William Steig: Report of a Beheading / Temptation on the Path

A two-sided drawing by William Steig changed hands last month on eBay. 

The first drawing shows a knight, sword still in hand, presenting a severed head to his lady, who seems rather impassive. The lady is drawn with elegance; the knight is rough-hewn. Did that head belong to someone she knows? Was he a lover? The garden setting provides a contrast with the gruesome subject matter.

This drawing, which bears Steig's signature, is on the side with more toning, the seller notes, indicating that it was framed and displayed. 

On the other, unsigned side, Steig presents us with a devil concealed behind trees. He pokes his head out and gets the attention of a well-dressed young woman walking away from him on the path to town. She pauses and turns her bonneted head towards him. Will this lead to her downfall?

William Steig
eBay listing ended April 11, 2026

https://www.ebay.com/itm/188265051812?_skw=William+Steig+original&itmmeta=01KRSRNF864DV5EWCTBPDD1TPY&hash=item2bd578b6a4:g:V64AAeSwQldp2Zlb&itmprp=enc%3AAQALAAAA0GfYFPkwiKCW4ZNSs2u11xCuoCY2L02nXNhfLB%2BxMYz14UA2CUFDB%2B4eM4HaFHKLcmPKntwydgBSev6ffatPP8h

U%2BY1WMWwV%2B8EaaUfuatpMmxWQHQHgJWUuWt06WRGXBKs56O5U%2BSfC298GV0g%2BLNxF66WcISDc%2BPOg2hYOEVgzSNMkjLpMwXLiOeKqGZ5MF3SpB86wez5iKzDquUWSBb8%2Fc8uO00YJaquCahlPDsA7ssMRj3s4Ojdx%2F7o8teQ0t46pVqjxi2UUKar%2BdqKFiSk%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR5701bjGZw

William Steig
eBay item description

Note:  Whether or not these drawings ever saw publication, William Steig certainly packed a lot into them. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who recalls seeing either drawing, or perhaps a close variation, in print. 

05267

Gahan Wilson: Hold All Calls?

South Bay Auctions offered up an original New Yorker cartoon on Wednesday, one that was quite fashion forward:

"Hold all calls for the next fifteen minutes, Miss Hammish."
Published as "Please hold my calls for the next fifteen minutes, Miss Hammish."
Gahan Wilson
Original art
The New Yorker, September 15, 1997, p. 78

So which sounds better: "Hold all calls" or "Please hold my calls?" Gahan Wilson's cartoon from the issue of September 15, 1997, had its caption edited from the former to the latter. I think it sounds better this way, more like the way people really talk—although maybe not Wilson's people.

Gahan Wilson's signature and detail of the beginning of the caption

 

Detail of the end of the caption

 

Verso with The New Yorker's bar code sticker

 

The wrapper with the printed cartoon affixed

The original art was sold two days ago in East Moriches. I copied images from the auction two weeks prior to the sale:

Gahan Wilson
South Bay Auctions, Inc., listing accessed April 13, 2025

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/Gahan-Wilson-American-1930-2019-,-New-Yorker-Car-183-c-32D4A90956?utm_term=new%20yorker&utm_source=alerts&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=keywordalerts&utm_content=323606&utm_term=041225

Gahan Wilson
South Bay Auctions, Inc., item description

Gahan Wilson
South Bay Auctions, Inc., listing accessed April 13, 2025

Sold!

"Please hold my calls for the next fifteen minutes, Miss Hammish."
Gahan Wilson
The New Yorker, September 15, 1997, p. 78

"Hold all calls for the next fifteen minutes, Miss Hammish."
Published as "Please hold my calls for the next fifteen minutes, Miss Hammish."
Gahan Wilson
Original art
The New Yorker, September 15, 1997, p. 78

With a cartoon by Gahan Wilson

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1997-09-15/flipbook/078/

Note:  Attempted Bloggery is here to promote all manner of original Gahan Wilson art. Please write if you have something to show off. I also like to post original cartoons about sacrificing cute little animals.

04930

Karen's Copy of Pip Squeak: Mouse in Shining Armor by Robert Kraus and Richard Oldden

Even more impressive than a copy of Pip Squeak: Mouse in Shining Armor (1971) personalized with a drawing by illustrator Richard Oldden—such as we saw here in yesterday's post—is a copy personalized with sketches by both Oldden and the book's author Robert Kraus. Oldden's drawing for reader Karen featured Pip Squeak with his sword raised as well as Hopper, the mouse's toad. Kraus, himself a prolific New Yorker cartoonist and magazine cover illustrator, provided the book's new owner with a somewhat generic drawing of a rabbit holding a flower.

This leads one to wonder how Kraus decided whether to illustrate his own stories or assign them to others? His obituary dated August 30, 2001, by Myrna Oliver of the Los Angeles Times, and cited by Wikipedia on its Robert Kraus page, sheds a little light here:

A decade later, the budding author decided to establish a children's book publishing house, dubbing it Windmill and installing himself as president. His idea was to ask artist friends to create the books—but he soon learned they were more interested in illustrating than writing.

So he wrote the stories, albeit painfully, recalling: "I love drawing . . . Giving my stories to somebody else was like giving away a child."

t

Robert Kraus and Richard Oldden
Biblio listing accessed October 25, 2024

https://www.biblio.com/book/pip-squeak-mouse-shining-armor-robert/d/1624075172

04781

George and Fran's Copy of Pip Squeak: Mouse in Shining Armor by Robert Kraus and Richard Oldden

Pip Squeak:  Mouse in Shining Armor is a 1971 children's book by New Yorker cartoonist and author Robert Kraus published by his Windmill Books imprint.  The illustrator is fellow cartoonist Richard Oldden, here making his debut in children's literature. E. M. Maurice Books of Torrington, CT,  offers a copy personalized by the artist "To George and Fran from Pip Squeak and Dick Oldden" with an original drawing of the heroic mouse.

Robert Kraus and Richard Oldden
E. M. Maurice Books listing accessed October 21, 2024

https://e-m-maurice-books-llc.square.site/product/pip-squeak-mouse-in-shining-armor-inscribed-with-drawing/2749?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=true

04780

Edward Gorey: Fun in Hats

Those wearing hats have all the fun in one fanciful Season's Greetings card with art by Edward Gorey.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265416134679?

Image added December 12, 2021

https://www.pomegranate.com/collections/holiday-cards/products/edward-gorey-oh-what-fun-holiday-cards

03817

My Entry in the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #530

Here is my entry in the New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #530 for July 25, 2016. The drawing is by Peter Kuper.

"So that's one steel helmet, one heavy-duty lapboard, and
all the Xanax in the kingdom."

August 1, 2016 Update:  The Finalists

August 22, 2016 Update: Winning Caption

Note: Last week, cartoonist David Sipress defied gravity. My caption defied logic. Climb aboard for Contest #529.

Speaking of Peter Kuper, see what happens when I entered this very caption contest of his by accident.

01932