William Steig: Marriage in the Balance

Another original New Yorker cartoon by William Steig, this one from 1969, was sold by Second Story Books on May 17. It had been collected by Neil and Susan Sheehan, she a writer for the magazine. One imagines they both appreciated the singular perspective on marriage the artist expressed in this drawing. 

William Steig
Original art
The New Yorker, November 22, 1969, p. 57

William Steig's signature

The price was $500. It was quickly sold.

William Steig
AbeBooks listing ended May 17, 2026

https://www.abebooks.com/art-prints/ORIGINAL-1969-NEW-YORKER-CARTOON-Signed/32447225940/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&ref_=pe_aep_AEP_wants_buyer-wants&cm_ite=viewbook#&gid=undefined&pid=1

The drawing looked great in print.

William Steig
The New Yorker, November 22, 1969, p. 57

William Steig
Original art
The New Yorker, November 22, 1969, p. 57

With cartoons by Edward Koren and William Steig

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1969-11-22/flipbook/056/

* * *

The Motion Picture Association of America introduced its voluntary film rating system in November of 1968. The four original ratings were G (for general audiences), M (for mature audiences), R (restricted, persons under age 16 not admitted without a parent or guardian), and X (those under 16 not admitted). Edward Koren's cartoon, on the page opposite the Steig, provides the artist's take on the new ratings one year in.

"It looks like an ⓧ rating to me."

Edward Koren

The New Yorker, November 22, 1969, p. 56

05271

James Thurber: Out of Fix

On June 13, 1934, an amendment to the Code was adopted, which established the Production Code Administration (PCA) and required all films released on or after July 1, 1934, to obtain a Seal of Approval before being released.

—Wikipedia

Leave it to the cartoonists of The New Yorker to find the humor in such moral high-handedness. And, in this case specifically, leave it to James Thurber, whose original cartoon art on the subject was sold yesterday at Heritage Auctions. He does have a way with domestic scenes.

"She's out of fix because they've cleaned up the movies."
Original art
James Thurber
The New Yorker, September 29, 1934, p. 13

What a great idea it was for Thurber to portray the indignation of the young girl here—she still has a doll!—the very sort of person the Hays Code was allegedly trying to protect. 

To me, it's an odd turn of phrase to say, "out of fix." It sounds wrong to my ear, but I take it to be close to "out of joint" or "bent out of shape."

"She's out of fix because they've cleaned up the movies."
Framed, original art
James Thurber
The New Yorker, September 29, 1934, p. 13

"October 6th or before," reads the notation on the back. The New Yorker knew it had a timely cartoon on its hands. It was published in the September 29 issue while the topic was still fresh in the public's mind.

Verso

James Thurber

Heritage Auctions listing accessed 22 days before the sale

https://fineart.ha.com/itm/mainstream-illustration/james-thurber-american-1894-1961-she-s-out-of-fix-new-yorker-cartoon-september-29-1934ink/a/8245-71294.s?ic=homepage-myrecommendations-IllustrationArt-item-052114&tab=MyRecommendations-080216

James Thurber
Heritage Auctions item description

The present work, of course, translates well onto the printed pages of The New Yorker:

"She's out of fix because they've cleaned up the movies."
James Thurber
The New Yorker, September 29, 1934, p. 13

"She's out of fix because they've cleaned up the movies."
Original art
James Thurber
The New Yorker, September 29, 1934, p. 13

With cartoons by Alain and James Thurber

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1934-09-29/flipbook/012/

Sold!

* * *

On the page opposite the Thurber drawing, that old romancer Alain gets a little forward with the body language. Thurber's body language by comparison is rather restrained, at least in this issue. 

            "Go on, don't give
me that personality stuff!"
Alain
The New Yorker, September 29, 1934, p. 12

Note:  This blog will remain out of fix indefinitely.

05252

My Entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #972

In The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #972 from the issue of December 15, 2025, two Godzillas are seated in a theater watching a Godzilla movie. The one on the right speaks. My entry appears below. The drawing is by Lonnie Millsap.

"How dare they call Tokyo the victim?"

These captions were poorly reviewed:

"I thought it was going to be a rom-com."
"It's a Spike-y joint."
"This is too intense. I'm going for popcorn."
"The camera adds ten tons."

January 10, 2026 Update:  The Finalists

January 17, 2026 Update:  I voted for the caption from Mineral Point.

January 24, 2026 Update:  The Winner

05163

Peter Arno: A Signed Publicity Still for "Artists and Models"

Peter Arno is one of six illustrators who appear together in a scene in the 1937 comedy "Artists and Models." The artists appear at a ball and draw Sandra Storme, "England's most famous model," supposedly to benefit a charity.

A publicity still from the movie is currently listed on eBay. It shows Arno pretending to draw Storme; his pencil point doesn't actually make contact with his sketch pad. The photo is signed by Arno and includes a small doodle of a woman's face.

Peter Arno and Sandra Storme

The photograph is priced at $4,000, although best offers will be entertained by the seller.

Peter Arno
eBay listing accessed July 4, 2025

https://www.ebay.com/itm/167431008348?

Peter Arno
eBay item description

I have added a detail of the inscription to someone named Joe taken from a previous eBay listing:

"To Joe
Best wishes
Peter
Arno"

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/peter-arno-artists-models-1937-1790188922

In the movie, the scene with the illustrators sketching Storme on stage at the ball begins at 1:18:37 and runs for five or six minutes through 1:23:50.

"Artists and Models" (1937)

"America's Leading Artists and Illustrators"

Peter Arno's drawing of Sandra Storme surrounded by artists

Peter Arno and Jack Benny

Later on during the day I posted this, the eBay seller made me an offer but—alas—it didn't move the needle.

February 23, 2026 Update:  The price has climbed a bit higher, an unfortunate sign of the times.

04992

How to Murder a Rich Uncle: Charles Addams Preliminary Art

An original drawing by Charles Addams is currently listed on eBay by an established seller with the all-too-convenient name masteraddamsgreatescape. The 15" x 16" (by sight) work is framed and double-matted. It carries the hefty asking price of $35,000. The seller lists it as PUBLISHED—just like that, in all caps—but has not backed up that assertion with any evidence, even in lower-case.

Now, Addams's classic published cartoon panels are usually in the medium of ink and wash en grisaille on paper. The work in question is a detailed pencil drawing far more typical of an Addams rough.

Of course, this might not be a freestanding cartoon panel at all. The two malevolent onlookers are in no way essential to the humor of the piece. What we have here must be a story illustration of some sort.

The cutaway wall is a seldom-used device in cartoons coming, perhaps, from the stage. It is hard to visualize how this drawing might have been done without it.

Charles Addams
eBay listing accessed May 28, 2025

https://www.ebay.com/itm/116492511122?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D777008%26algo%3DPERSONAL.TOPIC%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20250324084321%26meid%3D874440461ddb4618aa5b900beaba9986%26pid%3D101949%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D1%26itm%3D116492511122%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D4375194%26algv%3DRecentlyViewedItemsV2WithMLRPboosterAndUpdatedFeatures_BP&_trksid=p4375194.c101949.m162918&_trkparms=parentrq%3A19dcb5701970a62e2b65507cffffcd12%7Cpageci%3A50fa6bf5-3c34-11f0-bbfa-0af78e789258%7Ciid%3A1%7Cvlpname%3Avlp_homepage

Charles Addams
eBay item description
"Looks incredible hanging on the wall or in the mancave . . . "

Just maybe the seller is aware that the asking price is on the high side. I received a "special offer" to buy the item at a discount. The deal, alas, is expiring today:

Why then have a pencil drawing so detailed that the seller believes it was actually published in this form? The answer is that this is a preliminary design for a movie poster. As such, it would have had to go through a thorough approval process with the studio. Here is the finished version of the poster art:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050527/

"How to Murder a Rich Uncle"
Charles Addams
Preliminary poster art
1957

The finished art was also printed on a lobby card. This one is currently listed on eBay:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/401054484780

The movie used another Addams design as well:

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0050527/mediaviewer/rm933018625/

August 17, 2025 Update:  The eBay seller must have seen my post. Now he knows this was created for a movie and he almost has the title right. He bought a set of lobby cards to include with the framed art. He still calls this a published pencil drawing—and it is still a rough. He has made the 12% discount available to all comers, but the price still seems on the high side.

Note:  If you have some original Charles Addams art of your own hanging in the mancave and you can think of a blog more worthy of posting it than this one, by all means forward your images there. Otherwise, I await your submission.

04960

W. B. Park: Outside the Movie House

A 1994 New Yorker cartoon by W. B. Park takes us out to the cinema—if there's any doubt, its name is The Cinema. But more important is what's currently showing at the movie house and who's going to see it. Park's original art was sold on eBay in February.

Health Plan:  The Movie
W. B. Park
Original art
The New Yorker, February 21, 1994, p. 114

The drawing needs no caption. At first it looks as if the movie marquee is the joke. Then we see the people standing in the ticket line, and one in particular. This serves as a one-two punch: setup and payoff.

Detail of moviegoers

Detail of motor vehicles with W. B. Park's signature

Wrapper

Verso

p h W. B. Park eBay listing ended February 15, 2025 https://www.ebay.com/itm/196479711123?_skw=signed+Yorker&itmmeta=01JSNF235573MCRCFXAEN63A24&hash=item2dbf1a7793:g:G2cAAOSwG6lmhI0F&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA8FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1dJTtWTViH0iqUnN%2Bq5c86pQLz7weYx5VaXbtlSi5L0WDc5wUoxrihJnRWVkNbbSZJfEslDPEe7EdhsB5DbYnzPVTfkdARSvmH1JLDmAbN8xp4YfqeRV%2FFHq4uwEMbOtBzc QEBQs0%2Ff0VRyKP5gRe92jFKX9NEtuw2a3Dwa2YwsNX1E40mtZqpgSdhGOvdeMCLtbftNqYXuIruS%2FpA4AYBR4xaCfCdCBR%2BXLMAS0%2B5GdQI%2BBI4EyzmXOKC6QWmKm9Vm2bY639Spg%2BpTV1wJbW3MqPl0qwUO8jtrKaNSbI35HQ%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR96yiK_NZQ

W. B. Park
eBay item description

[End of eBay listing]

Here it is in the magazine:

Health Plan:  The Movie
W. B. Park
The New Yorker, February 21, 1994, p. 114

Health Plan:  The Movie W. B. Park Original art The New Yorker, February 21, 1994, p. 114

With a cartoon by W. B. Park and an illustration by Jonathan Rosen https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1994-02-21/flipbook/114/

* * * 

And, for those who may not be interested in health plans, let me just go off on a visual tangent from book review on the facing page: 

Louis Althusser
Jonathan Rosen
The New Yorker, February 21, 1994, p. 115

04946