My Entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #883

Two house cats watch a much larger cat on TV in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #883 from the issue of January 29, 2024. My caption is shown below. The drawing is by Dahlia Gallin Ramirez.

"This show lacks indifference."

This caption just didn't move:

"I thought you meant the 'Stripes' with Bull Murray."

February 17, 2024 Update:  The Finalists

February 23, 2024 Update:  I voted for the caption from Chesterfield.

March 2, 2024 Update:  The Winner

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Personna Advertising Art by Whitney Darrow, Jr., Part 2

As we have seen previously, New Yorker cartoonist Whitney Darrow, Jr., created advertising art for the client Personna, maker of fine razor blades. The illustration shown here depicts an ancient man complete with sandals, robe, and a long, white beard. Perhaps he is an anachronistic candidate for the premium shaving gear being promoted here. His stool appears to be the capital of a column and the steam from his cooking pot reveals the head and tail of a tiger. Presumably some slick advertising copy pulled this all together.

"He also invented the house cat . . ."

Whitney Darrow, Jr.
eBay listing ended August 5, 2021

https://www.ebay.com/itm/144131868686?hash=item218eedc80e%3Ag%3A5RkAAOSw06NhAwx2&nma=true&si=WEtIFz5%252FkfY9UxP8WWeB%252FCaqeVQ%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Whitney Darrow, Jr.
eBay item description

Whitney Darrow, Jr.
eBay bid history
It's the last bid that wins, with nine seconds to spare.

Note:  This is the second original Personna illustration by Whitney Darrow, Jr., to appear on this blog but I have yet to hear from anyone who can tell me something more about the ad campaign. Fortunately, I can be patient.

I'm waiting...

January 7, 2023 Update:  I have come to believe that this artwork may actually be an illustration for the column "On Campus with Max Shulman" rather than advertising art for Personna razor blades.

April 8, 2023 Update:  Or it could be both.

https://www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu/tobacco/docs/#id=ztvv0004

That led me to this much better image:

"How to Get A's in All Your Final Exams"
Max Shulman on Campus
The Winonan
Winona State College, Winona, MN
May 11, 1967, p. 3

https://openriver.winona.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1131&context=thewinonan1960s

"He also invented the
house cat . . ."

"He also invented the
house cat . . ."

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Richard A. Farrar's Tiger Scarf

New Yorker artists Charles Addams, Helen E. Hokinson, Anatol Kovarsky, and Otto Soglow created original designs for silk scarves by Richard Farrar in the 1940s and 1950s. Joel Jacobus writes that a new Farrar scarf design has appeared on eBay which the seller attributes to cartoonist Otto Soglow. The eBay item description justifies this by writing "According to the history of Frank [sic] Farrar Scaves [sic] Otto Soglow designed a lot of his scarves especially the circus ones[.]" One wonders whether this blog is the source of the seller's "history."

To be sure, Otto Soglow created two designs that we know of for Richard Farrar, one of a circus and the other of a harem. Both exist in multiple colors. Both designs include the cartoonist's printed signature. Both may be found in the archives of this blog.

This new design on eBay depicts a juggling cartoon tiger surrounded by circus cars. It is unsigned. I personally do not recognize it as the work of Soglow or of any New Yorker artist. 

Richard Farrar
eBay listing retrieved July 1, 2019

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Incredible-Farrar-O-Soglow-Vintage-Circus-Scarf-Folk-Art-Cat-Animal-Carts/254278888652?hash=item3b3433eccc:g:INMAAOSwzWFdFjKZ

Richard Farrar
eBay Item Description

January 31, 2024 Update:  An eBay seller has listed an example of this scarf design in green and brown (with black and white):

Richard A. Farrar Tiger Scarf
eBay listing retrieved January 31, 2024

https://www.ebay.com/itm/195661387623?hash=item2d8e53d767:g:-RAAAOSwAvtin2jK&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4AyMc9ESLTXXVb3D86W276EGPXwpEmYyvA12p73TlBng3ijqu6E2NeixwcGofrs3fIM0q4ip%2B5KJZAlxRnPMRp5fPewNlkw3jnNrWag%2FkiPhrcXSt%2F3zHcpf1Ydwle1j7V4cJRDIx9S9KR0pYznTdOK

HYwo8lT%2Fds378R797loL9VMvMnRA17A5WbMNQAGW1ZTHvG1zvcUFNvFzZusUV59pML0ydH9OQ3b5VYecWRbznIO0aK1ZU3ljbYj2sdFMI%2BVl9CA4%2F80Bd8GQ%2BT%2F5m6YyyBlEAE4m9E4taxCuiwHRJ%7Ctkp%3ABFBMjvyoqKtj

Richard A. Farrar Tiger Scarf
eBay item description

November 9, 2024 Update:  Rachel Sunman has contacted me with photographs of a new and delightful color combination of the tiger scarf, blue and red (plus black and white).

Note:  My thanks to Joel Jacobus, intrepid explorer in the jungle of Charles Addams paraphernalia, who keeps alive the search for more information about Richard Farrar scarves designed by New Yorker artists. This is Attempted Bloggery's fifth post to be derived from his research.

I would like to hear from readers who can identify the designer of this scarf. All speculation is welcome. As always, feel free to disagree with me.

I am still looking for examples of the scarf by Helen Hokinson as well as new color combinations of the Farrar scarves we already know of.

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Richard Farrar Scarves

Otto Soglow

Women's Fashion

At the Circus

Attempted Bloggery's Index Index, Burning Bright

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