Hank Ketcham: COMWOLFPAC Staff

Before he created the comic panel and strip Dennis the Menace, cartoonist Hank Ketcham served in the US Navy during the Second World War. His work in support of the war effort apparently included creating a color print poking fun at the lascivious staff of the Navy Pacific Command, here jokingly referred to as "COMWOLFPAC." The widely-accepted sexism of the wartime era may make us uncomfortable today, but it should not distract us from what else is going on. The other, and perhaps bigger, story here is Ketcham's freedom to mock the military leadership. Can you imagine a Japanese cartoonist depicting his own top brass as leering wolves? Of course not, it would have been perceived as unpatriotic. And that, my friends, is why we won the war: we had the more daring cartoonists.

Hank Ketcham
AbeBooks Listing Accessed May 26, 2020

https://www.abebooks.com/COMWOLFPAC-STAFF-original-color-print-cartoonist/30644915266/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&cm_ite=viewbook

Note:  Sorry, this print is no longer available from the seller. 

I'm unfamiliar with much of Hank Ketcham's pre-Dennis work. Submissions of rare examples would be welcome.

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My Entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #733

I hope you appreciate the sheer—or is it shear?—audacity of my entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #733 for November 16, 2020. The drawing is by Marisa Acocela.

"Apparently they'd prefer a wolf in polyester."

November 23, 2020 Update:  The Finalists

November 30, 2020 Update:  I voted with Vancouver.

December 13, 2020 Update:  The Winner

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My Entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #692

Try on for size my entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #692. The date is January 6, 2020. The drawing is by Mort Gerberg.

"I love it! Let me treat you to dinner."

These captions needed to be taken in:

"It's the proverbial perfect fit!"
"Does this outfit make my jaw look big?"

January 13, 2020 Update:  The Finalists

January 20, 2020 Update:  I voted with Winchester, but I admire the fact that the caption from Arden is a vast improvement on my own effort.

January 27, 2020 Update:  The Winner

Note:  In last week's Caption Contest, cartoonist Paul Karasik knit quite the snowman story. Pack it in for Contest #691.

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives

Mort Gerberg

Wolves

Sheep

The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest

The Moment Magazine Cartoon Caption Contest

The Cartoon Collections Caption Contest

All the Above Cartoon Caption Contests and Even More

Attempted Bloggery's Predatory Index

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Carl Rose: Wolves in Sheep's Clothing

Did a Madison Avenue advertising campaign successfully counteract Axis propaganda? Ad agency Young & Rubicam's 1943 ad illustrated by cartoonist Carl Rose attempted to alert wartime readers to the presence of supposed news stories that were in reality disinformation promulgated by "Goebbels and his propaganda machine." Rose dutifully illustrated a trio of menacing Nazi wolves disguised in sheep's clothing, which the ad copy described as "the cloak of loyal opposition." Readers were warned that any alleged news that hurt morale; fostered distrust in government, business, or labor; discredited our allies; or benefited our enemies automatically should be suspect. But, while these may have aroused one's suspicions, was that truly the way to verify that a news story was absolutely false? Sometimes the truth can be demoralizing. Sometimes our government or our allies deserved to be discredited. And sometimes a formula for spotting enemy propaganda could be woefully simplistic.

"Praise the Lord—we'll pass as opposition!"
Carl Rose
Young & Rubicam advertisement
1943

https://www.periodpaper.com/products/1943-ad-young-rubicam-advertising-agency-firm-wwii-carl-rose-political-cartoon-114505-fz5-651

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Carl Rose

Advertising

Propaganda

Young & Rubicam

Attempted Bloggery's Sheepish Index

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Charles Addams Bloodlust

From the archives of Heritage Auctions in 2008 comes this original New Yorker cartoon art by Charles Addams. 

CHARLES ADDAMS (American 1912 - 1988)

New Yorker cartoon

Ink on paper
10 x 16 in.
Signed lower right

Addams, Charles Samuel:  American cartoonist, 1912-1988

Condition Report*:

This piece has been matted to an overall size of 14.5 x 21 in., and the art is in Excellent condition.

Sold for:	$3,883.75 (includes BP ) Bid Source: HA.com/Live
Auction Ended On:	Jun 5, 2008

CHARLES ADDAMS (American 1912 - 1988)

New Yorker cartoon
Ink on paper

10 x 16 in.

Signed lower right

http://fineart.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=7000&lotNo=66004

August 31, 2019 Update:   The drawing was published in the New Yorker of December 20, 1941, page 10, so it must be about the battle of Moscow when the Nazi offensive was stalled by a rugged Soviet counterattack. This was a strategic setback to Hitler's hope for a short war and this cartoon takes a morbid pleasure in the German predicament, the bloodthirsty pursued by the bloodthirsty.

Cartoons by Charles Addams and Alan Dunn

https://archives.newyorker.com/?i=1941-12-20#folio=010

Note:  My previous post on the art of Charles Addams may be found here.

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