Glen Baxter: Robin Hood, Impressed

An original 1991 cartoon by Glen Baxter features Robin Hood and his Merry Men indulging in anachronism. It was published in The Further Blurtings of Baxter (1994).

Glen Baxter
AbeBooks listing accessed December 21, 2022

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31385097139&searchurl=kn%3DGlen%2BBaxter%26sgnd%3Don%26sortby%3D0&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-title2

This piece has remained side by side with the Santa Clauses drawing (posted yesterday) thus far. It was originally offered by Chris Beetles, Ltd., of London in 1997. It later went on the auction block at Bonhams London in November of 2022 with a presale estimate of 500 to 700 GBP. It sold for 956.25 GBP, the hammer price of 750 GBP plus the 27.5% buyer's premium. Maggs Bros. listed it in December 2022 with just an 83% markup, keeping it at the same 1,750 GBP price as the Santas (which itself was marked up 292%). It's not an outrageous price; Chris Beetles prices Baxter originals usually at the high end of 1,750 to 2,500 GBP.

Glen Baxter
Bonhams

https://www.bonhams.com/auction/27375/lot/255/baxter-glen-robin-was-certainly-impressed-with-the-simulated-teak-finish-original-artwork-in-pen-and-crayon-1991/

Note:  There's something perplexing about the 1991 date on this drawing. This cartoon is mentioned in "Gladys Whispered," John Bayley's December 6, 1990 review of that year's The Billiard Table Murders by Glen Baxter. See the London Review of Books article here. Perhaps then there is an earlier version of this drawing. I hope a Baxter aficionado will set me straight on this. I'd also like to hear from anyone with access to the original 1997 price from Chris Beetles.

04518

Richard Oldden: A Trout Stream

Another lot of four original cartoons by Richard Oldden were sold on eBay in early May. These drawings are all shaded finishes circa the 1970s. Their publication history is unknown. They may not all be as funny as some of Oldden's other gag cartoons, but they are certainly good looking drawings. It's hard to think the buyer didn't get a great deal: all four for $66.

"Hey! Would you mind holding it down a bit over there?"                  Picnic visitor             

     "You should never have let it go this long."     "Need I remind you that this is supposed to be a trout stream."

Versos with a numbering system and New York or Laguna Beach addresses

Richard Oldden
eBay listing ended May 3, 2023

https://www.ebay.com/itm/374659771772?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=WEtIFz5%252FkfY9UxP8WWeB%252FCaqeVQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc

Richard Oldden
eBay item description

Richard Oldden
eBay bid history
Three bidders, four bids. The one placed in the final five seconds wins the lot.

Note:  Please let me know if you find where any of these drawings by Richard Oldden appeared in print. 

04323

Joseph Mirachi: A Happy Ending

Cartoonist Joseph Mirachi's (1919-1991) later work for The New Yorker is spare and sketchy, but it gives us all the information we need. An original drawing from 1984 that sold on eBay in September serves as an example. A man returns to the couch where his wife has remained sitting. They had been watching a television drama together, but now the credits are rolling and he has missed the conclusion. His wife quickly brings him up to speed.

"You missed the end, but it came out happily. She shot him."
Joseph Mirachi
Original art
The New Yorker, March 26, 1984, p. 85

That caption is funny, of course, and surprising too, but it is also quite well-constructed. The two sentences of very different length can be considered setup and punch line. That first sentence can be divided into two parts; a comma serves that purpose in The New Yorker but not in the original handwritten caption. "You missed the end"—that confirms the context of the scene the drawing has established. "...[B]ut it came out happily"—the speaker offers her opinion before explaining what actually transpired to make her feel that way. Finally: "She shot him"—three staccato syllables like the firing of a handgun. 

"You missed the end, but it came out happily. She shot him."
Joseph Mirachi
Original art
The New Yorker, March 26, 1984, p. 85

"You missed the end, but it came out happily. She shot him."
Joseph Mirachi
Original art
The New Yorker, March 26, 1984, p. 85

Joseph Mirachi
eBay listing ended September 5, 2022

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265866605626?hash=item3de6e2743a%3Ag%3AO%7E8AAOSw3tlhJ9fe&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoJD1hUSSqR9I6XZC8xk3GHlp5ijDjbypUzp3Kfg7Dl%2BAQ37fbFM7S%2B6pJBLeEA1liE6Fa6xU%2BF4Ywb%2F5sScdFBNE%2B8UEJqzVif1swBFT%2BUhq%2B5U4Lersx0dAJwKtginUmWsXEYN0lBBW3KaWyFcPP7OpXC4BpKk%2B

%2B1oi9JS5%2FrRNoAR5Vb2i5yEJLWXw0eujxGqYE%2BcoCZqhJWUd038MZXk%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR_SE_JSZYQ&nma=true&si=WEtIFz5%252FkfY9UxP8WWeB%252FCaqeVQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Joseph Mirachi
eBay item description

"You missed the end, but it came out happily. She shot him."
Joseph Mirachi
Original art
The New Yorker, March 26, 1984, p. 85

A cartoon by Joseph Mirachi

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1984-03-26/flipbook/084/

Note:  It's hard to believe but, in eleven years, this is the first example of original New Yorker art by Joseph Mirachi that I've shown here on the blog. Not to worry; I have a couple of posts I'm holding in reserve. Still, I remain open to posting more; just send me scans or photos. If this drawing does look a little familiar, it could be that you've already seen it. During its extended stay on eBay, it was spotlighted on Michael Maslin's Ink Spill here.

04161

J. C. Duffy's Dan Rather: Killed New Yorker Art

In 2017 cartoonist J. C. Duffy sold an original cartoon that mentions television journalist Dan Rather. The cartoon was purchased by the New Yorker but was never published. The cartoon was eventually killed by the magazine and the original was returned to the artist.

J. C. Duffy
eBay Listing Ended April 17, 2017

http://www.ebay.com/itm/J-C-DUFFY-ORIGINAL-NEW-YORKER-CARTOON-ART-/282431256198?hash=item41c236f686%3Ag%3AAScAAOSwc-tY4W2C&nma=true&si=YQGb25QThn5Fxe78BW8tTy6VzZY%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

J. C. Duffy
eBay Item Description

J. C. Duffy
eBay Bid History
One early bid gets the prize.

For those who don't remember, here's Dan Rather at a Houston press conference verbally sparring with President Richard Nixon, March 19, 1974:

Note:  Attempted Bloggery remains on the lookout for scans or photos of original art by the inimitable J. C. Duffy. Cartoons about Dan Rather are always welcome too.

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

J. C. Duffy

Killed New Yorker Art

Attempted Bloggery's Danged Index

03260

Claude Smith: Behind the News

An example of original cartoon artwork by Claude Smith from 1957 is executed in black ink with a blue wash which indicates where the gray tone was to be printed. The cartoon shows a married couple at home consuming the competing media of newspapers and television. The six-panel cartoon with the title Behind the News was published somewhere in 1957, but wherever it appeared it was not in the pages of New Yorker.

Behind the News
Claude Smith
Original 1957 artwork

Panels 1 and 3

Panels 4 and 6

Panel 5
Scene from a marriage

Claude Smith's signature

eBay Listing Ended September 9, 2015

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Claude-Smith-original-artwork-for-published-cartoon-strip-1957-New-Yorker-/262046067588?hash=item3d0329ab84%3Ag%3A0sYAAOSwiLdV9GAq&nma=true&si=YQGb25QThn5Fxe78BW8tTy6VzZY%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Claude Smith
eBay Item Description

Claude Smith
eBay Bid History
Two bidders, three bids. Bid highest and you can bid first and only once.

Note:  If you know where this cartoon was first published back in 1957, well, I'm very impressed with you. Drop a line and share your information with the blogosphere. I'm secretly hoping it's from Punch.

Attempted Bloggery welcomes submissions of original artwork by Claude Smith among other things.


Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Claude Smith

Original Cartoon Art

Television

Attempted Bloggery's Media Savvy Index

03034

The Cartoon Collections Caption Contest #37

This week I worked out a single entry in the Cartoon Collections Caption Contest #37. The drawing is by Robert Leighton.

"Have you figured out the remote yet?"

August 29, 2019 Update:  The Winner

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Robert Leighton

Television

The Cartoon Collections Caption Contest

The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest

The Moment Magazine Cartoon Caption Contest

All These Cartoon Caption Contests and More

Attempted Bloggery's Calculating Index

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