[THREAD CLOSED - BACK WITH NEW THREAD END OF WEEK] WWII Work of Comic and Newspaper Strip Artists 3 3

[MusterMark]

On 4/12/2024 at 8:27 AM, sfcityduck said:

For Bedrock and those interested in the Mauldin Silicily Sketch Book, there's some additional detail you should know about the 45th Infantry Division:

• The 45th was composed primarily of National Guard units from Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado (but also included soldiers from other states);
• It was "federalized" (converted to an Army division) from state control on 16 Sept. 1940 (and Bill Mauldin joined it a few days earlier knowing that was happening);
• For the invasion of Sicily, its first European theater engagement, it was assigned to II Corps under the command of Gen. Omar Bradley;
• It stormed the beaches of Sicily and engaged in hard fighting as part of the successful effort to take Sicily;
• The Italian government actually surrendered on 3 Sept. 1943 while the 45th Division was on Sicily - but German forces had occupied Italy and the war against Italy became a war to liberate Italy;
• The 45th then stormed the beaches of mainland Italy, and proceeded to fight across Italy engaging in storied battles at Salerno, Monte Casino, Anzio, and ultimately liberated Rome and were the first allied troops to reach the Vatican;
• The 45th was then re-assigned to invade Southern France and stormed the beaches at St. Maxime; 
• The 45th then fought its way up through Northern France into Alsace, and then Germany. It took Homburg, crossed the Rhine, captured Nuremberg, and crossed the Danube;
• The 45th then liberated Dachau concentration camp. It is honored in the U.S. Holocause museum as a liberating unit;
• It then captured Munich where it stayed until the surrender of Germany;
• All in all, the 45th Division fought in 511 days of combat;
• During the war it captured over 124,000 enemy soldiers; and
• Soldiers of the 45th received 9 Medals of Honor, 61 Distinguished Service Crosses, 3 Distinguished Service Medals, 1,848 Silver Star Medals, 38 Legion of Merit medals, 59 Soldier's Medals, 5,744 Bronze Star Medals, and 52 Air Medals.  

So, yeah, those soldier signatures are cool. Think about what those guys saw.

If I recall correctly, the grandfather of one of our boardies (a very well known comic collector), was a part of the group that liberated Dachau.  He later wrote a book about his experiences.  He had a particularly important position within that group, and it turns out that he was invaluable in helping those prisoners at Dachau who were able to survive.

(I hope I am recalling all of this correctly.  If I have messed up on any of the details, I sincerely apologize.)

[TheComicsPreacher]

On 4/11/2024 at 6:30 PM, sfcityduck said:

THE BACKGROUND

Milt Caniff was the most famous cartoonist involved with the war effort at the start of WWII.

 

The most famous of all WWII artists coming out of the war was this young man, only 22 at the time of this picture:

 

 

Bill Mauldin (born October 29, 1921) enlisted in the Army as an 18 year old teenager in 1940 because he was an interventionist, not an "America first" isolationist, and he knew that under FDR the US would be entering the war against the Germans. He wanted to be part of that. 

But from 1940 to 1943 he was stuck in the U.S. undergoing training and waiting for mobilization as part of the 45th Division. Fortunately for Bill, in October 1940, the 45th started a division newspaper. Bill had studied art for a while at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and done some cartoons for the Arizona Highways magazine before enlisting. So when Bill applied for a job as an artist with the 45th Division News shortly before his 19th birthday he was accepted. 

Bill then spent the next two and a half years honing his cartooning on stateside army subjects. He became so skilled that civilian newspapers bought his cartoons and a pamphlet book was published compiling some of his stateside work from his Star Spangled Banter cartoon feature. Bill didn't receive the profits from that book, but it taught him a valuable lesson that such pamphlet books could make money.

Everything changed for Bill when the 45th was mobilized to go to Europe in June 1943 and stormed the beaches of Sicily as part of the campaign to topple Italy. Sicily turned Bill into the cartoonist he is now famous for being. He documented the war with clear eyes and stark perspective, he changed his art style, and he showed wisdom well beyond his years. He also honed his cutting humor. Most importantly, he sided with the infantry soldier because he was one. The Sicilian campaign was hard, and Bill's cartoons reflected that reality. 

Once the island was subdued, Bill used some of his down time to self-publish a book - Sketches of Sicily (1943). Think about that: In the midst of WWII, during an invasion of one of the three Axis powers, Bill Mauldin somehow found the ability to self-publish a book of his cartoons about the Sicily invasion and a few of his columns. That's beyond remarkable. His first printing was 5,000 copies. It was so popular with his division it quickly sold out. The next printing was 12,000 copies those also sold out to his division mates. His division was about 20,000 men. Mauldin was able to make over a $1,000 to send home to his wife and the child born while he was at war. 

17,000 books in print seems like a lot, but the leading authority on Mauldin's WWII career, Rob Stolzer (a collector and writer on comic subjects), has this insight: 

To put it in perspective, Mauldin's next pamphlet published in Europe had a print run of 300,000. Why so high? Because Mauldin's Sicily Sketch Book caught the eye of Star & Stripes - the soldier's newspaper - and Mauldin was able to transfer to working for S&S based on the quality of his work in Italy for the 45th Division. For S&S, he started a new cartoon called "Up Front." By doing so, he increased his audience tremendously and gained the notice of top brass. 

The top brass included General George Patton who threatened to "throw Mauldin's butt in jail" for running what he saw as inappropriate cartoons which showed infantry men unshaven, tired and dishelved. Mauldin, who was given his own Jeep by S&S and a pass which allowed him to travel anywhere he wished, had to drive 200 miles to meet with Patton in person. Patton shouted at him. Mauldin told Patton his thoughts, and then he left the meeting. On the way out, he told a Life magazine reporter that he and Patton had not changed each other's minds. When Patton read the quote in the magazine, he decided to ban S&S within all areas of his command. That decision was only thwarted with Gen. Eisenhower, Patton's superior, sided with Mauldin. Mauldin had faced down Patton. And Mauldin became a legend amongst the dog faces (infantrymen) of WWII.

Mauldin was a legend to the infantry for his accurate portrayal of their lives and concerns. He was a legend for putting himself in danger, even earning a Purple Heart, to accurately document the war. He was a legend for standing up to the brass. And a legend for, at the age of 23, being awarded a Pulitzer Prize. 

In 1945, the Army even awarded him the Legion of Merit for his outstanding services during the war and stated that "Mauldin's work has made him indisputably the best known and most popular soldier in the European theater." After the war's end, the character of Willie was featured on the cover of Time magazine for the June 18, 1945, issue.

Bill Mauldin's legend did not fade. Fellow cartoonists made sure of that. For example, Charles Schultz had Snoopy visit Mauldin for drinks for 17 straight years of Veteran's Day strips:

THE OFFERING

So what is the next listing here? You guessed it - a copy of Mauldin's Sicily Sketch Book. 

Even if you heard of the pamphlet, what you may not know, but which Rob Stolzer, who owns five of these things, does know about these books is:

The copy for sale is such a volume. It is also signed and dedicated by Bill Mauldin to the soldier who put his name on the cover - Warren K. (or R.) Cook:

See that signature in the top left?  When you hold this book, you cannot but be awed by signatures in the book. The front line infantrymen, facing death, who signed this book seeking a form of immortality. Each signature, and there are over 50 in this book, stands as a testament to the truth they saw in Mauldin's cartoons, how important his cartoons were to them, and the recognition they had of the precarious position they were in. In a very real way, it is a sacred piece:

 

 

There are more signatures, one of my favorites is signed by a Sgt. William J. Mace to Cookie wishing "Luck and happiness and may you & I have plenty of this (pointing to a jug of booze):

As I said, I just bought this and just decided to sell it. So I haven't looked up any of the soldiers who signed this book. Rob Stolzer has done that with the four books of signatures he owns like this. And he's found a soldier who ended up posthumously receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor for his self-sacrifice in saving others, as well as numerous soldiers who died in the heated fighting. I haven't looked up the soldiers in this book because I don't want to become attached. Which is hard to avoid, even when you just see a soldier from the city in which you live (here there's a soldier from SF). 

The book is about more than just the signatures. The art meant a lot to them and it meant a lot to Mauldin. One of his most meaningful illustrations to these soldiers has no signatures on its page or the facing page at all:

It also has no humorous caption. It just says: "Bloody Ridge." There's a reason for that. It's set forth in stark terms in one of Rob Stolzer's copies of this book, a copy what was used as a diary by the soldier who owned it. The diary entry for that page states: “There is nothing funny about this page as it was our hardest battle on the island.” 

The book also includes two columns by Mauldin (the man could write as anyone who's read "Up Front" knows). 

I don't know how to put it, its a treasure.

CONDITION

There is soiling, wrinkes, and oxidation on the staples. But its in generally impressive shape. Paper quality is surprisingly good. Sure drycleaning and pressing would make it more presentable -- but I'm not sure I'd want to remove the dust of Sicily. I would consider a staple replacement to protect the pages which thankfully aren't showing much in the way of rust transfer as far as I eye can see. But, this kind of object is not about hitting a 9.8. Its about having the look and feel of an authentic piece of history.

PRICE

These things are rare. I keep my eyes open and when I saw this one I snatched it up. It was my second. But, as cool as it is, I'm happy with the other copy. So before I get attached, and head down the road Rob Stolzer took of keeping every one he's found in his many years of searching, I'm freeing this copy up quickly. I got it for far less than it was worth, so that helps the decision. And unlike Rob, who worked in the same newspaper operation with Bill and knew him personally, I don't have that level of personal connection. Rob owns five (see here: https://billmauldinart.com/sicily-sketch-book-1/) and he probably is much more aggressive and astute at finding these things than me. 

How do you put a price on this? There are no real comparables. Heritage once sold a copy with rusted staples, crumpled cover and pages, and no soldier signatures back in 2014 for $225 dollars:

This ain't that book. Here, it is signed by the author with a dedication to the OO. We have 50+ soldier signatures. It's in much better shape. And its 10 years later. The amount I paid for this was multiples of the Heritage result and I was shocked I could grab it so cheap. It's an incredible object. As far as I know there are no others on the market today. My Price: $1,300 or best offer. And that's just because I want to see this thing find a good home and this is one place where I believe it can find one. 

 

 

Take per PM.

[sfcityduck]

On 4/12/2024 at 11:16 AM, TheComicsPreacher said:

Take per PM.

SOLD!

[sfcityduck]

On 4/12/2024 at 10:44 AM, MusterMark said:

If I recall correctly, the grandfather of one of our boardies (a very well known comic collector), was a part of the group that liberated Dachau.  He later wrote a book about his experiences.  He had a particularly important position within that group, and it turns out that he was invaluable in helping those prisoners at Dachau who were able to survive.

(I hope I am recalling all of this correctly.  If I have messed up on any of the details, I sincerely apologize.)

The rabbi in question is David Max Eichhorn. He was with the Corps command and came in a day after the 45th - presumably to witness what was discovered and help out as best he could. His story is a very compelling one. He gave the first post-liberation Jewish service at Dachau and also led prayers in Nuremburg on its capture. His grandson is Esquirecomics aka Mark Zaid who has done a wonderful job of preserving his grandfather's legacy.

For those interested, here's a link to a good article on Mark's grandfather. 

https://www.newenglishreview.org/articles/gi-frontline-rabbi-during-wwii-david-max-eichhorn/

Edited April 13 by sfcityduck

[Rob Stolzer]

Many thanks for the attribution and link to my website.  One clarification: I did not know Mauldin, though I wish I did.  I do think he's one of the most important wartime cartoonists ever to put pen to paper.  He influenced a bunch of the EC guys and I'm sure influenced M*A*S*H as well.

One final note: I'm lucky enough to own that Bloody Ridge original, which is an incredible piece in context to what Mauldin wrote about it.

 

[Rob Stolzer]

On 4/12/2024 at 10:27 AM, sfcityduck said:

For Bedrock and those interested in the Mauldin Silicily Sketch Book, there's some additional detail you should know about the 45th Infantry Division:

• The 45th was composed primarily of National Guard units from Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado (but also included soldiers from other states);
• It was "federalized" (converted to an Army division) from state control on 16 Sept. 1940 (and Bill Mauldin joined it a few days earlier knowing that was happening);
• For the invasion of Sicily, its first European theater engagement, it was assigned to II Corps under the command of Gen. Omar Bradley;
• It stormed the beaches of Sicily and engaged in hard fighting as part of the successful effort to take Sicily;
• The Italian government actually surrendered on 3 Sept. 1943 while the 45th Division was on Sicily - but German forces had occupied Italy and the war against Italy became a war to liberate Italy;
• The 45th then stormed the beaches of mainland Italy, and proceeded to fight across Italy engaging in storied battles at Salerno, Monte Casino, Anzio, and ultimately liberated Rome and were the first allied troops to reach the Vatican;
• The 45th was then re-assigned to invade Southern France and stormed the beaches at St. Maxime; 
• The 45th then fought its way up through Northern France into Alsace, and then Germany. It took Homburg, crossed the Rhine, captured Nuremberg, and crossed the Danube;
• The 45th then liberated Dachau concentration camp. It is honored in the U.S. Holocaust museum as a liberating unit;
• It then captured Munich where it stayed until the surrender of Germany;
• All in all, the 45th Division fought in 511 days of combat;
• During the war it captured over 124,000 enemy soldiers; and
• Soldiers of the 45th received 9 Medals of Honor, 61 Distinguished Service Crosses, 3 Distinguished Service Medals, 1,848 Silver Star Medals, 38 Legion of Merit medals, 59 Soldier's Medals, 5,744 Bronze Star Medals, and 52 Air Medals.  

So, yeah, those soldier signatures are cool. Think about what those guys saw.

The reason why Mauldin's WWII originals are so scarce is because he donated the bulk of them to the 45th Division Museum in Oklahoma City.

[TheComicsPreacher]

On 4/13/2024 at 11:28 AM, Rob Stolzer said:

Many thanks for the attribution and link to my website.  One clarification: I did not know Mauldin, though I wish I did.  I do think he's one of the most important wartime cartoonists ever to put pen to paper.  He influenced a bunch of the EC guys and I'm sure influenced M*A*S*H as well.

One final note: I'm lucky enough to own that Bloody Ridge original, which is an incredible piece in context to what Mauldin wrote about it.

 

[sfcityduck]

On 4/13/2024 at 11:28 AM, Rob Stolzer said:

Many thanks for the attribution and link to my website.  One clarification: I did not know Mauldin, though I wish I did.  I do think he's one of the most important wartime cartoonists ever to put pen to paper.  He influenced a bunch of the EC guys and I'm sure influenced M*A*S*H as well.

One final note: I'm lucky enough to own that Bloody Ridge original, which is an incredible piece in context to what Mauldin wrote about it.

 

Rob, my apologies for the misreading knowing Bill Mauldin. One thing though: It sure doesn't make your collection, your knowledge, or your website any bit less impressive. If it was not for your blog on the Sicily Sketch Books - https://billmauldinart.com/ - I wouldn't have known their significance at all.

And for those, like me, who remember Ralph Bakshi (the original LOTR animated film, American Pop, Wizards, etc.) fondly, check out another Rob's blogs (he has several) here: https://inkslingers.ink/2024/04/05/ralph-bakshi-construction-of-an-ink-slinger/  He may just have inspired me to seek out some new art by Ralph.

[Rob Stolzer]

On 4/13/2024 at 2:10 PM, sfcityduck said:

Rob, my apologies for the misreading knowing Bill Mauldin. One thing though: It sure doesn't make your collection, your knowledge, or your website any bit less impressive. If it was not for your blog on the Sicily Sketch Books - https://billmauldinart.com/ - I wouldn't have known their significance at all.

And for those, like me, who remember Ralph Bakshi (the original LOTR animated film, American Pop, Wizards, etc.) fondly, check out another Rob's blogs (he has several) here: https://inkslingers.ink/2024/04/05/ralph-bakshi-construction-of-an-ink-slinger/  He may just have inspired me to seek out some new art by Ralph.

No worries at all.  It's a lot of info to go through.  And since you mentioned Ralph, I should mention that he is a HUGE fan of Bill Mauldin's work.  In fact, Ralph worked with Mauldin to try and get a Willie and Joe animation special in the 1970s, but they could not get the TV studios interested.  Still, Ralph loved working with Mauldin. 

I'll add one more Mauldin story.  Some of you might recall Lew Sayre Schwartz, one of Bob Kane's many, many Batman ghosts.  Lew was an art collector as well and he loved to chat.  In the 1940s, not long after Mauldin returned home from the Mediterranean Theater, he attended a National Cartoonists' Society event in NYC.  Mauldin was able to bring his Willy Jeep home with him from the war, and he gave Lew a ride to the function.  But Mauldin got so blasted at the event, he wound up driving down one of the one-way streets in NYC the wrong way.  If you've read the wonderful Todd DePastino biography about Mauldin, you'll know that he was a tea-tottaler before the war, but what he saw in Italy changed him forever.  He apparently felt a lot of guilt for having the success he did while so many people he knew were killed in battle. 

Finally, before I drone on too long, if you're interested in this kind of stuff, please consider checking out my Gregor Duncan website.  Duncan was a well-known illustrator and even had stories in the first 10 issues of Whiz Comics before heading out to war.  He got to know Mauldin at the Stars & Stripes office, but was sadly killed in action just days later.  Duncan's comics work was not all that good, but it was an industry in its infancy and a way to put food on the table during the Depression  His illustration work was far better, but his life was fascinating.  He and his wife were in the club Cafe Society when Billie Holiday introduced "Strange Fruit".  Now that's something.

[sfcityduck]

On 4/13/2024 at 12:26 PM, Rob Stolzer said:

No worries at all.  It's a lot of info to go through.  And since you mentioned Ralph, I should mention that he is a HUGE fan of Bill Mauldin's work.  In fact, Ralph worked with Mauldin to try and get a Willie and Joe animation special in the 1970s, but they could not get the TV studios interested.  Still, Ralph loved working with Mauldin. 

I'll add one more Mauldin story.  Some of you might recall Lew Sayre Schwartz, one of Bob Kane's many, many Batman ghosts.  Lew was an art collector as well and he loved to chat.  In the 1940s, not long after Mauldin returned home from the Mediterranean Theater, he attended a National Cartoonists' Society event in NYC.  Mauldin was able to bring his Willy Jeep home with him from the war, and he gave Lew a ride to the function.  But Mauldin got so blasted at the event, he wound up driving down one of the one-way streets in NYC the wrong way.  If you've read the wonderful Todd DePastino biography about Mauldin, you'll know that he was a tea-tottaler before the war, but what he saw in Italy changed him forever.  He apparently felt a lot of guilt for having the success he did while so many people he knew were killed in battle. 

Finally, before I drone on too long, if you're interested in this kind of stuff, please consider checking out my Gregor Duncan website.  Duncan was a well-known illustrator and even had stories in the first 10 issues of Whiz Comics before heading out to war.  He got to know Mauldin at the Stars & Stripes office, but was sadly killed in action just days later.  Duncan's comics work was not all that good, but it was an industry in its infancy and a way to put food on the table during the Depression  His illustration work was far better, but his life was fascinating.  He and his wife were in the club Cafe Society when Billie Holiday introduced "Strange Fruit".  Now that's something.

Thanks for the contributions!

With all respect to those who might prefer a sale thread with simple listings an no exposition (admittedly my own listing of a GSX 1 was limited to the CGC rating and price b/c that's all that needed), this is exactly how I hope my sales thread will end up looking (except with a few more purchases or offers on the Eisner and Caniff). So thanks again for popping in to share some stories!

[sfcityduck]

CANIFF SALE SUSPENDED AND WILL BE MOVED TO THE OA SALES BOARD BASED ON NEW INFORMATION AND ANALYSIS!

[sfcityduck]

PRICE CUT TO $990 or BEST OFFER!

Offering:

A GENUINE MUSEUM QUALITY PIECE BY THEODOR "TED" SEUSS GEISEL aka DR. SEUSS!

For those of who grew up reading Dr. Suess's children's books his WWII work can be quite a surprise. After the war began, Seuss, a German Lutheran, did over 400 editorial cartoons, for PM a FDR supporting NYC newspaper. Many of those cartoons, in step with that era, expressed what now appear to be racist and ethnic slurs (this was of course all pre-Sneetches and during the heat of war so I give him a pass). Later, in 1942, he started doing government work for the Treasury Department and War Production Board - which is why you see posters with Seussian characters urging folks to "Starve the Squander Bug" and instead buy bonds. Then, in 1943, he joined the Army as a Captain and commenced work on training and propaganda projects (booklets, posters, and films). 

One of his creations is a bit infamous, cool, and fascinating. That creation? Her name was Ann. She was a character for a pocket size (4.5" x 5.5") training book put out to the troops to teach them the perils of malaria and how to avoid it. 

The reason the character is so disconcerting is that she appears in the only training booklet Seuss did the during the war years that reads like a Dr. Seuss book. BUT a scary Dr. Seuss book starring a literal Vampire that is out to kill you! It is sufficiently similar to a Seuss children's book that it is disconcerting. The booklet pops up every once and a while. I've seen them range in price from $300 for a thrashed copy to around $2,000 or so for a copy like the above. I'm not selling the booklet but you can find them.

Instead, I'm selling something far far rarer and cooler. The only example I've ever seen, despite massive online searches, of the "overseas" edition of a training poster for the troops which essentially reprints the book in a nifty 17.5" x 23.5" format with portrait orientation that is perfect for framing and display.

Don't be led astray by by the creases on this poster. This poster is perfect for linen backing which will smooth out wrinkles, minimize creases, and keep the poster stable. The paper quality on this is as good as any I've ever seen on any posters of this type. There are only tiny pinholes. There no internal rips such as commonly occur at the middle of poster. There is nothing that cannot be made extremely presentable by linen backing by a good paper conservator. And such backing is not expensive for an item like this. Detailed pics:

 

 

 

I am serious when I say its a museum piece. It is better than the ones I've seen in the archives.

For example, there is a stateside edition (3 foot by 4 foot) of the training poster, but it only has the top row of graphics. The rest of the poster is a map of the world showing where malaria mosquitos live. Until I saw the "overseas" edition of the poster, I did not know there were two versions of this or any other stateside/overseas poster. I thought they were always identical but of different sizes. It now appears that this may the only example of the overseas edition differing from the stateside edition. The reason they differ likely is because they were distributing the booklets stateside so they did not need the detail on the poster. Here is the Stateside edition from the Cornell U. archives. As you can see, it has worse paper quality and more significant issues:

I'm not selling the above boring version that doesn't even use Seuss's words. I'm selling the best Overseas edition. And, again, I can't find the Overseas edition of the poster that I'm selling in any archives or anywhere else.

PRICE: With the booklets in this condition running around $2,000, and there being many such booklets but I've only seen one copy of this poster, I have to conclude this is special. Still, I realized this is a comic site. And posters are a new thing for many of you. I want to spread the joy of owning such posters. So my price is $1,500 $990 for this beauty or best offer.

 

Edited April 14 by sfcityduck

[esquirecomics]

On 4/12/2024 at 11:10 PM, sfcityduck said:

The rabbi in question is David Max Eichhorn. He was with the Corps command and came in a day after the 45th - presumably to witness what was discovered and help out as best he could. His story is a very compelling one. He gave the first post-liberation Jewish service at Dachau and also led prayers in Nuremburg on its capture. His grandson is Esquirecomics aka Mark Zaid who has done a wonderful job of preserving his grandfather's legacy.

For those interested, here's a link to a good article on Mark's grandfather. 

https://www.newenglishreview.org/articles/gi-frontline-rabbi-during-wwii-david-max-eichhorn/

Thanks for the kind words. 

For those interested in my grandfather's story, particularly his time at Dachau (including amazing video of his service for the survivors), you can check out this detailed Twitter thread I created for the 75th anniversary:

https://x.com/MarkSZaidEsq/status/1255510572617076743

[sfcityduck]

On 4/13/2024 at 7:37 PM, esquirecomics said:

Thanks for the kind words. 

For those interested in my grandfather's story, particularly his time at Dachau (including amazing video of his service for the survivors), you can check out this detailed Twitter thread I created for the 75th anniversary:

https://x.com/MarkSZaidEsq/status/1255510572617076743

Mark,

Thanks for stopping by. I always enjoy what you have to say. But I assume you must be fairly busy these days. Keep fighting the good fights!

 

[esquirecomics]

On 4/13/2024 at 10:42 PM, sfcityduck said:

Mark,

Thanks for stopping by. I always enjoy what you have to say. But I assume you must be fairly busy these days. Keep fighting the good fights!

 

Just slightly!  Using the boards to help keep my sanity, which is not often enough! 

For those interested in the topic of the Holocaust and comics, this might interest you: 

 

Edited April 14 by esquirecomics

[TheComicsPreacher]

On 4/13/2024 at 8:03 PM, esquirecomics said:

Just slightly!  Using the boards to help keep my sanity, which is not often enough! 

For those interested in the topic of the Holocaust and comics, this might interest you: 

 

I do believe this is now my favorite board thread of all time. 

Strip teasers from Dr Seuss, direct material links with concentration camp liberators, attorneys with venerable relatives, history professors with KNOWLEDGE @Rob Stolzer, Alec with his encyclopedic descriptions, misc WWII buffs coming out of the woodwork in thread and in PMs, oh ya…and those historical WWII pieces that started this whole thing…
 

I wish I could thank your grandfather in person, Mark. @esquirecomics

I was told by members of family that some of my relatives crossed his path at you know where. I don’t know any more than that, but I am quite sure his presence was MOST welcome.

Major props to Alec for bringing this all together. 

I feel SO out of my league here. A true privilege to see all this. 

[sfcityduck]

PRICE CUT TO $375!

So, now we're on to Noel Sickles. What is there to say about Noel Sickles? You have to start that Milt Caniff's Terry & The Pirates at is outset looked like this: 

But after Caniff befriended Sickles, whose own Scorchy Smith, looked like this:

They fused their styles and Terry immediately became a cinematic beauty:

And it just kept improving. No doubt Caniff was the better writers and Sickles the better artist. But they both could do both and for a time their styles were hard to tell apart (and in fact they assisted each other). Caniff and Sickles were lifelong friends. On Sickles death, Milt Caniff wrote: “This restless genius was the greatest natural cartoonist I ever knew. Now he is dead! All that talent still unused and every cartoonist feels cheated of what might yet have come from his magic hand.”

But, for Noel Sickles, his stint in cartooning was just the beginning of a storied career. He and Caniff worked together up into the war, but as the inevitability of US entry into WWII became obvious, Noel’s knowledge of military hardware (fully on display in Scorchy and Terry) led to commissions from Life and other magazines. Sickles got married and moved to Rockland County, N.Y., not far from Caniff and magazine illustrator Harry Devlin. Devlin joined the war effort in DC with Navy Intelligence and recommended Noel as a civilian employee in the group. For almost three years, Sickles and Devlin shared a studio close to the Lincoln Memorial cranking out incredible illustrations for training and propaganda posters. And until Hank Ketchum arrived, Sickles did most of the cartooning as well.

Devlin tells the story that near the end of the war, Sickles painted a poster for Navy Day. That poster is noteworthy because Edward Steichen, the great Navy photographer, had ideas of his own for the project. However, when presented with Sickle’s painting, Capt. Steichen cheerfully admitted that there was no contest. Sickles' 1945 Navy Day poster looks like this:

OFFERING:

But, the 1945 Navy Day poster was not the first time Sickles used a design of this type. The first time was a year earlier in 1944 for this training and morale poster, which as with the last lot is also the rarer (and smaller) "overseas" edition.  It is also in great shape and very worthy of linen backing:

Full recognition came to Noel following the war years. He did a ton of illustration work for the Saturday Evening Post, Reader's Digest, book illustrations, etc. He is a legendary illustrator and probably the greatest and most prolific illustrator for the US government during WWII.

PRICE: $550 $375 or best offer. 

P.S. I'll throw in this massive 3 foot by 4 foot, but not museum quality, Sickles training and morale poster, and offer the winner a right of first refusal on upcoming Sickles posters!

 

 

 

Edited April 14 by sfcityduck