Edward Koren: Drawings for Henry Sussman

Ever the generous friend, New Yorker cartoonist Edward Koren (1935-2023) was known to treat those he cared about with the occasional souvenir drawing in his unique and furry style. Henry Sussman was one such lucky recipient. Although some twenty-six years older than Koren, they shared at least an interest in jogging. Sussman's framed Koren drawing attesting to this was recently listed on eBay.

Inscribed and signed

Edward Koren
eBay listing ended February 12, 2025

https://www.ebay.com/itm/305924842552?_skw=signed+Yorker&itmmeta=01JQJ8VEVPHTPQRXQTNQEXVWS6&hash=item473a8aa438:g:wqoAAOSwhEtnP5fi&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA8FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1fIF%2BXtq9yjWUU8M5ik27XlZlGi%2FmnUYoTyBNFN0k8JGYZhZbTuiK6A3eHziaBdlol34INSIzzDZk93M0d9lfFKd%2FpUr0Xh2Jq6uZa6yvBzAhf5IdEqvmzIvDsS9j2WodThMAdRCZgdsR%2FnnbAgXI4a3O9m4BIWd3c54cbVHZIzpPeVeFRgrGjtDf7PcMR83JxOQKDbSdj%2BnyVlV5lezwPxNNtwRKzqyEFlRMn%2BO8e7qd98rwovOJ1KQlPnQ%2F5f6vXb511nmJTi61%2BT8qW71XREg%2BWbwUcHkRt3UPUfzy8VOQ%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR_7t7ci8ZQ

Edward Koren
eBay item description

Also on eBay, but still unsold, are three drawings Koren made for Sussman's seventy-fifth, eightieth, and eighty fifth birthdays. A cartoon detective might surmise that Sussman remained very active, with interests in tennis, bicycling, and motorcycling.

November 30, 2025 Update:  Sold at a reduced price.

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Lee Lorenz: Tennis Equipment

A set of three related color illustrations by the late Lee Lorenz (1932-2022), former art editor (1973-1993) and cartoon editor (1993-1997) of The New Yorker, were sold on eBay in May. The humorous drawings are on the subject of tennis and, apparently, outlandish ancillary equipment—a sextant, a calculator, and a bazooka—to improve one's game, naturally. These look like work intended for a magazine or brochure; plausibly they could be sneaker ads for New Balance. The set was originally offered on eBay for $1,500 but sold after the price was reduced to $1,200.

Lee Lorenz's signature

Lee Lorenz
eBay listing ended May 6, 2023

https://www.ebay.com/itm/113307722279?hash=item1a61aaa227%3Ag%3AKM8AAOSwKA5bwXz7&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4NwbL6mmmLuF9Iu%2Bu6oDlTRQQ7%2Fs%2BD7V2tF1cWgYmElvN%2BMH5MgO3EeGWNc2vPVeOsGgqYs%2Fu2qlcieiBWbtMf3fxsSiWOvikZO9P0f4feXFlNGDG

jDB2znL68L2D%2BBK7YwN30TLJdIHaZo5OPk6TFEHZ0LFSLPPl8bU2LecXa4caGHdEDgr4yqvZBz0vru8WttTNXTmH6R0%2BJ%2BcP%2B3oqNQZj0IWbOWOiKHdSyBhPE4Fjpx9lMd5aCSYezqR8jujGn9zN6C%2BkQij%2FeV81RLLOV8iP8Hk57BIdElo9WGK55lE%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR_ja4IajYg&nma=t

rue&si=WEtIFz5%252FkfY9UxP8WWeB%252FCaqeVQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Lee Lorenz
eBay item description

Note:  Where were these tennis illustrations published? Were they from an advertisement or promotion for New Balance? Let me know and I'll add the information to this post.

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Charles Saxon: The Tennis Pro

"Mr. Gemini batted endless balls to me while he chatted with friends." Those words identify an original drawing by Charles Saxon as some sort of story illustration. A male tennis instructor conducts a lesson while being distracted by an attentive trio of female players standing on the court behind him. The original art is toned and there is a patch over the face of the harried young beginner chasing down those balls batted by the pro. The eBay seller, who was apparently close to Saxon, states that the drawing had been submitted to The New Yorker. I have been unable to ascertain any publication history. The framed illustration sold for an undisclosed best offer.

"Mr. Gemini batted endless balls to me while he chatted with friends."

Charles Saxon
eBay listing ended May 20, 2022

https://www.ebay.com/itm/275313821246?hash=item4019fb863e%3Ag%3As1oAAOSwv7Jh%7Ensx&nma=true&si=WEtIFz5%252FkfY9UxP8WWeB%252FCaqeVQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Charles Saxon
eBay item description

Charles Saxon
eBay bid history
Sold for a best offer

Note:  While it was still available, this piece was noted by Michael Maslin on Ink Spill here, as were others.

I would like to hear from anyone who knows whether this drawing was published and, if so, where. Those in possession of other original artwork by Charles Saxon are invited to share it here on the old blog.

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Ronald Searle: Tennis for the Times

Ronald Searle's mid-1980s advertising campaign for the New York Times was published in color on full pages in the Times Magazine section. Ads ran with the tag line "There's no Times like the present." This particular ad, featuring Sunday tennis, describes the newspaper as "Gripping." It usually takes awhile to digest the Sunday Times, which can seriously disrupt your set of mixed doubles...

Ronald Searle
There's no Times like the present.
Gripping
The New York Times Magazine, May 4, 1986

Ronald Searle:  Tennis for the Times
eBay Listing Accessed 5/2/2020

https://www.ebay.com/itm/373035822391?ul_noapp=true

Ronald Searle:  Tennis for the Times
eBay Item Description Accessed 5/2/2020

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Note:  Another wonderful page from this advertising campaign, Elevating, was published on February 2, 1987. It is collected on page 92 of Ronald Searle's America (2016) edited by Matt Jones.

An older Attempted Bloggery post here shows Searle's original watercolor art for two unpublished ads for the Times.

I eagerly solicit the submission of other ads from this still-vibrant New York Times campaign. It is my somewhat foggy recollection that each ad was run only once.

This year marks Ronald Searle's centenary. He was born on March 3, 1920.

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Ronald Searle

The New York Times

Advertising

Tennis

Attempted Bloggery's Grand Slam Index

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Gahan Wilson: Of Mice and Monsters

Cartoonist Gahan Wilson has been in the thoughts of many these past days as his urgent need for expensive memory care has prompted well-wishers to pledge money for his support. Hoping to keep Wilson in our thoughts, Dick Buchanan has put his superlative scanning skills to work and imaged two works of original published art from the mid-1990s by the beloved cartoonist. One appeared in the New Yorker and the other in Playboy. The New Yorker piece requires no caption. It is, incidentally, a superb example of Wilson's use of wash.

Gahan Wilson
Original art
The New Yorker, September 4, 1995, page 64

Verso

The drawing may require no words, but the same can't be said of the editorial comment on the back of the art:

CKG.=Fact Checking?

Overlay

Gahan Wilson
The New Yorker, September 4, 1995, page 64

Now we leave the bizarre world of the commuter railway for the bizarre world of a child's bedroom. In the Playboy cartoon, Wilson achieves shading not with wash but through exquisite hatching. The technique is, if anything, even more remarkable:

"Read me the story again about the Closet Monster!"

Gahan Wilson

Original art

Published as "Read me the story again about the closet monster."

Playboy, October 1996, page 154

Verso

One could comment too on the different editorial approaches of two publications, but then it hardly seems necessary.

"Read me the story again about the closet monster."
Gahan Wilson
Playboy, October 1996, page 154

The cover:

Playboy, October 1996

Dick didn't scan the corresponding New Yorker cover, but equal time is only fair:

Edward Sorel
The New Yorker, September 4, 1995

https://archives.newyorker.com/?i=1995-09-04#folio=CV1

Note:  To support Gahan Wilson's memory care, visit his Go Fund Me campaign here.

My thanks to Dick Buchanan for contributing the outstanding scans of original Gahan Wilson art and for documenting the publication history in today's post. Dick maintains the comprehensive Dick Buchanan Cartoon Clip Files from which he contributes regularly to Mike Lynch Cartoons, most recently a timely post entitled "From the Dick Buchanan Files: Some Gahan Wilson Gag Cartoons 1955 - 1964." You won't find these scans of early Gahan Wilson cartoons anywhere else.

Aside from his Gahan Wilson work, Dick has been quite busy researching cartoonist John Gallagher. Since we last checked in on him, Dick has become an authority on this gag cartoonist. Here's what he has come up with:

John Gallagher Gag Cartoons 1951 - 1970

John Gallagher Part Two: 1000 Jokes! - Gag Cartoons 1954 - 1965

And, to be complete:

From the Dick Buchanan Files: Show Business Gag Cartoons 1945 - 1962

From the Dick Buchanan Files: Caption-less, Wordless Gag Cartoons 1946 – 1963

And there you have it. In case you didn't know, Attempted Bloggery seeks other high-quality scans of original Gahan Wilson art and published rarities.


Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Gahan Wilson

Dick Buchanan

Mice

Monsters

Original New Yorker Cartoon Art

Original Playboy Cartoon Art

Edward Sorel

Attempted Bloggery's Maze of an Index

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