Saturday Evening Post - Cartoon #25

If this "dog" could bark it would be a great subject for YouTube.  Of course Don drew this cartoon a long time before YouTube was invented or blogging for that matter.  Saturday Evening Post printed the cartoon sometime in the 1960s.

Saturday Evening Post - Cartoons #23 & #24

 The cartoon above is the first one Don sold to Saturday Evening Post.  The year was 1961.  We don't have the issue date.

Don Sold this one to the Saturday Evening Post the same year as his "Trees" cartoon.  It was published in the October 21, 1961 issue.  Hard to believe that's coming up on 50 years!

Saturday Evening Post - Cartoon #22

Any resemblance to Cleo is purely coincidental, besides she's a sweet (most of the time) lady.  This cartoon cat could be a great, great, great . . . grandfather.  How many "greats" in cat years are there in 46 human years?

Don drew this black and white cat in 1964 or '65.  It was published by Saturday Evening Post in its January 30, 1965 issue.

Saturday Evening Post - Cartoon #21

Published in the Saturday Evening Post, October 31, 1964.  That was Halloween, of course.  This isn't exactly a Halloween gag, but it is a bit scary if this woman is on the road today.  Hopefully 47 years later she's a better driver -- if she ever got her license, that is!

Saturday Evening Post - Cartoon #20

Wouldn't it be something if Little League players were traded like the big league players!  Guess that would mean contracts and big salaries, too.

Don wasn't raised in a sports-minded family, so his knowledge of baseball only came about when son Errol became interested, first in the New York Yankees, then the New York Mets.  Good thing a knowledge of the game didn't preclude Don from drawing this cartoon.  It was published June 18, 1966, exactly 14 months before Errol was born.

Saturday Evening Post - Cartoon #19

Since this cartoon was published by the Saturday Evening Post way back in its September 1980 issue there is probably no way to know what Don was thinking as he sketched this gag.  He's always enjoyed adding detail to his drawings, and this is a good example.  We have birds in the sky: So is the ship close to land?  Is that smoke rising from the sinking vessel?  Other passengers are bobbing about.  And, are those straws in the glasses - ice cubes, too?

Saturday Evening Post - Cartoon #18

I guess that dinner's been spoiled!   Maybe they should go for an icy draft of Guinness.

Published by Saturday Evening Post in the October 24, 1964 issue.

Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center

Don and other members of the Berndt Toast Gang (Long Island Chapter of the National Cartoonists Society) created cartoons and caricatures of Yogi Berra for a special exhibit at the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center, Little Falls, New Jersey.  The fabulous sports artist John Pennisi organized a bus trip for the cartoonists to go to the museum on Sunday, May 1.  The museum is still under construction though an area displaying Yogi and Yankee baseball memorabilia is about complete.  Too bad poor health prevented Yogi from enjoying the day.

Above is Don's contribution to the art show.

Saturday Evening Post - Cartoon #16 & Cartoon #17

It's been too long since the last posting, so we'll add two Saturday Evening Post cartoons here.

This one was in the March 23, 1963 issue.                         (Caption: "I hate it when it's high tide.")  No date.

Saturday Evening Post - Cartoon #15

No caption needed on this Saturday Evening Post gag by Don published in the July 31, 1965 issue..  Can you find his signature? 

Saturday Evening Post - Cartoon #14

Now if you were this young lady or even Daddy what would you do next?  Maybe she should face the other way, and he should dive under the table.

This cartoon appeared in Saturday Evening Post though it could just as well have been bought by Cosmopolitan or Playboy. Publication date is probably sometime in the late 1960s.

Saturday Evening Post - Cartoon #13

Here's another Saturday Evening Post cartoon from the good old days.  This one from Don was published in the October 22, 1966 issue.  Today the hot dog vendors are still going strong - too bad we can't say the same for the magazine!

Saturday Evening Post - Cartoon #12

Some gags insist on making the reader imagine what happens next!  Isn't this one of those?
No date for this Saturday Evening Post cartoon, but we can tell by the style that it's early 1960s.

Old and New: An Interesting Perspective

Here is one of Don's favorite cartoons.  He sold it so long long ago that his style has changed quite a bit, and he says he doesn't like the old style, so he redrew the cartoon - just because he likes the gag.  The original was bought by American Legion Magazine and published in the September 1961 issue.  Don tells that the editor burst out laughing when he saw the cartoon.  As you may know editors tend not to laugh out loud - even if they love a gag - a result of looking at so many cartoons!
Another story about this gag happened in the Colosseum in Rome.  Don and wife Suzy we on the upper level looking at the massive arena and imaging what went on there in ancient times.  A young couple approached Don asking him to take their picture with the Colosseum in the background.  Don said Suzy is the photographer in the family.  The couple posed and just as Suzy took the picture Don said "Say mozzarella!"  The couple, like the editor, burst out laughing.  The result was a great picture!

Note the spelling of mozzarella in the original cartoon.  Yes, that's the way it was printed.

Saturday Evening Post - Cartoon #11

Don has a rather thick folder containing clips of cartoons published by The Saturday Evening Post.  We've already posted ten from that well-known magazine at various times beginning in June 2009.  So almost two years later we have decided it's time to show some more SEP cartoons from the 1960s and 70s.  For those of you too young to remember what the cartoon business was like way back then, they will give you an idea.  Some of the old subjects are taboo today though some are still with us. Either way, we hope they make you laugh.

The cartoon posted here was published sometime in the 1960s.

266. Gadgets - The Great Food & Game Invention

(Click on image to enlarge.)

It's very unlikely that anyone would recognize these pages from a restaurant menu as Don's work. They are.  Honest!  He drew the Looney characters for a booklet called Gadgets - The Great Food & Game Invention created by Design Unlimited Culinary Concepts. It seems that "Gadgets" was the name of the establishment.  The back cover offers the eatery as a location for Sunday brunch, birthday parties or even Sweet 16's, office parties and showers.  Finally it says "Before You Go ... Don't forget to watch our show!  Performances by Bugs Bunny and the gang change frequently, and you're sure to want an encore!"   © Warner Bros. Inc. 1982.

Leatherneck - Magazine of the Marines

There are still a few print magazines out there that buy cartoons.  Leatherneck is one of them.  This cartoon of Don's appeared in the February 2011 issue.  Thank you, Marines!  For buying cartoons and for everything else you do!

Another cartoon from Leatherneck is post #15 in this blog.



Caption:  "Psst. . .don't argue with him. Let him think he's boss."

265. Ladies' Home Journal Diet Club

Found another publication in which Don's cartoons were published.  As they say in TV land, it's a spin off.  The magazine was titled Ladies' Home Journal Diet Club.  So naturally the cartoons had to do with women and dieting.  We can't say how long this magazine lasted, not too long we suspect.  Both cartoons Don sold to it were printed in 1970.  This one is from the January 1970 issue.

1000 Jokes - Cartoon # 18

One more cartoon from Dell's 1000 Jokes - for now!  Get the feeling that Don did 1000 jokes for Dell?

We're not venturing away from Dell because we need to slow down or speed up. Just thought we'd show some of Don's creations from a different publication for a while.

We don't have the date this cartoon appeared though it must have been in the sixties like a lot of the others Dell gags we've shown.

1000 Jokes - Cartoon # 17

Here in New York we had a hint of spring last Friday when the temperature hovered just below 70 degrees. It reminds us that spring is truly right around the corner, and with it lemonade stands will pop up in a lot of neighborhoods though the prices will definitely be higher than when Don did this cartoon for Dell's 1000 Jokes, published in August 1968.

Caption: "The Lo-cal is cheaper because there's no sugar in it!"

Don and Suzy had an experience with "Lo-cal" lemonade in Udine, Italy in 1974. At a breakfast bar in the hotel where they were staying a lot of dapper Italian men were ordering lemon juice. Suzy thought she would try one. The only problem was that she hadn't noticed the Italians dumping tons of sugar into their glasses. She took a big swallow, and - well - guess she looked like the man in Don's cartoon!

1000 Jokes - Cartoon # 16

Don doesn't play Bridge but his wife does, so of course it's the woman with the cast on her foot!
This one was printed by Dell in 1000 Jokes in the November 1968 issue.

1000 Jokes - Cartoon # 15

Caption: "Dammit, Ma . . . sit still!"
So, do you think Whistler talked to his mother like that? Who knows! Anyway, surely she has things to do -- baking pies, laundry, scrubbing, washing sonny's paint brushes -- so wouldn't it be reasonable for her to wiggle!
Published in Dell's 1000 Jokes, August 1967.

1000 Jokes - Cartoon # 14

Now that the groundhog has had his say, we'll look forward to baseball spring training.
Do notice that no team is mentioned in this cartoon of Don's printed in the November 1967 issue of Dell's 1000 Jokes. Isn't he tactful!

264. 101 Rock 'n' Roll Jokes and Riddles

Here's another joke book Don illustrated for Scholastic, Inc. This one in 1989. We can't help commenting that that Rock 'n' Roll is here to stay! It can even withstand the ribbing it gets in a book like 101 Rock 'n' Roll Jokes and Riddles.

263. 101 Wacky Sports Quotes

Not to be confused with 101 Super Sports Jokes (posting # 250, Sept. 19, 2010). Quotes can, of course, be funny, too. Don's cover illustration conjures up all kinds of crazy possibilities - you'll have to find a copy of the book for an explanation. (We don't have one, a copy that is.)

Here's a "wacky quote" from the artist himself who is only a sports fan by coercion. He knows such a little bit about football that he asked how many halves there are! (Any similarity to the blurb on the back cover is purely coincidental.)

Scholastic, Inc. published this book in 1991.

1000 Jokes - Cartoon # 13

Wow, is the groom getting off to a bad start or what?
As they say, if it can happen it will happen. So if you - or anyone you know - fell asleep and missed a date at the altar, it would be interesting to let us know about it.

This cartoon was published in Dell's 1000 Jokes in its November 1967 issue.

1000 Jokes - Cartoon # 12

Here's another one that Dell's 1000 Jokes published in its May 1967 issue. It's a logical gag, isn't it?

1000 Jokes - Cartoon # 11

1000 Jokes published this Orehek cartoon in its May 1967 issue. Probably readers in that year thought the guy wanted to be rescured from his eagle kidnapper. If the gag were published today, we'd say he got held up at security and the eagle is helping him catch up to the plane he missed!

262. Manhattan Savings Bank

In the 1970s Manhattan Savings Bank in New York City lured in potential customers with entertainment. No ATMs in those days. Shown here is a mailer piece with several drawings by Don. You can tell what was offered by the illustrations. The other side of the card lists the schedule of entertainers and the dates they would appear. It says cartoonists Aug. 17 though Don did caricatures at the bank more than once.

1000 Jokes - Cartoon # 10

We don't have a publication date for this 1000 Jokes cartoon, probably the early 60s.
If the woman getting her fortune told here is lucky the trip won't be like the one brought about by the doctor mentioned in our previous post. (See below.)

1000 Jokes - Cartoon # 9

Here's an idea for your New Year's celebration . . . or maybe your summer vacation! Dell published this cartoon of Don's in the August 1963 issue of 1000 Jokes.

Just a reminder . . . don't forget the milk and cookies for Santa! Don tells the story that a Christmas tree all decorated appeared magically on Christmas eve in the second floor living room of the Brooklyn house where he lived. There would be a thump on the floor while he waited downstairs with three or four of his brothers. These younger of the kids then ran upstairs to be wowed by Santa's delivery. Don adds, he never "believed" because the fireplaces were sealed and had been since his father bought the house!

Saturday Review - Ho! Ho! Ho!

. . . and a Merry Christmas! This cartoon of Don's appeared in the November 20, 1971 issue of Saturday Review. (Other SR cartoons are posted in the #4 spot on May 8, 2009, on April 18, 2010, and October 18, 2010. The latter is posting # 254 a book reprint.)

1000 Jokes - Cartoon # 8

Do gag cartoons have a back story? You bet they do! Here's a good example. We know the baby's Mom couldn't have been the one to trade the baby, so we can bet it was a big brother or sister. Just picture what happens next when that Mom finds out!
Dell published this cartoon of Don's in the February 1967 issue of 1000 Jokes.

1000 Jokes - Cartoon # 7

This cartoon of Don's was published in November 1968 by Dell in 1000 Jokes. Remember Carte Blanche and Diner's Club? This was before Visa, MasterCard and Discover became so prevalent. We probably used more cash than credit and no one had heard of a debit card. So the idea of a credit card for the offering was pretty unique. Who would give it a second thought today?
Note: No signature on this cartoon. It was rare that Don forgot to sign, so more likely it just got cut off in the printing.

1000 Jokes - Cartoon # 6

Watch out for this lady at your holiday parties. She's probably so busy sipping Champagne she didn't even know she can't chew! Dell Publishing printed this cartoon from Don in its February 1968 issue of 1000 Jokes.

1000 Jokes - Cartoon # 5

This cartoon published in Dell's 1000 Jokes in the August 1968 issue certainly is timely today. Wonder if this guy is was a laid-off techie?

1000 Jokes - Cartoon # 4

Here's another "smart" purchase by Dell Publications. This cartoon of Don's was published in the February 1967 issue of 1000 Jokes. . . and this was before anyone wore bicycle helmets.

1000 Jokes - Cartoon # 3

Here's an idea for husbands (partners) who don't know sizes - if you dare! This cartoon appeared in the August 1967 issue of Dell's 1000 Jokes.

1000 Jokes - Cartoon # 2

We posted and counted a cartoon of Don's from 1000 Jokes, Dell Publishing, way back in May 2009 when this blog was just getting going. (See posting #5.) Don has a pretty thick folder of clips from this magazine, maybe not a 1000 cartoons, but a lot. So we will share a series of them here. This one was published in the August 1967 issue.

261. 101 Wacky Kid Jokes

Do read the two jokes on the back cover here. They should give you a chuckle even if you're not a kid. This book illustrated by Don was printed by Scholastic, Inc. in 1988.

260. 101 Bossy Cow Jokes

These cows that Don drew for 101 Bossy Cow Jokes should be in the circus instead of down on the farm. Or maybe they belong in New York City. They certainly are cosmopolitan cows, and we don't mean the magazine. Scholastic, Inc., published this one in 1989.

259. 101 Valentine Jokes

If we can be late for Halloween (see posting #258), we can be early for Valentine's day. Two of the book's jokes are printed on the back cover. (Hope you can read them.) 101 Valentine Jokes was illustrated by Don and published by Scholastic, Inc., 1994.

258. 101 Spooky Halloween Jokes

A little late for Halloween, but there is no better time for a chuckle than now. Scholastic, Inc. published this joke book illustrated by Don in 1993.

257. Dolls & Gags

Are you old enough to remember the Hathaway shirt ad from the 1950s? This cartoon gets its inspiration from the ad that made the Hathaway company famous. If you're too young to remember or have just forgotten google The Man in the Hathaway shirt. (Sorry, we couldn't copy the link.) The description brings thoughts of today's Mad Men, a show that Don never got started on, but Suzy loves.

256. Breezy Rider

Digging deep in Don's studio we came up with Vol. 1, No. 1 of Breezy Rider, Jan.-Feb. 1971, or as the cover says "FURST FOIST [crossed out] EDITION." Don had three cartoons in this premiere edition, one of which is shown here. The magazine was published (at least once) by Colony Publishing Co., Las Vegas, Nev., with editorial offices in Encino, Calif.

Boy! Doesn't this cop have a nerve, giving the driver a ticket after asking a favor!

255. Why Marry?

The full title on the cover of this 1957 booklet is: Why Marry? and other Why?'s about Weddings & Brides. Don did a few of the sketches to illustrate the questions and answers within its pages. This booklet and other Why?'s were sold to newspapers presumably for use as spots. The author lists subscribers (with 6,000,000 plus circulation) to WHY in first six months.

254. Star Sight - Visions of the Future

The authors of Star Sight, Visions of the Future, certainly had a good viewpoint when they included several cartoons in their book including this one of Don's reprinted from Saturday Review. The book, published in 1977, examines "three powerful world views" which "present a panorama of alternative futures."