Beech-Nut Gum Mystery Artist – Solved

 SOLVED  The Beech-Nut Gum mystery artist has been identified by Craig J. Lane, Vancouver, B.C., as Stuart Hay (1889-1969). George Freeman verified the identification with a link — Hay’s signature next to a picture credit HERE. While a brief biography of Stuart Hay can be found HERE. Hay’s humorous illustrations frequently appeared in the New York Tribune throughout 1922; in the same period he contributed to Everybody’s Magazine and Judge.

[Photoplay, August 1934]

And Will Chandler (of Chandler Art Consulting Services, San Diego) adds:

‘The Circus artwork appears to have inspired a three dimensional model that Beech-Nut exhibited in their booth at San Diego’s California Pacific International Exposition in 1935-36. In the 1936 season they also advertised a traveling version in one or more trucks; the ad for that states that the San Diego model was also exhibited at subsequent expositions in Dallas and Cleveland.

The Beech-Nut Packing Company had a large booth in the 1935-36 CPIE exposition in San Diego, in the Palace of Food & Beverages, managed by W.C. Arkell (Clark).

The first Hays advertisement, titled “Join the Big Parade,” ran on the August 1934 back covers of Photoplay and New Movie Magazine, and as the inside front cover of the September 1934 Movie Classic Magazine.’

[International confectioner, 1922]

THANKS to Craig J. Lane, George Freeman, Will Chandler

 ⁂ 

Beech-Nut Gum – A Cartoon Puzzler from 1935

 TWO  magnificent full-page bird’s-eye views for ‘Beech-Nut Gum and Candies’ — both prominently signed, but the bold, wet signature is almost illegible. See several previous Cartoon Puzzlers HERE.

[1st signing]

[New Movie Magazine, 1935]

[2nd signing]

[Modern Screen, 1935]

  ⁂ 

Tom Tracy – a Cartoon Puzzler

This autographed card, courtesy Don Kurtz, is the latest in our series of cartoon puzzlers. Was Tom Tracy the artist or was it Tom Tracy the character?

WANTED! Yesterday’s Artist…

  
Q. The small illustrations above were recently donated to the archives of the Center for Cartoon Studies at White River Junction, Vermont. CCS would like to identify the artist if possible. Student archivist Cole Closser writes: “Each illustration is in ink, drawn very small on Bristol board, cut to (usually) 7.5 x 6 inches.” When signed, the cartoonist used initials, followed by the year composed. The initial seems to be an A but closer examination discloses a possible J as well, so it may read ‘A.’ or ‘J.A.’ The two samples here are dated 1862 and 1863.

The illustrations would have been drawn as a guide for reproduction by wood-engraving and most likely intended for a comic periodical or boys’ story paper. Punch, begun July 17, 1841, was at the top of the comic pile but was the hardest for an aspiring cartoonist to break into. Often one of the towering mainstays had to die before a cartoonist would be summoned to the Punch offices. Mediocre artists were only occasionally made use of.

The first issue of Punch’s rival Judy; or, the London Serio-comic Journal was not published until May 1, 1867. There was, however, one other paper which had a long life, although few of its cartoonists are remembered today, and that was Fun. It began on September 21, 1861 and lasted until 1900, second in longevity to Punch. At one time the entire run was available digitally but seems to have gotten lost in the memory hole. Google Books has the first volume available HERE.

Another possibility is The Comic News, a short-life weekly penny paper edited by H.J. Byron which ran from July 18, 1863, to May 14, 1864. These periodicals were the most prominent comic journals of the early sixties but there were a dozen fly-by-night comics (the Arrow, The Comet, The Earwig &c., &c.) published by seat-of-the pants publishers floating round London at that time.

When anyone has any suggestions or clues to the identity of the cartoonist we would greatly enjoy hearing about it in the Comments section. Thanks.
       

No Flies on Mother -- A Cartoon Puzzler

Here is a puzzle in need of solving. Ruta Snikeris has emailed these images of an original (approx. 16 by 20) unsigned 19c. Indian ink cartoon for identification. The image was purchased in the Boston area. I’m stumped -- don’t recognize the cartoonist, although the style is similar to that of Elmira NY cartoonists Zim and C. E. Toles (mutual influences on each other). Nor do I recognize the historical circumstances behind the cartoon. The caption is provocative -- “Children! There are no Flies on your Mother!! 1841 -- the WORLD IS MINE. -- 1891 AND you are “not in it.” The cartoon seems to have something to do with taxes and matrimony. The man with the tiny head (extreme left) is labeled  “G. A. Crocker's boy”. The gambler (?) has collapsed with a copy of The Sun in hand -- a clue? And who is the Mother, who dominates the composition? 

Martini Jug Cartoonist

A reader sent these scans of a martini jug and asked if I could identify the artist. The style is a late fifties early sixties "modern" style, in the sense that the minimal style used is similar to Hanna Barbara or UPA’s minimal style.

What I find interesting is that the drawings are of photographers, writers and press reporters, which suggests that it may have been connected in some way with a newspaper. It may have even originated as a staff Christmas gift.

Another source that suggests itself is that it may have been originally produced and sold through one of the men's magazines like True or Argosy who manufactured quite a few drinking items with cartoons adorning them. However those were usually done by big-name popular cartoonists like Virgil Partch who are immediately identifiable.

I can't say I recognize the artist but perhaps someone well versed in gag cartoonists of the period may be able to identify him (or her). Anyone?

*Photos by Bruce Ramsay