowland B. Wilson: Going Electric

Bob Dylan went electric in July of 1965. Rowland B. Wilson's Spanish serenader took a few more years to reach that milestone, but he arrived there in October of 1969 when a certain cartoon appeared in Playboy. The original magazine art demonstrates Wilson's customary mastery of local costume and architectural detail. It was sold on July 17 at Heritage Auctions.

Rowland B. Wilson
Original art
Playboy, October 1969

Rowland B. Wilson
Heritage Auctions listing accessed July 13, 2024

https://comics.ha.com/itm/original-comic-art/illustrations/rowland-b-wilson-playboy-single-panel-gag-cartoon-illustration-original-art-hmh-1969-/a/322429-48266.s?ic16=ViewItem-Auction-Open-JumpLot-PreviousLot-050318

Rowland B. Wilson
Heritage Auctions item description

Sold!

Note:  I'm quite happy to use this blog to celebrate the artistry of the talented Rowland B. Wilson. If you send me scans or photos, I'll plug them right in.

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The CartoonStock Cartoon Caption Contest No. 171

It's time for some good clean fun with the CartoonStock Caption Contest #171. A musician takes the stage along with a washer and dryer. The rules of the monthly cash prize contest haven't changed of late: five dollars still buys up to three and only 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 $80 into the first sixteen pay-to-play contests and this seventeenth one brings my cash outlay up to $85. But I've won $200 in previous contests, so I'm still doing very well. In fact, so few contestants enter that the odds are actually quite good. "May the odds be ever in your favor" applies here as well as in The Hunger Games, maybe more so here. My three entries are shown below, above the break. The cartoonist is Ivan Ehlers.

"Is anyone else here picking up good vibrations?"
"I put the band together when I was working for Maytag."
"Who's ready to shake, rattle and roll?"
* * *
"It's laundry day, so now I've got to bare more than my soul."

September 26, 2023 Update:  The Winner

The Judges Deliberate

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My Entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #850

Death really rocks in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #850 from the issue of May 22, 2023 and one distraught neighbor has something to say about it. My caption is shown below. The drawing is by Pia Guerra and Ian Boothby.

"Don't you have anything better to do?"

June 4, 2023 Update:  The Finalists

June 10, 2023 Update:  I voted for the caption from Montclair.

 

June 12, 2023 Update:  The Winner

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My Entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #723

Take five for my entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #723 dated September 7, 2020. The drawing of animals in a recording studio is by Tim Hamilton.

"It's as if they never learned how to play together."

These captions couldn't carry a tune:

"What did I tell you? Better than Alvin."
"I like that not one song is audible to humans."

September 14, 2020 Update:  The Finalists

September 21, 2020 Update:  I voted, possibly too late, with West Hartford.

September 29, 2020 Update:  The Winner

Note:  This is Tim Hamilton's first appearance on the blog. I met him at the last MoCCA Fest—almost bought one of his books.

Last week in the Caption Contest, cartoonist Teresa Burns Parkhurst showed us why piano movers need to keep up their insurance payments. My caption was strictly a liability. How do you get to Contest #722? Practice!


Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives

Dogs

Cats

Fish

The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest

The Moment Magazine Cartoon Caption Contest

The Cartoon Collections Caption Contest

All the Above Cartoon Caption Contests and More

Attempted Bloggery's Harmonically-Challenged Index

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My Entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #710

Shh! Don't disturb my entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #710 for March 18, 2020. The drawing is by Julia Suits.

"He does too know we're here."

May 25, 2020 Update:  The Finalists

June 1, 2020 Update:  I voted with Chicago.


June 15, 2020 Update:  The Winner

Note:  In last week's Caption Contest, cartoonist P. C. Vey summoned the elevator from hell. I suppose my caption wasn't hot enough. Take a ride down (not down memory lane, just down) with Contest #709.


Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives

Julia Suits

Birds

Guitars

The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest

The Moment Magazine Cartoon Caption Contest

The Cartoon Collections Caption Contest

All the Above Cartoon Caption Contests and More

Attempted Bloggery's Bluesy Index

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Gregory d'Alessio: Classical Guitarist

In 1946, illustrator Gregory d'Alessio helped found the Society of the Classic Guitar. His drawing of a classical guitarist dates from that year and reflects one of the artist's passions. A veteran of magazine covers for the New Yorker and Collier's, d'Alessio was an accomplished illustrator, although he isn't very well-known today. The framed and matted drawing from the estate of painter and graphic designer Claus Hoie (1911-2007) was sold in 2010 for only $60 including the buyer's premium. For those who think original art by talented artists is unattainable, this piece is a good example of how affordable an original, heartfelt work can be.

iGavel Auctions
March 23, 2010

http://bid.igavelauctions.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=1733914

Note:  Attempted Bloggery is eager to publish scans or photographs of original art by Gregory d'Alessio and other New Yorker artists. Clippings of rare, published cartoons and illustrations from other publications are always eagerly welcome here.

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives

Gregory d'Alessio

Guitar

Attempted Bloggery's Fretful Index

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William Steig's Singing Hillbilly

This spirited drawing of a hillbilly recording himself singing and playing the guitar was created by William Steig,  who was born on this day in 1907. It was probably published in Collier's around 1956. The original artwork was offered for sale by Taraba Illustration Art on October 21, 2011 and sold within a few short months. I've preserved the text from the original listing below.

Artist: William Steig (1907-2003)

Description: Hillbilly playing guitar for tape recorder.

Caption: not known
Publication information: Most likely for Collier's magazine, ca. 1956.
Medium: Pen and ink, wash en grisaille
Size: 6.25 x 7”
Signature: Signed lower right.
Condition: Overall very good, light discoloration to sheet, registration marks could easily be matted out, not framed.
Comment: Here's a nice whimsical cartoon that should be pretty much perfect for anyone in the music industry. For that matter, think of the movie Oh Brother, Where Art Thou... if you know anyone who was involved in that classic, wouldn't this make a nice gift?
Price: $550

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