The Gentle Humor of Alajalov
December 24, 2018 by
Constantin Alajalov was a cartoonist who amused readers for decades with his humorous magazine covers that depicted everyday slice-of-life situations. He was born in Rostov, Russia and immigrated to the U.S. in 1923. He began doing odd jobs including painting a mural for a restaurant in New York city. His big break came when a […]
More of John Gallagher’s Cartoons
December 17, 2018 by
After my last post, I realized I had a bunch more of John Gallagher’s cartoons I wanted to share. Here’s another collection with more to come in the future.
A Salute to John Gallagher, gag cartoonist
December 10, 2018 by
When I was a young teenager, I had dreams of being a gag cartoonist for the magazines. I remember leafing through old periodicals our neighbors were throwing out: The Saturday Evening Post, Collier’s, True, Look and others from the glorious 1950s, the golden age of the one panel cartoon. There were dozens of names I […]
The Art of Cakes and Pies: Famous Illustrators
December 3, 2018 by
Famous illustrators rendered mouth-watering art of cake and pies in glorious color. In the early part of the last century, almost all food advertising had to use art work, not photography. Color photography produced dark images that were not suitable for the printed page. Hams, canned vegetables and fruits and especially baked goods were illustrated […]
James Williamson: The Second Arrow Shirt Man
November 26, 2018 by
Everyone remembers Joseph Leyendecker’s square-jawed Arrow Shirt Man. He was an American icon through the Roaring Twenties. Leyendecker’s illustrations became a distinctive image representing the country’s prosperous Jazz Age. However, with American economy in the midst of the Great Depression in the early 30s, manufacturer Cluett Peabody began a new ad campaign for Arrow based […]
Decorative Food Art of Rene Clarke
November 16, 2018 by
Nobody drew and painted food like Rene Clarke. He joined the advertising firm of Caulkins and Holden in 1912, where he remained for 44 years. He became Art Director and served the last 7 years as President. While his given name was James Alfred Clarke, he admired a French artist by the name of Rene […]
Austin Briggs: His Advertising Illustrations
November 12, 2018 by
The artist Austin Briggs was rightly celebrated for his masterly editorial illustrations for magazines through the 1940s and 50s. His art drew the reader right into the stories with a sense of drama and anticipation, like a good movie trailer. Somewhat ignored is the advertising work he did for clients like American Airlines, General Motors […]
Artists who illustrated in the CEREAL WARS
November 9, 2018 by
Advertisers put illustrators to work painting adults and mostly children scarfing down all kinds of grains in all kinds of shapes. The idea of pouring milk on a bowl of cereal was a convenient and appealing answer to the problem of breakfast. Here’s some of the artists who succeeded in making it an everyday fixture […]
