Identifying Cartoonists

Monday, February 16, 2009


I was delighted to be able to purchase a cartoon that fits so nicely with the pop culture I love. But.

This cartoon, bought through a Heritage auction, is one I'm sure I've seen in the past -- almost certainly in a collection of magazine cartoons. Not only did it appeal to my affection for magazine cartoons in general, of course; it also touched that nerve of love for Old Time Radio shows -- and, for that matter, for Old Time Radio shows of the Mysterious Stranger type. You can see at once the challenge, though: Who the heck drew it? Frank, yes. But which Franks were active magazine cartoonists in the 1930s, 1940s, or 1950s? I consulted George Hagenauer, who put the probable age of the cartoon at earlier, rather than later. He initially guessed at Frank Beaven but then decided the art was better than most of what he's seen of Beaven's work. His guess at original publisher was Collier's, Liberty, or Saturday Evening Post.

Identifying cartoonists whose signature is not apparent has been an ongoing challenge in the field of original art, of course. Its most challenging current aspect is that of assigning credits on old comic-book stories. But that's not the only time it has me scratching my head.

Any guesses regarding credit for this cartoon?

2 comments:

Unknown February 2, 2010 at 10:23 PM  

This cartoon very much resembles Plato's "Allegory of the Cave".

All philosophy knowledgeable people will understand this.

If not, then I highly suggest you google it as it very much describes the world we live in.

Dull Tool Dim Bulb May 7, 2011 at 8:12 AM  

Frank Beaven. He did radio gags!
See here on Vintage Sleaze the Blog

http://vintagesleaze.blogspot.com/2011/05/frank-beaven-humorama-cartoonist-with.html

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