Cartoon themes: bars, part 2

Morrie Turner
Gentleman's Yearbook, Spring 1964

Good Humor, October 1964

Good Humor, October 1964

Good Humor, October 1964

For Laughing Out Loud, March 1960

Fun House, February 1980

Bill Wenzel
Fun House, February 1979

Stan Goldberg
Fun House, September 1980

Hello Buddies, June 1952

Laff, July 1952

Monsieur, April 1962

Virgil Partch
Playboy, March 1970

Swank, September 1969

Cartoon themes: The workplace

Black Magic, January 1967

Caper, November 1964

Paul Peter Porges
For Laughing Out Loud, March 1960

Al Ross
For Laughing Out Loud, March 1960

Adam, May 1968

Battle Cry c. 1957

Fun House, February 1980

Good Humor, October 1964

Hello Buddies, June 1952

Bo Brown
Hello Buddies, June 1952

Adam, May 1973

Adam, May 1973

Gregory D'Alessio
Army/Navy Fun Parade, April 1953

Cartoons I don't get 33

Dale McFeatters
Hello Buddies, circa 1951

Why is a child working for the company? Is it that his mother or father work there and they're off-camera?

Gilbert Wilkinson
The New Yorker May 16, 1925

This Is It, 1960s

Is the circus family his family, and if so, why would he have to beg in the street unless the circus doesn't pay anything? Or is the joke that the way he's sitting in front of the poster it looks like they're growing out of his head?

Erich Sokol
Playboy, October 1962

Another creepy cartoon nobody would publish today. I wonder if I should even be posting it in the context of "can you believe people thought this would be funny once?". If it's any consolation, I think after the cartoon he immediately put his clothes back on and brought her back home before anything could happen, never saw her again for at least a few more years, and went into counseling. He'd be in his seventies or eighties now.

For Laughing Out Loud, February 1960

Bill Ward
Fun House, February 1979

I think the joke has something to do with his bald head and her breasts, but like most other Humorama titles, they came up with captions for the same drawings over and over (this looks like at least a third-generation printing), and it looks like they didn't think the joke through this time.

Judge October 9, 1909

You just had to be there.

Eugene “Zim” Zimmerman
same issue of Judge

Life January 5, 1905

Frederick Opper
Puck June 15, 1880

Ship-Bored

Punch January 28, 1920

Punch November 9, 1927

NOT cartoons I don't get: Cartoons that predicted #metoo and #timesup

#Metoo and #timesup have been wake-up calls for us all, male and female. But I just want to say to guys, it's not about us. We don't have a say. Unless you're a monster whose career has been an open secret for years or in the position to be some kind of gatekeeper, you'll be okay. As of this writing, Parks and Recreation and Master of None are still on Netflix. It's widely known that even the most 'woke' men can be perverts. No need for #notallmen counter-hashtags or complaints about witch hunts. Women just have the talking stick right now. Think of it more like being a dog getting yelled at for climbing on the furniture.

But that's easy for me to say, being in no position of authority and not having a day job. Don't think I don't know that even though now I claim it wouldn't happen, I might have a Mr. Hyde I don't know about if I had any power. One way I'm culpable is that I collect old magazines with dirty cartoons of entitled guys grabbing ass and cheating on their wives. I have a high tolerance for that kind of thing. I don't know if it's a male thing or a Sam thing (or both). I've been indoctrinated into the same culture as everyone else. There's still stuff that shocks even me.

Once in a while, I come across cartoons where the woman has the upper hand. Whether revenge or talking amongst themselves. Often it includes violence, but sometimes after trying everything that can be the only solution. And as R. Crumb once said “It's just lines on paper, folks!”

Lo Linkert
Adam, July 1973

Funhouse, February 1979

Adam, January 1957

Joe Buresch
Hello Buddies, Summer 1954

Hello Buddies, Summer 1954

Pete Wyma
For Laughing Out Loud, March 1960

Army/Navy Fun Parade, April 1953

Good Humor, October 1964

Adam, January 1957

Bo Brown
Hello Buddies, June 1952

Jem, August 1957

Bob Tupper
Hello Buddies, June 1952

Good Humor, October 1964

Hello Buddies, Winter 1950

Bill Ward
Fun House, February 1980

For Laughing Out Loud, March 1960

Dale McFeatters
Hello Buddies, June 1952