My Entries in the Moment Cartoon Caption Contest for Spring 2021

Moment magazine's Cartoon Caption Contest for Spring 2021 takes us to a board meeting in heaven. Angels are seated around the table. God is the speaker. Unlimited entries are permitted here, but I held the line at eleven, not wishing to put too many words into the Lord's mouth. The drawing is by  Benjamin Schwarz.

"There's been some grumbling that the board has too many dead white men."
"All right, who's got My halo?"
"Say, what if this year we turned a little profit?"
"I see. Does anyone wish to second the motion to dispense with the reading of the Commandments?"
"Everyone else in the cloud is making a bundle."
"The readers of Moment are having a good laugh at our expense."
"Then it's agreed:  no graven images except for cartoons."
"This is not the place to exercise your free will."
"How is it that Satan gets all the best lawyers?"
"If you're all so good, why is half our mail addressed to someone named Clarence?"
"But why aren't we on the cover of Moment?"

June 19, 2021 Update:  The Finalists

October 24, 2021 Update:  The Winner

03602

My Entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #752

I love a good read, a sentiment shared, I think, in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #752 for the issue of April 19, 2021. My literary entry may be seen below. The drawing is by the well-read Edward Koren.

"I wish they'd stop competing for my attention."

May 8, 2021 Update:  The Finalists

May 10, 2021 Update:  I voted for the bookish caption from San Rafael.

May 23, 2021 Update:  The Winner

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Blog Post No. 3600: Ronald Searle's Slightly Foxed—But Still Desirable, No. 3/150

Perhaps it's no surprise that of all Ronald Searle's cartoon collections, booksellers seem to have a special affinity for Slightly Foxed—But Still Desirable: Ronald Searle's Wicked World of Book Collecting (1989). The title alludes to genuine bookseller terms reportedly culled from unnamed sales catalogues and graphically interpreted in Searle's unique hand. No bookseller of merit is going to let a copy go without extracting a hefty price from the buyer, and that includes copies with some water damage or, at least in theory, slight foxing.

The copies from the Souvenir Press's signed and limited edition of 150 tend to cost the most. Of these, the first ten command the highest prices as they are graced with an original Searle cartoon of a bookish cat. D&D Galleries of Somerville, NJ, currently has copy no. 3/150 offered on AbeBooks, eBay, and elsewhere for $7,900. For comparison, in 2012 I reported on copy no. 10/100, which readily sold for $2,750.

Ronald Searle
Slightly Foxed—But Still Desirable, London: Souvenir Press Ltd., 1989,
Limited Edition no. 3/150 with an original cartoon

Ronald Searle

https://www.abebooks.com/Slightly-Foxed-desirable-Ronald-Searles-wicked/30806928462/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&cm_ite=readmore

Note:  As alluded to above, my 2012 post showing copy #10/150 may be seen here. That leaves copies 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9/150 still to be accounted for on this blog. Get to work, people!

Original drawings by Ronald Searle hidden away in books are just the kind of things I like to unearth and publicize on the blog. Please submit your scans or photos. I'm quite sure I would never reject a Searle cat.

The Attempted Bloggery Centennial Posts 💯
Blog Post No. 100
Blog Post No. 200:  A Shaggy Dog Story

Blog Post No. 300:  From the Libraries of Searle, Koren, Booth, and Saxon

Blog Post No. 400:  The Attempted Bloggery Quiz

Blog Post No. 500:  The Second Attempted Bloggery Quiz

Blog Post No. 600:  What I Do When I'm Not Blogging

Blog Post No. 700:  The Many Hazards of Blogging

Blog Post No. 800:  Think Locally, Blog Globally

Blog Post No. 900:  The Blog I Was Meant to Write

Blog Post No. 1000:  Happy New Year, Lurkers and All!

Blog Post No. 1100:  The Power of Google

Blog Post No. 1200:  The Ukrainian Situation

Blog Post No. 1300:  Plus-Sizing the Readership

Blog Post No. 1400:  New Goals for an Old Blogger

Blog Post No. 1500:  The Wisdom of Warren Buffett 

Blog Post No. 1600:  "The Big Bang Theory's" Homage to Charles Addams

Blog Post No. 1700:  The New Yorker Apocrypha

Blog Post No. 1800:  The Wrong Bag

Blog Post No. 1900:  Think Good Thoughts About George Booth at 90

Blog Post No. 2000:  Charles Addams and the Birth of a Rare Book Collector

Blog Post No. 2100:  Eustace Tilley in Leotards

Blog Post No. 2200:  Peter Arno Drawings from the Estate of Frank Modell

Blog Post No. 2300:  Peter Arno—Not for Attribution

Blog Post No. 2400:  Sizzling Platter Chatter

Blog Post No. 2500:  E. Simms Campbell in Color—Esquire Cartoons from 1935

Blog Post No. 2600:  Peter Arno—You're Welcome?

Blog Post No. 2700:  Peter Arno and Charlie Chaplin Shipyard Gags

Blog Post No. 2800:  George Price's House Rules

Blog Post No. 2900: My Copies of The Ultimate Cartoon Book of Book Cartoons
Blog Post No. 3000:  The Vatican Museums 2019
Blog Post No. 3100:  Frank Beaven's Dickensian Christmas
Blog Post No. 3200:  St. Patrick's Day 1938—Will Cotton Original New Yorker Cover Art
Blog Post No. 3300:  "GIve Up?" by Whitney Darrow, Jr.
Blog Post No. 3400:  The 1942 Navy Relief Show Program
Blog Post No. 3500:  William Steig's "What is Art?"

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Eva and Ulrich Klever's Copy of Ronald Searle's Großes Katzenbuch

Illustrator Ronald Searle's first cartoon cat collection was Searle's Cats (1967). It was followed by More Cats in 1975. In 1982, Ronald Searle's Big Fat Cat Book was published. The German language edition Großes Katzenbuch came out that same year. By coincidence, German journalist and author Ulrich Klever had published an informative book about cats with a similar title. Perhaps he reached out to Searle requesting a signed book, or maybe he sent a copy of his own book. Either could explain how it came about, in July of 1983, that Searle inscribed a copy of his book of drawings to Eva and Ulrich Klever, including a fine original cat drawing. Together, the couple had written a book about fondues. Ulrich had also written a book about walking sticks. Searle surely was aware of all this as he incorporated the book subjects in his personalization.

Ronald Searle's Großes Katzenbuch
Inscribed "For Eva & Ulrich/Klever/with best wishes/Ronald Searle/July 1983"

Ronald Searle's Großes Katzenbuch
The illustration is Happy Ending, a hand-colored lithograph from 1975

The back cover is illustrated with Undercover (1981)

Searle's full page drawing and inscription appears opposite the half title page illustration The Messenger. Searle has added the initials of the recipients to the banner. The auction and lot number are inscribed in pencil on the right.

Happy Birthday to you!
Hand-colored lithograph, 1974

Darling, this is bigger than both of us...
Hand-colored lithograph, 1978

This book, the nicest Big Fat Cat Book I have seen, was sold at auction this past week in Berlin.

Ronald Searle
Galerie Bassenge auction listing
Berlin, April 15, 2021
English rendered from the German by Google Translate

https://bassenge.com/kataloge/117/ML?page=25&limit=15&view=list

Ronald Searle
Galerie Bassenge auction listing accessed April 11, 2021

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/searle-ronald-grosses-katzenbuch-mit-originalzeic-3361-c-21a48aeb60

There were other, presumably later, German editions of the book. Here's one with Big Show on the cover:

A published postcard gives a better view of the art:

Ronald Searle
Big Show (1975)

https://www.tias.com/big-show-dancing-cats-in-heels-graphics-by-ronald-searle-postard-cs12143f-824981.html

The above German edition is most similar to the book's English language edition which also has The Model on its cover:

https://www.biblio.com/book/ronald-searles-big-fat-cat-book/d/886847497

And again on a postcard:

Ronald Searle
The Model (1977)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Cat-Postcard-ARTIST-SIGNED-RONALD-SEARLE-THE-MODEL-304-1977/203242920677?hash=item2f5238dae5:g:3pUAAOSwN7hf-QCg

Ronald Searle
Undercover (1981) Camden Graphics postcard 636

Image changed December 23, 2022

https://www.ebay.com/itm/204079172342....

03599

Seen and Noted: A Seth Index Card

Seen and noted on eBay:  an index card signed by Seth with a small but vibrant drawing of a female character in profile. Who is she? The collector, Glenn, has apparently filled the margins of the card with extensive notes about Seth's 1996 book It's a Good Life if You Don't Weaken. This is far and away my favorite book of his, for reasons that will be clear to anyone familiar with it.

Seth
eBay listing accessed April 16, 2021

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Seth-Canadian-Comics-Artist-Creator-Its-A-Good-Autographed-Signed-Index-Card/372626668045?hash=item56c247ba0d:g:V1gAAOSwiuRciVnC

Seth
eBay item description

September 12, 2021 Update:  Nine percent price cut

Note:  Who, if anyone, is this character?

03598

Seen and Noted: An Art Spiegelman Postcard

Seen and noted on AbeBooks:  Artie meets Charlie on the back of a postcard.

Art Spiegelman
AbeBooks listing accessed April 15, 2021

https://www.abebooks.com/signed/ART-SPIEGELMAN-INSCRIBED-POSTCARD-ARTISTS-UNIQUE/30894640101/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&cm_ite=viewbook

 03597

The CartoonStock Caption Contest #122

Remember the Cartoon Collections Caption Contest? I do. I have fond memories of losing all 121 contests. Well, last week Cartoon Collections abruptly began to use CartoonStock as its principle name. The new moniker packs more punch and the company has kept elements of its desert island logo, so there's not much of a downside. What to call the caption contest now? After racking my brains for the better part of a minute, I came up with the CartoonStock Caption Contest. For continuity's sake, this is installment #122. My three entries are shown below. In my defense, it's always a challenge to rise to the level of a drawing by Joe Dator.

"We're hosting a Zoom conference."
"I'm afraid I have to cut you off."
"I'm sorry but you don't meet our knees."

April 24, 2021 Update:  The Winner

03596

License Plate for the Gregarious?

Is it fair to guess that this a license plate for a somewhat gregarious individual? I wouldn't know.

"GOOD2CU2"
New York State license plate

03595

My Entry in The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #751

I'm forever blowing bubbles. The same cannot be said for The New Yorker Cartoon Caption Contest #751 dated April 12, 2021. My caption may be seen below. The drawing is by Lonnie Millsap.

"It sure beats wearing a mask."

These captions didn't roll:

"Now I'm sorry I got vaccinated."
"Got a pin?"

April 24, 2021 Update:  The Finalists

May 8, 2021 Update:  I voted for the caption from Miami. Or was it Easton?

May 10, 2021 Update:  The Winner

03594

Arthur Rackham's Bird Drawing

A pen and ink drawing of a bird made for his nephew in 1931 by Arthur Rackham is offered by Meier and Sons Rare Books of New Canaan, Connecticut. The flowing drawing has decidedly calligraphic qualities.

Arthur Rackham
AbeBooks Listing accessed April 18, 2020

https://www.abebooks.com/FRAMED-STUNNING-ARTHUR-RACKHAM-SIGNED-ORIGINAL/30613647878/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&cm_ite=viewbook

In the year since I archived this listing, the price has been reduced by $100.

03593