Attempted Bloggery: mika-1234

Showing posts with label mika-1234. Show all posts

Saturday, January 5, 2019

John Ruge: Radio Daze

Before television came on the scene, the living room radio console was a major fixture in home entertainment. Times may have changed, but at least one thing hasn't: people still can't agree on which station to tune in to.

"What say we try one Sunday evening without him?"
John Ruge
Original cartoon art
Collier's

Detail

John Ruge's signature

Detail

Collier's label

John Ruge
eBay Listing Ended December 16, 2018

https://www.ebay.com/itm/John-Ruge-Listed-Artist-1948-Colliers-Cartoon-Illustration-Drawing-3-/123530592762?hash=item1cc2ff41fa%3Ag%3AMcYAAOSw3T5cCaAy&nma=true&si=YQGb25QThn5Fxe78BW8tTy6VzZY%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

John Ruge
eBay Item Description

John Ruge
eBay Bid History
Three bids double the initial offering price.

Note: This cartoon was no doubt published in Collier's, but when and on what page? Anyone?

Of the four works of reportedly original art by John Ruge listed and sold by eBay seller mika-1234, the cartoon labeled #1, above, is actually not by John Ruge. Read all about it and its cartoonist here.

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

John Ruge

Original Cartoon Art

Collier's

Attempted Bloggery's Sleepless Index

02791

Friday, January 4, 2019

John Ruge: Fate?

A work of original cartoon art by John Ruge shows off his skilled draftsmanship. Details of dress, hairstyle, and technology make the drawing very evocative of its time. A pair of bobby soxers listen to records on a portable phonograph and share their musing on—what else?—fate.

The album of record sleeves made transporting LPs easy, but most people wanted to keep the album covers too for their art and informative liner notes. The portable record player was solid but it might not have withstood a pair of feet pushing against it while a record was spinning on the turntable.

"Oh, I still think it was fate with me and Bob, too,—but a temporary fate."
John Ruge
Original art

"Oh, I still think it was fate with me and Bob, too,—but a temporary fate."
John Ruge

Original art

Detail of the speaker

Detail of the listener

John Ruge's signature

Verso

John Ruge
eBay Listing Ended December 16, 2018

https://www.ebay.com/itm/John-Ruge-1940-s-Listed-Artist-Illustration-Cartoon-Gouache-Girls-Records-LPs-2-/372526961092?hash=item56bc5651c4%3Ag%3AXEMAAOSw8hdcCZ1j&nma=true&si=YQGb25QThn5Fxe78BW8tTy6VzZY%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

John Ruge
eBay Item Description

John Ruge
eBay Bid History
Three bids are placed in the final ten seconds.

Note: This cartoon was evidently published. The question is where and when. Anybody recognize it?

Of the four works of John Ruge original art listed and sold by eBay seller mika-1234, the cartoon labeled #1 is actually not by John Ruge. Find out who created it here.

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

John Ruge

Original Cartoon Art

Attempted Bloggery's Index That's Meant to Be

02790

Saturday, December 29, 2018

eBay 101: Naming Names

The title of an eBay listing this past month seems pretty straightforward: "John Ruge Listed Artist 1940's WWII WPA Era Cartoon Illustration Pepsi Cola #1." That #1 indicates this is one of four eBay listings with original art by John Ruge. Here's what his signature looks like in listing #2:

John Ruge's signature

Note that eBay listing #1 has a markedly different signature. Attentive readers of this blog may recognize it instead as the signature of cartoonist William Von Riegen. Like John Ruge's signature, it contains the letter R. All right, to be fair, if you were the eBay seller and if you didn't have three examples of John Ruge's signature right in front of you, you might be able to convince yourself that William Von Riegen's signature reads John Ruge.

"But, Sarge, someone had to come along to take back the empty bottles."
William Von Riegen
Original advertising art

So, is this a freestanding magazine gag cartoon? Or is it an example, rather, of advertising art, as I am suggesting? Von Riegen has written Pepsi Cola on the label of just about every bottle. To me, that degree of deliberate product placement constitutes advertising until proven otherwise.

"But, Sarge, someone had to come along to take back the empty bottles."
William Von Riegen
Original advertising art

Note how loosely yet skillfully Von Riegen handles facial expression, posture, hands, clothing folds, uniforms, military equipment, and all those soda bottles.

"But, Sarge, someone had to come along to take back the empty bottles."
William Von Riegen
Original advertising art

Not John Ruge's signature:

Signature of William Von Riegen

It's remarkable how well Von Riegen handles the three-dimensionality of his characters's heads, and especially their lips:

Detail

There's a good variation in tone throughout:

Detail

The name of the product appears multiple times.

Detail

Almost all the bottles are at an angle, ensuring that the image does not appear static.

Detail

The back of the art contains no hint as to where this might have been published.

Verso

William Von Riegen
eBay Listing Ended December 16, 2018

https://www.ebay.com/itm/John-Ruge-Listed-Artist-1940-s-WWII-WPA-Era-Cartoon-Illustration-Pepsi-Cola-1-/123530575748?hash=item1cc2feff84%3Ag%3AYNsAAOSwIkNcCZbR&nma=true&si=YQGb25QThn5Fxe78BW8tTy6VzZY%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

William Von Riegen
eBay Item Description

William Von Riegen
eBay Bid History
One bid just four seconds before the auction closes. Well done.

In summary then, only three of these four John Ruge eBay listings are actually by John Ruge:

Note: This piece apparently dates from World War II. Does anyone know the specifics of where it was published? Are there other known examples of Pepsi advertising by William Von Riegen, if that is indeed what this is?