Attempted Bloggery

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

My Entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #388

I don't know why The New Yorker's cartoonists think doctors are so funny. I'm pretty sure we aren't. But I love Tom Cheney's cartoons, so I'll play along to the best of my ability. Here then is my entry for The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #388 for July 22, 2013.

"Hey, only doctors play golf in here!"

July 29, 2013 Update: The Finalists

August 19, 2013 Update: Winning Caption

Note: My previous entry in The New Yorker's Cartoon Caption Contest is here. Or see some earlier blog posts with Tom Cheney here.

0819

Monday, July 22, 2013

A Cartoon Portrait in Roz Chast's The Party, After You Left

This copy of Roz Chast's The Party, After You Left (2004) is signed and inscribed with an original cartoon portrait. A general rule about cartoon collections is ridiculously easy to remember: Cartoon books are great, but they're even better signed, and especially better signed with an original drawing. This book appeared last year on eBay. Incredibly, I was the only bidder.

Roz Chast, The Party, After You Left (2004)

Roz Chast, cartoon portrait inscribed "To Alex + Carolyn / Cheers, / Roz Chast" in a copy of The Party, After You Left (2004)

Roz Chast, "The Crummiest Generation," from The Party, After You Left (2004)

Roz Chast, Signed and Inscribed with Drawing, The Party, After You Left, eBay Listing Ended January 29, 2012

http://www.ebay.com/itm/200704107659?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_642wt_1413

Roz Chast, Signed and Inscribed with Drawing, The Party, After You Left, eBay Item Description Ended January 29, 2012

http://www.ebay.com/itm/200704107659?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649#ht_642wt_1413

Note: More posts about Roz Chast can be found here.

If you too have a book or two with an original drawing by Roz Chast or another New Yorker cartoonist, please consider sharing it on Attempted Bloggery. You know you want to.

0818

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Charles Addams Birthday Greetings

In 1975, Charles Addams sent this hand-colored birthday greeting featuring Granny Frump from the Addams Family. The artwork, approximately the size of a postcard, sold for between $400 and $500 on eBay back in 2005.


Charles Addams, Souvenir Drawing of Granny Frump with a Birthday Cake Inscribed "For Bassie Holmes / Happy Birthday / from the Family / Chas Addams / 1975" eBay image courtesy of David from Manhattan

April 24, 2023 Update: I am now identifying this character as Granny Frump, rather than Grandmama.

Note: More artist's birthday greetings can be enjoyed here.

I am grateful to reader David from Manhattan for providing this eBay image and information about the sale from his personal archives. EBay, as you may know, does not maintain auction listings beyond approximately three months. Over the years many images of great cartoon artwork have come and gone, and once they're gone they are pretty much irretrievable. I've managed to preserve a few wonderful images over the years, and I use this blog to make many of these public and, I hope, permanent. It occurs to me that I am not the only one with such a personal virtual collection, and others who have similar obsessive tendencies might be willing to share some of their archival material here on Attempted Bloggery. It is not easy to describe exactly what I am looking for, but if you've seen a few blog posts, you probably have a good idea. A good starting point would be original drawings, published or unpublished, by the artists typically featured on this blog, particularly but not exclusively those associated with The New Yorker. I generally look for as much information as possible to go with each image, including the source of the image and the sale price, if known. So, if you have access to something as nourishing as Granny's birthday cake, please contact me at my email address.

0817

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Sink or Swim?

Sink? I don't think so. But it could use a wash.

SWIM
Vermont License Plate

Note: See more license plates on Attempted Bloggery here.

0816

William Steig: Preliminary Shrek! Book Cover Art

I would never want to minimize the importance of William Steig's Shrek! but it is after all but one small part of the artist's output over a long and brilliant career. The Shrek movies have no doubt enriched the Steig estate greatly, and for most people Shrek! is probably the only Steig work they have heard of, if only through Hollywood's outsized adaptations of it. Still, the auction estimate for Steig's preliminary book cover art was stratospherically high, and I was almost a bit relieved when it didn't sell for such a price in 2009. I would hate to be permanently priced out of the Steig market.

But then why shouldn't it sell at a premium? Classic children's book illustrations by Maurice Sendak, Ted Geisel, or Garth Williams could certainly go for a lot more than this. The issue, though, for collectors may be about how different the movie is from the book. Fans of the film's slick computer-animation may scarcely recognize images from the hand-drawn book that gave rise to it.

Lot 339. STEIG, William (1907 - 2003)

Shrek!

Watercolor, ink and pencil. (285 x 240 mm). Preliminary jacket design for Shrek! New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1990. Provenance: William Steig Estate.

Capture the Imagination: Original Illustration & Fine Illustrated Books
Bloomsbury Auctions. New York, NY
Wednesday 9th December 2009 at 2:00 pm

http://www.bloomsburyauctions.com/detail/NY040/339.0

William Steig
Shrek!, 1990
The Published Cover

Note: While you're at it, why not check out these William Steig posts?

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Friday, July 19, 2013

With Hearty Good Wishes

Four works of cartoon art inscribed to one Richard Portofee have been framed together and are offered for sale by Gallery of History, Inc. A boy playing the trombone has been inscribed and signed by cartoonist Chon Day. A drawing of Andy Gump by Gus Edson is very nicely personalized. A souvenir print of the Bumsteads from "Blondie" is likewise dedicated by Chic Young. A color illustration of characters from "The Katzenjammer Kids" beautifully inscribed by Harold H. Knerr rounds out the delightful quartet.

According to ancestry.com, Richard Portofee was born in 1926 in Mineola, Long Island. He graduated from Nutley High School in Nutley, NJ in 1944. This would have made him either 14 or 15 in 1941at the time he obtained the drawing from Harold Knerr. That sounds about right to me. (I think I started at 16.) There is no biographical information on whether he played the trombone, but I suspect he did.

The set is offered at $4,999, which sounds high to me. I'm never entirely sure whether I should be commenting on offering prices, but I do anyway. Look, it's easy for me sitting at my computer to say an asking price is too low or, more likely, too high, but usually I'm content to let the market sort all that out. Eventually, even expensive works of art offered for sale will sell, even if buyers and sellers have to negotiate a bit. It's simply not in a dealer's interest to offer works, even significant ones, at a price that no one will pay. That said, this is a fairly pricey offering.

Four framed works inscribed to Richard Portofee from cartoonists Chon Day, Gus Edson, Chic Young, and Harold Knerr.
Note the hinge discoloration at the corners of each.

Chon Day, original color illustration of a boy playing the trombone inscribed "Best Wishes to Richard/Chon Day"
A sterling example, incidentally, of poor watermark placement.

Gus Edson, Andy Gump from The Gumps says "I'm proud to include Richard Portofee among my friends!" Very nice.

Chic Young, a souvenir print of the Bumsteads from Blondie inscribed "To Richard Portofee" and signed

Harold Knerr, color drawing with the Katzenjammer Kids saying, "Gesundheit, Richard!"

Inscribed "To Richard Portofee--with hearty good wishes from-- Harold H. Knerr '41." A prize!

http://www.amazon.com/CARTOONISTS-EDSON-HAROLD-KNERR-YOUNG/dp/B009NK49P0

The framed cartoons are being simultaneously listed on Amazon and eBay. Does anyone see a potential problem with this?

http://www.amazon.com/CARTOONISTS-EDSON-HAROLD-KNERR-YOUNG/dp/B009NK49P0

http://www.ebay.com/itm/CARTOONISTS-CHON-DAY-GUS-EDSON-HAROLD-KNERR-CHIC-Y-/370085179781?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item562acbb185

July 17, 2016 Update: This piece has been discounted by about $500 and the watermarks have been removed from the eBay listing. On amazon.com, there is no discount and the watermarks remain.

Four framed works personally inscribed to Richard Portofee from cartoonists

Chon Day, Gus Edson, Chic Young, and Harold Knerr.

Note the hinge discoloration at the corners of each.

Chon Day, original color illustration of a boy playing the trombone inscribed "Best Wishes to Richard/Chon Day"

Gus Edson, Andy Gump from The Gumps says "I'm proud to include Richard Portofee among my friends!" Very nice.

Chic Young, souvenir print of the Bumsteads from Blondie inscribed "To Richard Portofee" and signed

Harold Knerr, color drawing with the Katzenjammer Kids saying, "Gesundheit, Richard!"

Inscribed "To Richard Portofee—/With hearty good wishes from—/Harold H. Knerr '41." A prize!

eBay Listing Copied July 17, 2016

Note: Other posts about Chon Day may be seen here.

0814

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Chon Day: The 19th Hole

Cartoonist Chon Day brings us to the 19th hole and it sure looks relaxing. Like the other golf gag I showed last week, this was offered on eBay with an opening bid of $0.01. This auction also was ended early "because the item is no longer available." Both drawings were gifts from Mr. Day to the same golf-loving recipients. One hopes the two pieces are still together.

Chon Day, The 19th Hole

Inscribed "Up & at 'em, By! The best to you. Irene & Chon"

Chon Day, The 19th Hole, framed

The back of the frame

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ORIGINAL-WATERCOLOR-ART-WORK-CHON-DAY-SIGNED-1954-CARTOON-SPORT-GOLF-19th-HOLE-/221222507783?ViewItem=&item=221222507783&nma=true&si=VJo29%252F7WbHpl1SY9gWmnl4%252FkT80%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Chon Day, The 19th Hole

Note: Chon Day's other golf gag cartoon from the same seller can be seen here.

0813

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Chon Day: Roo at the Zoo

A color cartoon by Chon Day has just found its way onto eBay. I've been blogging about Chon Day quite a bit this past week, which leads me to wonder whether I've had some influence on the posting of this item. My guess is, probably not.