More Cartoon Books from the Collection of Newton Brand, Jr.

Back on September 25, we saw the copy of Warren Miller's Prince and Mrs. Charming (1970) that belonged to Texas banker Newton Brand, Jr. (1929-2011). It is signed and inscribed by Miller with an original drawing related to the title cartoon. The note that was included in the eBay listing suggests that this book had been mailed new to the cartoonist and subsequently personalized and returned.

An additional six cartoon books from Brand's collection, each signed by New Yorker artists—five of them with original drawings, were auctioned last week by a different eBay seller than the one who handled the Miller book. The cartoonists are Edward Koren, James Stevenson, Charles Barsotti, William Steig, George Booth, and Dana Fradon. Each book was sold, receiving between one and three bids. Without further ado, let's have a look at them.

We start with Edward Koren's Are You Happy? This is the fourth copy of this book we've seen on the blog and, one hopes, not the last.

Are You Happy? And Other Questions Lovers Ask (1978)
Edward Koren

James Stevenson's top-hatted gent is pretty classy. We've seen only one other copy of this book, and it had a drawing of a Stevenson bum.

Let's Boogie! (1978)
James Stevenson

The book by Charles Barsotti, Kings Don't Carry Money, does not bear the recipient's name, but it is listed in the same weekly grouping by the same eBay seller and is of the same exceptional quality as the other books. The other two copies of this collection we've seen here on this blog had drawings of songbirds. Inexplicably, this is the book that received only one bid.

Kings Don't Carry Money (1981)
Charles Barsotti

William Steig's The Agony in the Kindergarten (1950) is two decades older than the Miller book, and over a quarter century older than the other five books, which date from 1976 to 1981. Steig is the only artist who did not provide a drawing, but that was typical for him.

The Agony in the Kindergarten (1950)

William Steig

George Booth is the only cartoonist to include the date of his inscription and drawing. Therefore we know that he personalized his book four years after the date of publication. The drawing of a "Diseased Chicken" has a little bit of added color. The bidding was most aggressive for this book.

Diseased Chicken

Rehearsal's Off! (1976)
George Booth

Finally, Dana Fradon includes a self-portrait with his inscription. This is the third copy of this book we've seen here on the blog and the second with a self-portrait.

Insincerely Yours, (1978)
Dana Fradon

I'll include the full auction listing for the Koren book only, followed by the prices realized on eBay for each of the books.

Edward Koren
eBay listing ended January 16, 2021

https://www.ebay.com/itm/EDWARD-KOREN-NEW-YORKER-CARTOONIST-SIGNED-amp-INS-ORIGINAL-DRAWING-/233853425076?item=233853425076&ViewItem=&nma=true&si=0VRLNXcwB1AfKyLn9IovVbXUwvE%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Edward Koren
eBay item description

Edward Koren
eBay bid history
Three bidders compete and the highest bid, placed five minutes earlier than the last bid, gets it.

Note:  Attempted Bloggery would like to post images of other signed cartoon books from the library of Newton Brand, Jr., in the event there are any more. Any book with an original drawing by William Steig would be welcome; I don't think I've ever seen one. As for the other New Yorker artists, books that are uniquely inscribed or drawn upon are always eagerly sought after for future installments of this blog.

Has anyone else tried mailing books to cartoonists for signing? I would assume one sends them to the publisher.

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Carmen and Michel Cassé's Copy of Les chats de Searle

In 1967, illustrator Ronald Searle published a series of humorous wash drawings, each with a touch of color, on the subject of cats. Searle's Cats was a success, and in 1967 and 1968 Searle followed it with a suite of cat lithographs based on the book illustrations, realized in collaboration with Paris printmaker Michel Cassé, who was to become Searle's lithographer of choice. The entire suite of cats was redrawn in full color for a new edition of Searle's Cats in 1987. The copy of Les chats de Searle, the new French edition published in 1988, belonging to Michel Cassé and his wife Carmen was presented to the couple by Searle that Christmas. It includes a small drawing of a somewhat misshapen cat.

Bookseller image

Bookseller image

Ronald Searle
Abe Books listing accessed July 19, 2020

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30255943818&searchurl=bi%3D0%26ds%3D30%26sortby%3D17%26an%3DRonald%2BSearle%26vci%3D57250018&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-title6

Note:  In what remains of this Searle centenary and even beyond, I am eager to post images here of books containing original drawings by Ronald Searle. Searle cats are always welcome too.

  

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Michael Foreman: Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead

I've always admired Michael Foreman's watercolor technique. Here he illustrates a familiar scene:

Michael Foreman
Chris Beetles, Ltd., listing
accessed January 20, 2021

https://www.chrisbeetles.com/artwork/1732/oh-dear-oh-dear-cried-dorothy-the-house-must-have-fallen-on-her

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The Cartoon Collections Caption Contest #110

I'd like to propose a toast to the Cartoon Collections Caption Contest #110. I wasn't able to submit my three captions this week owing to last week's contest ending early and my going ahead with my submissions anyway under the wrong cartoon. The usual workarounds didn't help me this week. Ah, well. The drawing is by Lars Kenseth. These would have been my three entries had I not been blocked.

"Who'd have guessed he takes his whiskey neat."
"How does he drink all night without thumbs?"
"Just look at what fame has done to Babe."

January 28, 2021 Update:  The Winner

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William Steig: Nine Caricatures

A sheet of drawings, called Nine Caricatures by the auction house Bonhams, was given by the artist William Steig to educator Morton Schindel, the founder of Weston Woods Studios. Schindel produced the 1993 animated film version of Steig's Caldecott Medal-winning children's book Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (1969). The drawing, offered at auction with other Steig items from the Schindel estate, failed to find a buyer in 2017.

Nine Caricatures
William Steig

Animation cel on master background

William Steig

https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/24252/lot/175/?category=list

Mort Schindel in Weston

Note:  Readers with access to original art by William Steig are asked to send me a scan or two of such art, along with information about its history, so that all may be shared with other readers of Attempted Bloggery.

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My Entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #740

Please handle with care my entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #740 for January 18, 2021. The drawing is by Joe Dator.

"So much for our hopes of cashing in on the insurance."

These captions didn't shatter any expectations:

"And YOU weren't going to hire him."
"The rest of us don't have a shot at employee of the month."
"The only thing he's broken is our sales record."
"The only things he's broken are the hearts of collectors."
"We were the only firm willing to hire Ferdinand."
"He just wanted to get away from Pamplona."
"He hated working in the ring."
"He still keeps one hoof in the ring."

January 25, 2021 Update:  The Finalists

February 1, 2021 Update:  I voted for the caption from London.

 

February 8, 2020 Update:  The Winner

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Vaughn Bodé: Real Time Truth

Steven D. Brewer reports purchasing a pencil rough to Vaughn Bodé's "Real Time Truth" at the Words & Pictures Museum of Fine Sequential Art back around 1999. That would be close to the time the museum was to close its doors forever. Bodé's preliminary art does not include narrative text or dialogue; he must have worked that out elsewhere. The abbreviation DBE stands for Deadbone Erotica.

Vaughn Bodé
"Real Time Truth"
Preliminary art
Cavalier, December 1971, page 55

Scan by Steven D. Brewer

https://images.bierfaristo.com/view.php?p=16108326721614

Vaughn Bodé
"Real Time Truth"
Cavalier, December 1971, page 55

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/cavalier-magazine-dec-1971-vaughn-903719315

Vaughn Bodé
"Bail Out"
Cavalier, December 1971, page 56

Vaughn Bodé
"Love is Thee"
Cavalier, December 1971, page 57

Cavalier, December 1971

Note:  My thanks to Steven D. Brewer for providing the scan of Bodé's original rough. This is his first contribution to this blog. A Cheech Wizard hats off to Steven!

Obviously, I could use higher resolution scans of the published Bodé art. If anyone has a copy of the December 1971 Cavalier under the bed and a working scanner, please think of me.

My understanding is that real time as an adjective was not written as one word back in 1971. Clearly Bodé didn't intend it to be hyphenated either, so I've left it as two separate words.

Would I be willing to accept scans of other Vaughn Bodé original art for this blog? You have to ask?

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Todd Stuart: Summit of Manhattan

I photographed Todd Stuart's Summit of Manhattan (2018) while walking through town on July 23.

Summit of Manhattan
Todd Stuart

Be-tween?

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Singing Along with John Held, Jr.

Late in 2017 on eBay, six as yet unsold woodblock prints by John Held, Jr., caught my eye. And my ear.

This next print does not, I think, refer to any one specific song but, rather, to the entire genre of work featuring the sad clown known as Pierrot:

Note:  I've always wondered how many of these woodblock prints Held pulled or, to put it another way, what was the approximate edition size? Or did he just stop when he felt he got it right? Did he treat these as originals intended primarily for reproduction or as print editions to sell to his fans?

 

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