William Steig's Small Fry: Questioning of Prisoner

"Small Fry," William Steig's long-running series of drawings in The New Yorker, presented the lower-class children of the city engaged in play. At times, their activities reflected the darkening adult world around them. During the Second World War, for example, the cartoons took on more serious themes taken from the headlines. Questioning of prisoner, published in 1943, is a novel take on the effects of the war in Europe at home. The original art was sold last month at Swann Galleries in the Illustration Art sale.

"Small Fry"
Questioning of prisoner
William Steig
Original art
The New Yorker, February 13, 1943, p. 19

William Steig
Swann Galleries, Illustration Art, December 14, 2023
Hammer price

https://catalogue.swanngalleries.com/Lots/auction-lot/WILLIAM-STEIG-Questioning-of-Prisoner?saleno=2656&lotNo=75&refNo=810940

William Steig
Swann Galleries, Illustration Art
December 14, 2023
Price realized with buyer's premium

Drawings by George Price and William Steig

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1943-02-13/flipbook/018/

"Small Fry"
Questioning of prisoner
William Steig
Original art
The New Yorker, February 13, 1943, p. 19

"Small Fry"
Questioning of prisoner
William Steig
The New Yorker, February 13, 1943, p. 19

On the facing page, cartoonist George Price takes to the ski slopes, and there's a dark undertone to this drawing as well.

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E. Simms Campbell: Getting Frisky

Let's be clear:  the unbecoming conduct described in a 1938 Esquire cartoon by E. Simms Campbell would be regarded as unprofessional and, it is to be hoped, unacceptable according to any real-world police standards. But by the slightly less rigorous standards of a cartoon published in a leading men's magazine of the 1930s, we are, it seems, supposed to identify solely with the lecherous officers and to take pleasure in the pretty woman's predicament. The female subject under interrogation, if that's the word for it, is given about two thirds of the page, with the three policemen relegated to the remaining third. In addition, the woman shows more skin than the three men combined, and she is depicted from a high enough vantage point that we may more enjoy her discomfort and dishevelment. The ultimate insult to her—and indeed the very point of the cartoon—is that she is not smart enough to understand the ulterior motives behind what she has just been subjected to under the falsest of pretenses.

"Well[,] you've all frisked me! Now are you
convinced I haven't a gun!!"
E. Simms Campbell
Esquire, 1938

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1938-E-Simms-Campbell-Esquire-Comic-art-print-youve-all-frisked-me-police-woman/162979503660?hash=item25f255de2c:g:wOcAAOSwjX1aw76z

Note:  No doubt the very talented E. Simms Campbell (1906-1971) gave the Esquire reader what he wanted, and probably more so than any other cartoonist. Attempted Bloggery is hard at work bringing this often overlooked artist back into public view. Therefore readers with access to original works by this artist are asked to submit high-resolution scans or photographs for consideration on the blog. Images of long-forgotten published works such as this one are also welcome.

At post time, this old magazine page is still available for purchase on eBay, so gun for it if you wish.

In what issue of Esquire did this cartoon appear? If you know, I want to know.

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E. Simms Campbell

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Eldon Dedini's Recipe for Interrogation

You never can tell what ingredients go into a recipe. This original piece of cartoon art by Eldon Dedini was sold on eBay in early 2011 by seller Lyn Etcetera of West Hollywood. The price was $350 postpaid.

The drawing shows a police interrogation and the style suggests it is from the early-to-mid 1950's. The publication history is unknown. The drawing is dedicated by the artist to the Cronheims. The artwork itself is 10 3/4" high by 10 1/4" wide.

Eldon Dedini, "All right, you put in one cup of flour, 3 teaspoons
of vinegar, 4 eggs...then what did you put in?"

Private Collection, David from Manhattan

Inscribed "With my greetings/to the Cronheims!/Eldon Dedini"

Note:  I am once again indebted to David from Manhattan for sharing images of his private collection here. As always, anyone with information on when and where this drawing may have been published should get in touch. 

Previous blog posts with artwork by Eldon Dedini can be found here.

In honor of Election Day, don't miss these posts here.

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