License Plate for Mr. Fahrenheit?

Here's another local license plate. Don't stop me now.

"SPRSONIC"
New York State license plate

04253

James Stevenson: Flush Royals

"It's good to be the king."

—Mel Brooks

History of the World, Part 1 (1981)

And queen, I might add. New Yorker cartoonist James Stevenson (1929-2017) demonstrates that there might be a better word to describe royals than flush:

"Don't you love being upscale?"
James Stevenson
Original art
The New Yorker, July 28, 1986, p. 35

Stevenson's caption, like Brooks's above quotation, relies on understatement for its comic effect. It looks to have been written with a felt tip pen. Unlike the rest of the cartoon, it is quite faded although still legible. The original art was sold at auction two weeks ago, in Norwalk. 

The faded caption

The king and queen stand out. The perspective of the composition makes them the two largest figures. The contrasting shading distinguishes them from all the others, and from each other. The perspective also creates a potential problem: we could be looking at the royals from behind. Stevenson solves this by having the king, who is speaking, turn toward the queen—and also toward our vantage point. Thus we get to see his face in three-quarter view.

Detail of the royal couple

The attendants are drawn loosely and indistinctly. There is even a sameness to their shading.

Detail of the attendants

Detail of the minstrels' gallery

Detail of the rafters

James Stevenson's signature

Copyright notice

Verso

James Stevenson

Westport Auction listing accessed October 26, 2022

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/james-stevenson-1929-2017-original-new-yorker-75-c-422448ebeb?objectID=174756141&algIndex=upcoming_lots_prod&queryID=d67e9e7db94dc45b6792afa12092de92

Sold!

"Don't you love being upscale?"
James Stevenson
Original art
The New Yorker, July 28, 1986, p. 35

Cartoons by Bob Mankoff and James Stevenson

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1986-07-28/flipbook/034/

Note:  This blog thrives on original art. I'd like to receive images of original work by James Stevenson for future posts.

Dots all, folks!

04135

Joe Dator: Throne Room Upgrade

The original art to Joe Dator's New Yorker cartoon of March 15, 2021 was sold by the artist on January 8 for an eBay best offer somewhere under $750. That's a royally good deal.

"How do you like the standing throne?"
Joe Dator
Original art
The New Yorker, March 15, 2021, page 53

The composition makes use of many diagonal lines from the upper left to the lower right, emphasized by strong shading. 

Detail

Joe Dator's signature

On the back is an unfinished drawing. Is it the beginning of a desert island cartoon?

Verso

Joe Dator
eBay listing ended January 8, 2022

https://www.ebay.com/itm/284599135758?hash=item42436e2e0e%3Ag%3Ax70AAOSwzDxh2JqS&nma=true&si=64J6TuENCQvl%252FEQuIbsoMEcDQlw%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Joe Dator
eBay item description

04031

Fun with James Stevenson

A cartoon for the New Yorker's January 5, 1987 issue exemplifies the best qualities that the late James Stevenson (1929-2017) brought to the art form. Here there are exquisite subtleties in tone and substance conveyed through solid draughtsmanship and caption-writing. Somehow his quick, sketchy ink-and-wash rendering conveys the architectural grandeur of the throne room, the formal intimacy of the royal couple, and the self-absorption of the king. The caption, neatly divided into two parts, goes suddenly from the formal to the informal, from the serious to the frivolous. The two halves are separated by an ellipsis in the original art and by an em dash in the published version. The overall effect appears effortless.

The original art was in the collection of publisher James H. Heineman (1917-1994) who evidently kept collecting into his seventies. In 2010 it was offered for sale at $1300 by James Cummins Bookseller. The artwork measures 13 1/2 x 15 1/2 inches. According to Mr. Heineman's notations on the verso, the original was exhibited at the Art Institute in Houston in 1990, at  the International Cartoon Festival in Knokke-Heist, Belgium from June 6 to September 27, 1991; and finally at the American Cultural Center in Brussels from November to December 1991. The cartoon dates from the Reagan years and the mention of greed may have had ongoing resonance as the S&L crisis unfolded.

"Pomp, greed, conquest, intrigue ... it's been a fun year, hasn't it?"
James Stevenson, original art
The New Yorker, January 5, 1987, page 23

Detail of the queen and king

Detail of background

The caption

James Stevenson's signature

"Pomp, greed, conquest, intrigue—it's been a fun year, hasn't it?"
James Stevenson, The New Yorker, January 5, 1987, page 23

http://archives.newyorker.com/?i=1987-01-05#folio=022

Thirty years after this drawing's publication, I am still not prepared to accept the word fun as an adjective in my own writing. Still, it's hard to fault Mr. Stevenson or the New Yorker's editors for publishing a caption that reflects the way people actually talk. Ultimately fun will succeed as an adjective if it hasn't already because it meets an expressive need and there isn't an easy substitute. I resolve to continue to tilt at grammatical windmills because that's what curmudgeons do.

Note:  Thanks to David from Manhattan for providing these photos of the original Stevenson artwork as well as the information about it. Other readers are invited to contribute scans or photos of original artwork by James Stevenson,


Quick Links to Attempted Bloggery's Archives
James Stevenson (1929-2017)
Original New Yorker Cartoon Art
The Collection of James H. Heineman

We are not amused.

02110