Garth Williams: Trick-or-Treaters from Over and Over

If I had the time and inclination to try and generate some extra cash through eBay, one strategy I might use would be to buy items in bulk and then sell them off individually. While I would hate the idea of breaking up a set of anything, it is generally a sound way to increase overall cash value. I personally wince at the thought of taking apart a bound volume and selling individual plates--I don't think I could ever do that--nor could I comfortably break up a complete suite of lithographs, say, or a fine desk set. I am not exactly the stuff of which a successful dealer is made.

Nevertheless, I don't feel so bad about the current dispersal of the preliminary pencil sketches by illustrator Garth Williams for Charlotte Zolotow's Over and Over. The twenty-one sheets come from the estate of Garth Williams, which to me suggests there may not have been much of a market for them during the artist's lifetime anyway. Heritage Auctions, which I consider one of the best at presenting and archiving even low-end works at auction, didn't bother to photograph these sheets individually. They sold for $500 as a set, including the buyer's premium.

Now individual sheets are being sold off on eBay, including a very loose pencil sketch of some trick-or-treaters bearing the initials G.W. It is no masterpiece certainly, but the sale price of $22.26 still seems fairly low and challenges my long-held belief that breaking up a set is one surefire way to create instant profit.

Garth Williams, original pencil sketches for Over and Over by Charlotte Zolotow

http://historical.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=201248&lotNo=90299#91389138613

Page 8 of the sketches:

Garth Williams, original pencil sketch of trick-or-treaters for Over and Over by Charlotte Zolotow

Garth Williams's initials

Garth Williams, Over and Over by Charlotte Zolotow

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GARTH-WILLIAMS-Original-Illustration-Drawing-OVER-and-OVER-Childrens-Book-/281184972604?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D18348%26meid%3D2035418984338743711%26pid%3D100011%26prg%3D8402%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D271250155007%26&nma=true&si=UB68sj2DvLx%252F9kdb54zXrlCgzYs%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

November 20, 2013 Update:  Author Charlotte Zolotow passed away yesterday at age 98.



Note:  A decidedly more expensive illustration by Garth Williams from Stuart Little by E. B. White is featured on this blog here.

More Halloween-themed posts may be found here.

0926

Walt Kelly's Pogo: Witchcraft!

These two consecutive daily comic strips from Walt Kelly's Pogo appeared in newspapers back in December 1958. They feature characters Sarcophagus MacAbre, Wiley Catt, Ol' Mouse, and Snavely the worm. The subject matter--the former two characters misconstruing the latter's Mother Goose and schoolhouse arithmetic for witchcraft and heresy--may sound somewhat obscure today, but the eBay seller does an admirable job explaining it and putting it in the historical context of the McCarthy Era. As always, Walt Kelly's ink work is superb.

  

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Two-Pogo-Daily-Original-Strips-by-Walt-Kelly-Published-12-3-58-12-4-58-/111168488232?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19e2288328&nma=true&si=UB68sj2DvLx%252F9kdb54zXrlCgzYs%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Note:  You must know by now that I have more Walt Kelly posts on view here.

There's also a lot of original comic strip art featured on this blog here.

Be sure not to miss the Whirled of Kelly blog here and Pogo in Pandemonia here.

Seasonal blog posts about Halloween can be found here.

0925

Gahan Wilson's Eerie Skeleton and Bats

Gahan Wilson provides an abundance of the requisite eeriness in this souvenir drawing with bats and a skeleton. Yes, there's even a coffin too for good measure. The drawing was recently sold on eBay. The image feels fairly seasonal right now with Halloween approaching, but in Gahan Wilson's case, drawings like this one are probably a year-round thing.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Gahan-Wilson-The-New-Yorker-Playboy-Artist-Cartoonist-Signed-Autograph-Sketch-/370784520836?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item56547aca84&nma=true&si=UB68sj2DvLx%252F9kdb54zXrlCgzYs%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Note:  Further blog posts regarding Gahan Wilson may be seen here.

Gahan Wilson's New Yorker work may be found in the Cartoon Bank here.

The documentary "Gahan Wilson:  Born Dead, Still Weird" by Steven-Charles Jaffe has its website here. The film is coming to Beverly Hills, California from November 22 to 28.

Gahan Wilson's informative 2009 radio interview on the Leonard Lopate Show is here.

You'll find the latest news about Gahan Wilson on Ink Spill here.

There are also a couple of illustrations by Gahan Wilson on The Pictorial Arts blog here.

Additional blog posts about Halloween can be found here.

0924

Gahan Wilson's Hunchback

This presentation drawing by cartoonist Gahan Wilson was created for publicity guru Paul Hartunian. I don't know whether Mr. Hartunian ever ran for elected office, but he seems to have impressed the cartoonist, who mailed him this sketch of Quasimodo which includes one implied vote.

Paul Hartunian, we learn, is also an autograph dealer and he has listed on eBay the undated Wilson drawing which is dedicated to him. It might even sell next time around, with the right publicity.

Gahan Wilson, Hunchback carrying a sign reading "Here is a vote for Paul Hartunian."
Inscribed, "Thank you for the kind words and campaign buttons, Gahan Wilson"

eBay Listing Ended October 6, 2015http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-Hand-Drawn-Sketch-By-Famed-Cartoonist-Gahan-Wilson-Playboy-/290987085694?pt=Art_Drawings&hash=item43c02e8f7e&nma=true&si=UB68sj2DvLx%252F9kdb54zXrlCgzYs%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Gahan Wilson, Hunchback carrying a sign reading "Here is a vote for Paul Hartunian."
Inscribed, "Thank you for the kind words and campaign buttons, Gahan Wilson"

August 25, 2015 Update:  No sale, but the price has gone up and the seller, who is also the original recipient of the drawing, has changed his eBay User ID again.

Note:  Further blog posts regarding Gahan Wilson may be seen here. I'll forego the rest today.

0923

My Entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #400

Here we have my latest entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #400 for October 21, 2013. The cartoon is by David Borchart. The caption is by me.

"We made a killing on the air rights."

I did have one or two other caption ideas:

"Who was supposed to bring the water balloons?
"I'm afraid we've forgotten the pinwheels again."
"Tomorrow's meeting is cancelled due to the drop in atmospheric pressure."
"Well, it seems I am the only one here with a parachute, golden or otherwise."
"So, Carol, are you convinced yet that there's no glass ceiling?"
"Our efforts to reduce the cost of office space have been largely successful."
"Construction of the new headquarters is considerably behind schedule."
"I'd say this was a productive meeting. Now does anyone know how to get down?"
"Resolved:  that the name of our company be changed to Helium Innovations, Inc."

October 28, 2013 Update:  The Finalists

November 11, 2013 Update:  Winning Caption

December 1, 2013 Update:  Cartoonist David Borchart has disclosed to Attempted Bloggery the caption he originally conceived for this cartoon:

"We've outsourced everything -- which leaves us in an interesting dilemma."

Note:  I finally got to use the word bodacious in a New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest entry, but even that didn't help. See my previous contest entry here.

David Borchart has never before appeared on this blog. My bad. His New Yorker work is in the Cartoon Bank here.

News about David Borchart appears on Ink Spill here.

0922

Gahan Wilson's "Monster Craze" Letter

This signed autograph letter from cartoonist Gahan Wilson to editor James Van Hise dated 1991 grants the latter permission to reprint something called "The Monster Craze" from an obscure humor magazine called Help! where it first appeared in 1965. After 22 years, Mr. Van Hise is now selling the letter on eBay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Two-page-1991-hand-written-letter-from-GAHAN-WILSON-/370403111859?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item563dbef3b3

I don't know much about Help! but the March 1965 issue looks pretty classy.

http://www.helpmag.com/cover_pages/cover_page_23.htm

Actually, that cover notwithstanding, it's quite a roster of talent there.

The next issue of Midnight Graffiti to appear after this letter was the fall 1992 number. This may very well contain the reprint of Gahan Wilson's "The Monster Craze."

http://www.philsp.com/mags/sf_m.html#midnight_graffiti

Note:  A couple more autograph letters appear on this blog here.

Additional blog posts regarding Gahan Wilson may be seen here.

Gahan Wilson's New Yorker work may be enjoyed, licensed, and purchased in the Cartoon Bank here.

The documentary "Gahan Wilson:  Born Dead, Still Weird" by Steven-Charles Jaffe has its website here. The film was shown recently in New York City and soon will be screened in Beverly Hills, California from November 22 to 28.

Gahan Wilson's 2009 radio interview on the Leonard Lopate Show is here.

For the latest news on Gahan Wilson, follow Ink Spill here.

Scans of a couple of great Gahan Wilson illustrations on The Pictorial Arts blog here.

0921

Gahan Wilson's Police Headquarters

Offered for sale on eBay is Gahan Wilson's gruesome take on capital punishment. The artist demonstrates how the death penalty might be regarded as a deterrent to crime. This original artwork was originally published in Playboy.

Gahan Wilson, "I was all for bringing back the death penalty, but this is going kind of far!"
Original artwork for Playboy.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/GAHAN-WILSON-Vintage-original-artwork-Macabre-Death-Penalty-Cartoon-Playboy-/261078585013?pt=Art_Drawings&hash=item3cc97f0eb5

Note:  Can anyone identify the issue of Playboy in which this cartoon was published? This blog is actually teeming with such difficult questions regarding publication history. You can see them all here. Please help if you can.

I have at this point accumulated a goodly number of blog posts regarding Gahan Wilson which may be seen here.

The artist's New Yorker work may be enjoyed, licensed, and purchased in the Cartoon Bank here.

The documentary "Gahan Wilson:  Born Dead, Still Weird" by Steven-Charles Jaffe has a website here. The film was shown recently in New York City and soon will be screened in Beverly Hills, California from November 22 to 28.

Interested listeners shouldn't miss Gahan Wilson's 2009 radio interview on the Leonard Lopate Show here.

For news updates about Gahan Wilson, follow Ink Spill here.

There are a couple of great Gahan Wilson illustrations on The Pictorial Arts blog here.

0920