Basil Wolverton and Monte Wolverton Comedy Magazine Poems and More

I write about cheesecake gag cartoonists on the sister site Vintage Sleaze, but for a time the much admired (and, now, finally, much respected) Basil Wolverton had his work printed in the line of Humorama (Timely Features, the forerunner of Marvel comics) pinup gag digests I study.  Far from cheesecake or pinup girls, as you can see, Wolverton's work must have been included in the Humorama magazines not because it was titillating, but because it was pretty damn good. 

Wolverton made up as many words as the characters he drew.  One panel here contains fourteen sound effects, and there have been entire articles based on the words he created. 

Monte Wolverton, the artist's son, fell so close to the tree he climbed up it!  A successful editorial cartoonist, sculptor and fine artist Monte is just as interesting as Dad.  His work appears in no less than 850 publications weekly and he regularly shows work in galleries around the country.  The Monte Wolverton website is delightful.  In addition to an up-to-date display of his work, the site is a tribute to the work of his father.  See some of his colorful work below (and on his site)

Monte Wolverton Installation View Peculiarium Gallery Portland

Monte's site lists available publications on his father's work along with a good sample of Basil's work, including the extraordinary apocalyptic drawings Basil did for Plain Truth magazine.  One is shown here...quiver! 

Basil Wolverton Image from The Apocalypse

The index provided on Wolverton's site omits the works from Comedy in the bibliography, so I do not know if they have been included in any of the anthologies.  ALL were taken from ONE issue of Comedy Magazine, the January 1953 issue, and there was much more.  In addition to these poems, there were several short pieces of multi-panel work in the same single issue. They represent just a miniscule amount of the work he produced.  The Monte Wolverton and Basil Wolverton Website is here.  Spend some time.

MONTE WOLVERTON WEBSITE is HERE

Bombs Away Comic Decal Transfer Death from the Sky World War Two Gallows Graphics

One day someone will write a book on the relationship between the rudimentary graphics of World War Two and tattoo art, pin up art and the comics. Maybe I will!
 
Countless cartoonists, illustrators and artists began their careers drawing for their foxhole friends, mostly for duffel bags, helmets and such. Most of the soldiers were barely out of high school, and what should have been drawn in schoolbooks and scratched onto desks were being created as patches for patriotic young cannon fodder.
 
Death became a game. It had to. We were losing the war, and encouraging a little more war fever with a clever drawn gag didn't hurt. War is ugly and the furthest thing from funny, but gallows humor thrives in the face of atrocity, and many a bomb was decorated with humorous graffiti before being dropped.

The illustrations here come from an enormous collection of circa 1940 paper decals I found.  All anonymous. All are on scraps of waxy paper, and I believe they are intended to be applied to uniforms, helmets and footlockers. I cleaned up and isolated the images from the paper backing. Anyone with more information on either the artist or the use of these graphic appliques of doom are encouraged to write.

World War Two decals circa 1940 collection Jim Linderman
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TIME FOR NEW SHOES! The Circle of Footwear for Women

The Circle of Shoes Circa 1950 Hand-drawn and pasted copy for Department Store Newspaper Ad Collection Jim Linderman

Fashion Week ALREADY? What to WEAR? An Easy Solution

Yes, once again the seen make the scene..it's fashion week! My helicopter is waiting... Fashion for me consists pretty much of a few episodes of Heidi's show and a glance through the New York Times Magazine Section a few times a year.

But I like pamphlets...and I made an animated cure for the fashion blues from one in the file. The idea is to create a dozen looks from one suitcase.
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Original "Flip Book" Vacation Dress-O-Graph Published by Shell Oil Company (Yes...you read that right) "The Well-Planned Travel Wardrobe" 1957 Collection Jim Linderman

Flown Lately? Fly the Friendly Skys of the Future

Flown lately? Boy, did they have THIS wrong! A group of promotional photographs from American Airlines, 1935...showing the near future of flight through some truly visionary illustrations drawn by "H" who was surely using it. Go WISH! The Captain has turned on the "stop suffering" light. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight.

Three Untitled photographs (Future of American Airlines) Anonymous 1935 Collection Jim Linderman

Chalk Talk The Forgotten Art of Chalk Talking!

A little project I am working on. Stay Tuned.

All Books Collection Jim Linderman

Tina the "go to" Surrealist from Sexology

I profiled another artist working for the digest "Sexology" on another blog (the fearless L. Sterne Stevens on Vintage Sleaze) but neglected to mention "Tina" the somewhat inept surrealist who was obviously the "go to" artist for the monthly digest. I have not been able to find the artist's full name, nor do I know if "Tina" is accurate...but then if I were working for a magazine with articles such as "Strange Objects in the Bladder" "Odd forms of Reproduction" "Polymastia-Multiple Breasts" and "When Midgets Marry" I might use a pseudonym as well. A gig is a gig. Genius Craig Yoe who has compiled pages from this journal in his book Sexology might know more about her, but I don't have the book and can't kindle it yet, so I'll wait for reader comments. The above paintings come from issues dated 1953 to 1956, and who (or what) subscribed to the magazine is a mystery. Thankfully.

I am going to guess Tina worked on artist's board...somehow can't see her stretching canvas for these. (But I CAN see racing Jim Shaw to the Salvation Army to buy one) I also do not know the process for commission...did she produce a work every month based on the editor's direction? Did she read the articles for inspiration? At any rate, our unknown, deservedly so, artist is responsible for all of the above, which were published to illustrate the following respective articles:
Narcissistic Frigidity: Virgin Wives
Musical Sex Sublimination: Conversion of Sexual Urge
Change of Life
Women who Rape Men

Vintage Sleaze Art and Illustrators It Ain't Just Paperbacks anymore!

Anon, The Second Worst Cartoonist in History Privately Printed Postcard Set

The only thing worse than worst is one worser. This one comes close. A few months ago, I profiled the world's worst cartoonist, one Rod Raymond and his privately published set of dreadful, dreary, gruesome and just plain bad homemade postcards. (See Dull Tool Dim Bulb of June 25 2009) Rod retains his title, but barely. Along comes "Anon" to give Rod a run for his money. Again, self-published. Unfortunately, this time anonymous, he didn't even sign his name. The least he could have done was typed it. Whoever he was, I presume he learned "there ain't no money in postcards"...something I hear at antique shows all the time.

Set of five anonymous privately published postcards c. 1950. Collection Jim Linderman

George Jerome Rozen and his brother Jerome George Rozen Artist Illustrator Twins Pulp Painting Geniuses

A double dose of drawing dynamite! George Jerome Rozen had a twin brother named Jerome George Rozen. No kidding! The twins were born in 1875, one lived ten years longer than the other. Jerome was the first to enroll in the Art Institute of Chicago, Jerome followed a year later and had George as an instructor! Jerome was the first to paint covers for The Shadow, but George did them later. Both were in GREAT demand for their pulp magazine illustrations (as these six examples from my collection should serve to illustrate) These were done by George, who is shown in the dreary black and white photo here, which should also illustrate just why artists were favored over photographs for magazines during the 1930's. However, even though the pair of brothers painted their way through the depression, they could not paint their way through the technological progress of the camera, and not long after WW2 the glory days of pulps were over. Between the two, hundreds of pulp covers, from True Crime to Fictional Science were produced. These are six simply incredible examples of George #1's talent. Never mind they didn't quite come true.

Six Modern Mechanix and Inventions Magazines 1934, 1935, 1936 cover illustrations George Jerome Rozen. Collection Jim Linderman