Before my recent interview with Dana Fradon, I did some research ? as much as the internet allowed, which wasn?t a heck of a lot ? and ran into this first collection of his from 1961. My copy arrived today ? the pages yellowed and stiff, but the early ?60s humor intact. I really like these New Yorker cartoonists? paperbacks ? especially when they are original collections and not just the standard reprinting of a hardcover published a year or so earlier.
I grew up on these cartoons and still have stacks of New Yorker magazines in my basement that go from the 50s to the 70s. (when my grandparents passed I grabbed ALL those magazines – the ads are a riot)
When showing them to my kids I discovered how much of the humor is locked into a certain time and culture. Especially the ones that feature missionaries getting eaten by cannibals…..
I grew up with these cartoon collections. As a little girl, I used to trace the cartoons, only I left off all the clothes. Stored my naughty drawings in my bottom drawer, where it was discovered by mom. The MOST embarrassing moment of my life!