Category Archives: Found in the Collection

“The Evolution of the “Original” Comic Supplement”, an Ike Morgan One-Shot

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Comics: difficult to write since 1902!

"Evolution of the "Original" Comic Supplement", by Morgan. From the San Francisco Academy of Comic Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

We love this one-shot by cartoonist Ike Morgan, from the June 8th, 1902 Chicago Record-Herald, illustrating the age old tradition of cartoonists borrowing jokes, as totally bizarre as this one might be. We don’t have a lot of information on Morgan, and he appears to have mostly done one-shots other than his short running daily “The Kids of Many Colors”. As early as 1897, Morgan was also contributing political cartoons to The Times-Herald in Chicago.

Morgan would go on to illustrate a number of books, most notable of which were American Fairy Tales and The Woggle-Bug Book, written by the one and only L. Frank Baum — author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. What is additionally fascinating about Morgan, despite the lack of information on him, is the key role he may have played as a catalyst in bringing together the stage production of The Wizard of Oz. During the time that he knew L. Frank Baum through their book collaborations, he also happened to be roommates with composer Paul Tietjens. The two were introduced at Morgan’s wedding reception, and the writer and composer then began their talks for adapting Baum’s illustrated novel for the stage.

While this kind of marginal insight on Ike Morgan can be gleaned from the biographies of Baum and W.W. Denslow (illustrator of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz), substantial biographical information on the cartoonist seems to be lost to obscurity in the early 20th century. We know that Morgan also illustrated books for Grace Duffie Boylan, including Young Uncle Tom’s Cabin (Boylan’s adaptation for children of the Harriet Beecher Stowe novel), but if any of our readers know more, we hope you’ll share!

Found in the Collection: Johannes Borer

Although the mission of the Cartoon Library is to collect American printed cartoon art, we are fortunate enough to have many holdings of originals from overseas. Today, we stumbled upon this delightfully seasonal piece from Swiss cartoonist Johannes Borer in the collection, which appeared in Punch in 1987:

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Johannes Borer original from “Punch”. From the International Museum of Cartoon Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum

Borer was born in Zwingen, Switzerland in 1949 and has been working as a cartoonist, illustrator, and gag writer since 1973. His work has appeared in over 100 newspapers and magazines worldwide, including Punch and Reader’s Digest.

Found in the Collection: Jack T. Chick’s “Times Have Changed?”

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Yes, this pre-Flintstones single-panel feature was indeed created by that Jack T. Chick. Quite possibly one of the most widely distributed self-publishers, with fleets of believers getting his work into the hands of the general public in subway stations, rest stops, and public gathering places across the nation (and in over 100 languages overseas), Chick is largely known for his Christian evangelical mini-comics known as Chick Tracts. These pamphlets, nondiscriminatory in their discrimination, target theories of evolution, homosexuality, nearly all religious groups, feminism, and even Harry Potter.

But before becoming the prince of propaganda, Chick worked alongside writer P.S. Clayton on the feature Times Have Changed? which ran from November 16, 1953 through 1955. This earlier, softer form of cultural criticism revolved around the intertwined lives of humans and dinosaurs (perhaps some foreshadowing here of later themes), and how little our ways have changed over time.

P.S. Clayton and Jack T. Chick’s “Times Have Changed?”, from The San Francisco Academy of Comic Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum

P.S. Clayton and Jack T. Chick's "Times Have Changed?" From the San Francisco Academy of Comic Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum

P.S. Clayton and Jack T. Chick’s “Times Have Changed?” From the San Francisco Academy of Comic Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum

P.S. Clayton and Jack T. Chick's "Times Have Changed?" From the San Francisco Academy of Comic Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum

P.S. Clayton and Jack T. Chick’s “Times Have Changed?” From the San Francisco Academy of Comic Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum

P.S. Clayton and Jack T. Chick's "Times Have Changed?" From the San Francisco Academy of Comic Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum

P.S. Clayton and Jack T. Chick’s “Times Have Changed?” From the San Francisco Academy of Comic Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum

Despite the over 700 million published copies of his evangelical tracts, Jack T. Chick himself has managed to remain reclusive, giving few to no interviews since the 1970s. If you know more about Chick’s other early work, please let us know!

Found in the Collection: Jeff Keate!

Beyond a tremendous amount of art auction websites hocking his originals (showing the sheer magnitude of gag work that he did in his day), there isn’t a ton of information out there about Canadian-born cartoonist Jeff Keate. He churned out his feature “Time Out!” of sports-related gag cartoons for the Publishers Syndicate for  nearly ten years, had work in Colliers, The Saturday Evening Post, Cracked, Humorama and others, and produced a hard to find newspaper strip called Rufus for just over a year. Keate also illustrated Charles D. Rice’s instructional book on cartooning Squeans, Plewds and Briffits, or How to be a Cartoonist in 1954.

Below, the rough for a gag cartoon that we stumbled upon in our collection that made our morning here at the Cartoon Library:

"Who made this pencil mark on my memo pad?", original cartoon rough by Jeff Keate. From the International Museum of Cartoon Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

“Who made this pencil mark on my memo pad?”, original cartoon rough by Jeff Keate. From the International Museum of Cartoon Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

Ah, the beauty of the gag cartoon. Sometimes that’s all it takes! In an article about Keate from the August 19th, 1950 issue of Editor & Publisher magazine, he described his desire to intentionally make cartoons and comics with no other meaning or purpose than a laugh: “I really think there’s a crying need for humor. My page won’t carry any message.”

”I’m sure it’s positively indecent... if we could just figure it out.” original gag cartoon by Jeff Keate. From the International Museum of Cartoon Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

“I’m sure it’s positively indecent… if we could just figure it out.” original gag cartoon by Jeff Keate. From the International Museum of Cartoon Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

Keate was raised in British Columbia, and attended college first in Grand Rapids, MI, followed by the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, class of 1936. He relocated to NYC in 1945, which is where his cartooning career really took off–averaging 20 magazine cartoons per week.

Original Jeff Keate gag cartoon for the Saturday Evening Post. From the International Museum of Cartoon Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon LIbrary & Museum (click to enlarge)

Original Jeff Keate gag cartoon for the Saturday Evening Post. From the International Museum of Cartoon Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon LIbrary & Museum (click to enlarge)

In his Editor & Publisher interview, Keate mentions that his inspiration for being a cartoonist came from his father’s own unfulfilled dreams to draw comics, and support of his sons pursuit. A lumber industry man, the elder Keate would hang frames around the scribbles that young Jeff drew on the walls of their home as a kid rather than punish him.

”We don’t just titter and say ’Well, accidents will happen’ here, Purvis!” original gag cartoon for the Saturday Evening Post. From the International Museum of Cartoon Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge).

“We don’t just titter and say ‘Well, accidents will happen’ here, Purvis!” original gag cartoon for the Saturday Evening Post. From the International Museum of Cartoon Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge).

If you have more biographical information on Jeff Keate, we’d love for you to share!

Speaking of great Canadian cartoonists, we are thrilled to be attending the Toronto Comics & Art Festival (TCAF) this weekend to promote the Cartoon Library and take donations for the Dylan Williams Collection- be sure to say hello!

Found in the Collection: Spring-Heeled Jack!

London in the 1830s was a truly weird and terrifying place. The city and surrounding villages were plagued at large by a menacing and mysterious figure who not only lurked in dark alleys, but had the gall to occasionally go door-to-door frightening people. Detailed attacks were reported as early as 1838, in which the assailant was said to have “deprived seven women of their senses”, spit blue fire in many a passerby’s face, and generally freak many folks out based on appearance alone. However, among the many of the fiends horrific traits, that which was noted the most was his inhuman ability to… hop.
To hop over fences, in front of horse-drawn carriages causing them to turn over, down long stretches of road while stopping to slap onlookers across the face, etc.

Hence, horror was given a name, and it was Spring-Heeled Jack:

"Spring Heeled Jack" The San Francisco Academy of Comic Art, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

“Spring Heeled Jack”  No. 9 & 10. From The San Francisco Academy of Comic Art, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

Although police reports were filed and many a news article written at the time, the real Spring-Heeled Jack was never caught, and so inspired over a century of urban legends. Among the earliest of pop culture formats that Spring-Heeled Jack could be found in was the penny dreadful, a large collection of which we have here at the Cartoon Library in our San Francisco Academy of Comic Art Collection. These publications, sold for one penny each, were marketed toward working class adolescents, and their feverish fan consumption served as precursors to the modern comic book.

Featured here on the blog today are some of our favorite covers from the collection, where appearances of Spring-Heeled Jack lay somewhere on the border of horrifying and hilarious.

The San Francisco Academy of Comic Art, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

“Spring-Heeled Jack” No. 1. From The San Francisco Academy of Comic Art, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

"Spring-Heeled Jack" No. 1. From The San Francisco Academy of Comic Art, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

“Spring-Heeled Jack” No. 19 & 20. From The San Francisco Academy of Comic Art, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

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“Spring-Heeled Jack” No. 35 & 36. From The San Francisco Academy of Comic Art, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

“Spring-Heeled Jack” No. 3. From The San Francisco Academy of Comic Art, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

Over the years, the legend of Spring-Heeled Jack has gone from evil to good, to evil all over again. Could his winged visage be a Victorian era inspiration to our 20th century Batman?

Found in the Collection: Jiji Manga, February 1921

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The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library is home to one of the largest Japanese-language manga collections outside of Japan, amounting to over 18,000 manga items. This includes an incredible 500+ issue run of Jiji Manga, a weekly supplement that was added to the Jiji-Shinpo newspapers in 1900. This would be the first time that the word manga appeared in the title of a publication, inaugurating it’s popular use.

The image below is from the front cover of the February 11th, 1921 issue of Jiji Manga, a beautifully designed cartoon piece on Japanese women’s liberation.

Jiji Manga, February 11th, 1921. The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

“Jiji Manga”, February 11th, 1921. The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

With the help of our amazing manga cataloger, Misty Alvaro, we were able to decipher the meaning of some of the kanji, while other archaic characters are unknown to us for the time being. If any readers would like to offer their expertise, feel free to comment!

The first bubble that the woman is blowing depicts a Japanese woman cutting off the long, restrictive sleeves of her traditional kimono, a rebellious act, while the next image refers to labor reform for women. The definite meaning of the third bubble is still unknown to us. The fourth bubble is about sexual freedom and STDs, and the fifth represents the reform of childbirth laws. The sixth bubble deals with women’s suffrage, and the seventh is for choosing your own partner based on love: marriage freedom.

Below, scans of the inside pages of this time-faded issue:

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“Jiji Manga”, February 21, 1921. The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

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“Jiji Manga”, February 21, 1921. The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

To learn more about our manga collection, you can view our collection development policy here.

Will Eisner Week: Eisner’s Highschool Art Assignments

Among the many astonishing gems in the Will Eisner Collection here at the Cartoon Library, there are dozens of pieces that Will did as a high school student. If you’re in awe of the work he did as an adult for The Spirit, Contract With God, and countless others, just check out how impressive his chops were as a 16 year old student at DeWitt Clinton High School in the Bronx.

Will Eisner original, 1933. From the Will Eisner Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

Will Eisner original, 1933. From the Will Eisner Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

Will Eisner original, 1933. From the Will Eisner Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

Will Eisner original, 1933. From the Will Eisner Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

These two portraits, likely done for a high school art assignment, date back to 1933. Here at the Cartoon Library we have put our collective knowledge together to try to identify who Eisner was depicting, but it has proven difficult for us to focus on anything other than his remarkable artistic skill at such a young age. Could it be Vladimir Lenin? Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of Turkey? We turn the question over to you, dear readers, and hope you’ll help us decide.

Will Eisner Week: Eisner’s Military Memorabilia

Happy Will Eisner Week! The Cartoon Library is happy to once again participate in this celebration of Eisner’s legacy, so that we can share with you some of the amazing items in the Will Eisner Collection that resides here. The collection contains original and published work by Eisner and by various artists who worked for him, as well as correspondence, articles, commercial publications and more.

Last year we highlighted originals from The Spirit, a copy of Eisner’s commercial work for Gre-Solvent (the money from which he used to start Eisner & Iger Studio), and an original from Eisner’s military cartoon Joe Dope.

Eisner was drafted into the service in early 1942, and spent his next three years working on a number of cartooning projects for army training programs, including his well-remembered pieces for PS- The Preventative Maintenance Monthly magazine (originally titled Army Motors). Even after returning to civillian life in 1945, Eisner would continue on as the art director for Preventative Maintenance until 1972.

Below, found in the Eisner archive, are his military dog tags, identification card, and Aberdeen Proving Ground Pin.

Will Eisner's military dog tags. From the Will Eisner Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum.

Will Eisner’s military dog tags. From the Will Eisner Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum.

Will Eisner's military identification card. From the Will Eisner Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum

Will Eisner’s military identification card. From the Will Eisner Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum

Will Eisner's Aberdeen Proving Ground Pin with photo. From the Will Eisner Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum.

Will Eisner’s Aberdeen Proving Ground Pin with photo. From the Will Eisner Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum.

Happy Birthday, Will Eisner!

Found in the Collection: E. Simms Campbell Letters

Elmer Simms Campbell was not only one of the first African American male cartoonists to be published in nationally syndicated magazines, but also created the popular Esquire magazine mascot, “Esky”, their cartoony moustachioed man of refinement. He maintained a steady high-standing among magazines like Esquire, Life, Judge and Playboy from 1933 all the way through his death in 1971, a rare thing for any cartoonist, and nearly unheard of in the 30s-50s for an African American. Campbell’s talent is undeniable and a clear indicator of his success, though taking a look at the themes of his most popular work is telling of why else this may have been possible.

Up until the Civil Rights Movement, Campbell’s work was entirely absent of African American characters. Instead, his cartooning style was largely dedicated to the salable trend of Good Girl Art, depictions of attractive and whimsical white women. Furthermore, he stuck to illustrating the lives of the white upper-class in general, completely concealing his own identity and economic standing.

Cuties was Campbell’s most popular feature, which we have a number of originals from at the Cartoon Library, many of which are gorgeous fully colored works like those seen below.

E. Simms Campbell original, from the International Museum of Cartoon Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum

E. Simms Campbell original, from the International Museum of Cartoon Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

E. Simms Campbell original, from the International Museum of Cartoon Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

E. Simms Campbell original, from the International Museum of Cartoon Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

These originals, as well as a number of others at the Cartoon Library, are part of our International Museum of Cartoon Art Collection. However, it’s a number of items in the manuscript materials collection of cartoonist McGowan Miller (“Mac”) regarding E. Simms Campbell that delight us just as much. Miller and Campbell came to be great friends through their membership in the National Cartoonist Society (Campbell was one of very few African Americans in the NCS as well) and while working for the popular magazines at the time. In the late 1950s, Campbell and his wife went abroad to live in Switzerland for a stint, but the two friends kept up correspondence regularly.

Photo of Elmer Simms Campbell and McGowan Miller, which forms part of a scrapbook that Campbell sent McGowan in 1960. From the McGowan Miller Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

Photo of Elmer Simms Campbell and McGowan Miller, which forms part of a scrapbook that Campbell sent McGowan in 1960. From the McGowan Miller Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

McGowan Miller kept these letters from his old friend–many of which are humorously illustrated in the margins–and they now reside here at the Cartoon Library. Below are a few excerpts from one of our favorites from E. Simms Campbell in 1958, capturing the heart of the lifestyle he and his wife Vivian were leading during this thriving age of magazine cartooning. He writes of exploits with Cab Calloway, Dizzy Gillespie and others, partying late into the night and more. Other letters reveal his concerns over his daughters marriage to American photographer Gordon Parks, who was twice her age. Generally, they are full of soul and spirit, and embody the loving friendship between two men of different races, bound by comics and cartoons. The pages can be clicked to enlarge for reading.

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Detail of letter from Elmer Simms Campbell to McGowan Miller, 1958. From the McGowan Miller Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

Detail of letter from Elmer Simms Campbell to McGowan Miller, 1958. From the McGowan Miller Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

Detail of letter from Elmer Simms Campbell to McGowan Miller, 1958. From the McGowan Miller Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

Detail of letter from Elmer Simms Campbell to McGowan Miller, 1958. From the McGowan Miller Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

Detail of letter from Elmer Simms Campbell to McGowan Miller, 1958. From the McGowan Miller Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

Detail of letter from Elmer Simms Campbell to McGowan Miller, 1958. From the McGowan Miller Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

Detail of letter from Elmer Simms Campbell to McGowan Miller, 1958. From the McGowan Miller Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

Elmer Simms Campbell was inducted into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame in 2002, and you can read more about his life in a piece by our founding curator Lucy Shelton Caswell here.