NYTimes: Berndt Toast Gang Exhibit

Above: A great shot of MAD Magazine master caricaturist Mort Drucker at the board in his studio. Photograph by Ruby Washington for the New York Times.

The Berndt Toast Gang, a group of Long Island cartoonists, will exhibit members' work September 16th through November 30th at the Art-trium Gallery.

Article about the Gang here.

Thank You Bunny Hoest and John Reiner

Above sketch of the back of the "Hoest Castle" by Juana Medina.

This is a public thank you to Bunny Hoest, for letting me stay in her home while teaching cartoon classes in Long Island. Bunny, and John Reiner, who you all know from THE LOCKHORNS newspaper cartoon panel and HOWARD HUGE in Parade Magazine, were wonderful hosts.


This was a busy week. I was traveling with all of my sketchbooks, ready to do work while away. I was very fortunate to have soon-to-be RISD graduate Juana Medina assist with the classes during the day. Juana, you are not only a great cartoonist, but a wonderful instructor as well!


Above: Bunny invited a few cartoonists over. From left: Juana Medina, Barbara and Mort Drucker, Bunny Hoest.

The first morning I woke up to find the below item in the local Newsday newspaper (no online version that I can find -- despite the house ad for Newsday.com at the bottom). This is "It Happened in Long Island," a continuing historical series of LI history-makers.

Annual Bunny Hoest Bash June 25, 2009

Above: a LOCKHORNS bisque at the home of Bunny Hoest.

I left my house on the New Hampshire ridge for a quick overnight trip to New York. Object: drive to Bunny Hoest's home on the Long Island North Shore, arriving by noon for the annual Bunny Bash. Thanks to a wee hours start and the Bridgeport/Port Jefferson ferry, I made it.

The Bunny Bash is held every June at the home of Bunny Hoest. The Bash began because almost three decades ago, Bill Hoest wanted to show some some of his cartoonist colleagues the house he was building. About a dozen cartoonists from the local Long Island chapter of the National Cartoonists Society (the "Berndt Toast Gang") were invited over for sandwiches and a tour of the then-unfinished home

Today, the house on the Long Island sound is finished, and the event has grown. About 150 cartoonists, spouses, kids and friends got together for what turned out to be a partly cloudy afternoon of shop talk.

Mike Lynch, Mad Magazine's Sam Viviano and THE LOCKHORNS Bunny Hoest

King Features' MARY WORTH creative team of Joe Giella and Karen Moy.

It's BEETLE BAILEY assistant and freelance illustrator Bill Janocha with Mad Magazine's Mort Drucker

ARCHIE's Stan Goldberg with KIM POSSIBLE's Stephen Silver.

Heidi Silver and THE LOCKHORN's John Reiner


New Yorker cartoonists Robert Leighton and Felipe "Feggo" Galindo, with illustrator Martin Kozlowski. Thanks to Felipe for this photo!


NCS Chapter Chair Adrian Sinnott and National Rep Mike Lynch surprised Bunny Hoest with a National Cartoonists Society Tim Rosenthal Award for Volunteerism. Above is the award, gorgeously drawn by Guy Gilchrist.

Tim Rosenthal was Head of Syndicate Services at American Color. American Color is the place where many newspaper comics are colored and then sent to papers around the world. His impact, developed with Wiley Miller, on the way color is used in newspaper comics, set a new industry standard. He was also a big NCS supporter, and a good friend to many cartoonists.

I gave a short announcement to the people about Bunny and why she deserves the Award:

Everyone knows that Bunny works for King Features. Everyone knows that Bunny works for Parade Magazine. What everyone may now know is that she also works very hard for the Long Island chapter of the National Cartoonists Society, helping with the award voting, as well as hosting the annual Bash. She is, as Creig Flessel described her, the "Den Mother" of the Berndt Toast Gang. This was a small token of appreciation from her NCS family.

If anyone has a photo of Bunny with her Award, please share it with me. Thanks.

Mike Lynch, with my friend, The New Yorker's Robert Leighton.

Gerry Mooney, Bill Crouch and Elena Steier

Bunny Hoest, Suzan Haeni of the Art League of Long Island and graphic artist Julie Haring

A framed gag cartoon of Bill Hoest's. One of many decorating the "Hoest Castle" interior.

Dotti Sinnott, daughter of Berndt Toast Gang Chairman Adrian Sinnott, and the one and only Sam Gross.

I wound up staying very late, as did a few others. Bunny ordered pizza. I shared long conversations under an orange sliver of a moon with Adrian Sinnott and his family, Bunny, John Reiner, Mort & Barbara Drucker and Stan & Pauline Goldberg.

I had a memorable time. Exhausting, but memorable.

Ted Key 1912-2008

Above: the first collection of HAZEL cartoons sold 500,000 copies.

Ted Key, best known for creating the cartoon panel HAZEL, passed away on Saturday at his Tredyffrin Township, PA home. Mr. Key was diagnosed with cancer of the bladder in 2006. He had suffered a stroke this past September. He was 95.



There are many obituaries online:

Associated Press

Philadelphia Inquirer

New York Times

All I wanted to add were a couple of images to demonstrate that he really was a master of media. Heck, the fellow kept up Hazel while serving in World War II as a Master Sergeant.

From the AP story:

"Key literally dreamed up the concept of his wildly popular maid cartoon.

"'Like a lot of creative people, he kept a notepad near his bedside,' Peter Key said of his father. 'He had a dream about a maid who took a message, but she screwed it up completely. When he looked at the idea the next day, he thought it was good and sold it to the Post.'"

And this is from the Times:

“'He picked the name Hazel out of the air,' Peter Key said. 'But there was an editor at The Post who had a sister named Hazel, and she thought her brother came up with the name and she didn’t speak to him for two years.'”

Editor & Publisher credits him with creating idea of the cartoon-a-day calendar in 1951. Jack & Jill Magazine published his long running "Diz and Liz" series of cartoons.

Mr. Key also created the time-traveling boy & dog "Peabody and Sherman" for Jay Ward's Bullwinkle TV show. Ward was a friend of Key's brother.


MILLION DOLLAR DUCK, GUS and THE CAT FROM OUTER SPACE were three of his screenplays that were made into movies.

According to several of the obits, the family is finding all sorts of notes and sketches for ideas and gags all over the place. From the Inquirer:

"'He executed a ton of ideas, but he still didn't have time to execute them all,' Peter Key said."

Image of the HAZEL book cover from the University of Syracuse where " ... the Ted Key Papers extend to twenty-three linear feet and include more than twelve hundred original cartoons, correspondence, book and screenplay manuscripts and production records, published cartoons, and other printed material."

COLLEGE LAUGHS

Above: Cartoonist Bill Riley gives us a socko cover for the first issue of COLLEGE LAUGHS (1958). Really, after seeing this, you don't need me to explain what the mag is about, now do you?

"It may not be that much -- you know how lousey [sic] you are at math."

Above: the first page of the bimonthly digest-sized magazine. It's a cartoon with a signature that I cannot for the life of me decode. You know you're in for a lax editorial style when there's a misspelling right there on page one.

COLLEGE LAUGHS is copyright 1958 by Candor Publishing Co., Inc., S.W. Canton, Ohio.

"Now get out there and toss those curves!"

One of the delights about COLLEGE LAUGHS is that it's heavy on early Don Orehek cartoons. Don is not only a favorite cartoonist of mine -- as well as a fellow Berndt Toast Gang member -- I'm happy to say he's also a friend. No way are his cartoons lax. They are full of energy and purpose!

"Hello, Miss Benson? This is Peter Smith ... Peter ... P as in the person you met last night, E as in evening out like you promised, T as in taking it for granted you meant it, E as in eating at your favorite cafe, R as in ready. Are you?"

Above: Bill Riley with a rather lengthy (but enjoyable) gag line. Remember when there were pay phones? Remember when there were phone books? Remember when guys wore bow ties and carnations?


Above: a great Orehek drawing. The fawning guy (just look at his limp right hand); the woman, leaning back, smiling, as she delivers the ego crushing news to that poor schlub.

"I only came out here with you because I heard something about neck and neck. When do we get to do that?"

Bill Riley shows us a rather pedestrian scene of a young woman and a young man. But whatta woman! The line is a zinger.



"Da -- What no comic books?" Don Orehek's "Gene Yus" is a six page set up for what could be a series of cartoons. Alas, this is only a taste of the character, whose chubby cheeked face is in a perpetual snobby superior sneer at people who like comic books. I also like the politically incorrect comic conceit that mentally slow people begin every one of their sentences with a "da."

"Look I got an 'A' in Biology."

Above: fellow Berndt Toast Gang member Jim Ruth has a number of cartoons in COLLEGE LAUGHS. This fellow, with the uncool Jughead style hat, has the most un-come-on line ever.

"It's been a lovely evening, let's spoil it."

Above: Dig Don lighting the above cartoon from the floor ala a horror movie. Note our man leaning in, his legs ready to scramble toward her, while she has her knees locked together. No one can draw a girl in a tight sweater like Don Orehek -- but, hey, I'm sure you've noticed that by now! Great line too. Did I mention I love Don's cartoons? Did I?

"He keeps giving me looks. I'm wondering if he considers me intellectual or dumb?

I really liked the gag above. Very ambiguous, and very much what being in your 20s is all about: choosing what you are and what your place is in the ol' world and all that. Whew! That's way too much philosophizin' for a blog about cartoons! Don uses that bell tower shape (there's one just like it at Brooklyn College) to let you know we're on campus.

"It may not look so good now, sir, but a long walk in a driving rainstorm would make a world of difference."

Bob Campbell draws a cartoon about campus fashion that's beyond me. I do like the very simple lines on the right, noting suits hung on a rod and a sales table. It simply, and with ease, shows you where you are.

"I'd be delighted if it didn't mean we have to start going steady."

Above: More Don Orehek! This is one of my favorites. A great gag line. She's gonna keep the thing no matter what!
Above: the only page of ads in the mag, emphasizing the 3 most important things you can learn from "Sensational Book Bargains:"

1. learn to love,
2. learn to dance
3. and learn to fight!

The end back cover with a parting 2-tone Don Orehek cartoon, full of sexy girls! Oo la la! What a fun magazine.

THEY'LL DO IT EVERY TIME Ending

Today's Connecticut Post reports that THEY'LL DO IT EVERY TIME, the newspaper cartoon panel drawn by Al Scaduto, will end on February 2, 2008. The decision was made by King Features.

As Tom Spurgeon wrote in today's Comics Reporter:
"It was created in 1929 by cartoon juggernaut Jimmy Hatlo, was nationally syndicated starting in 1936. Bob Dunn followed Hatlo on the feature and Scaduto followed Dunn, giving the strip a strong creative continuity during its multiple decade run."

And I agree, as Tom writes further, that it was surprising that King would pull a feature that had over 100 papers. But, there was no one who could do it like Al Scaduto.

Al was the last of the bigfoot cartoonists -- guys like Rube Goldberg, Elzie Segar and Milt Gross (who Al knew). Perhaps it's fitting that the 79 year old feature ends with him. There is, sadly, no one around to fill those big feet.

Above is a photo of Al and me, taken a year ago. As some of you know, I had the honor of being the Chapter Chair of the National Cartoonists Society Long Island Chapter for a while.

I was pretty nervous about being the ringleader of what's called the Berndt Toast Gang; a legendary group of Long Island cartoonists. Getting up to talk about chapter business, in front of the likes of Scaduto, Giella, Drucker, Orehek, Sy Barry and others, was daunting. I tried not to let it show. the first couple of months I had that whole I'm-not-worthy feeling.

Out of the blue, Al Scaduto called me after a get together. Since I was still on the Long Island Expressway (or, the Long Island Parking Lot, due its reputation for gridlock), he'd leave a message, telling me how much he and his fiance Claire enjoyed themselves at the BTG lunch. And he always thanked me for being responsible for such a relaxed atmosphere at the get togethers.

To get a phone call like this made me feel great. Al was always a gracious gentlemen. He would always ask after me, and my wife, and ask how things are going. And he would listen to the answers.

Al was very much part of the heart of the Gang. He will be missed.

Above right: a small selection of a large number of originals that he brought in last year to show the Gang.

A hat tip to Journalista! where I first saw mention of the CT Post article.

Related links:

Memories of Al Scaduto

Some Al Scaduto Links

David Gantz 1922-2007

Above: Dave Gantz's National Cartoonists Society page.

Cartoonist David Gantz, a veteran comic book artist andwriter, newspaper strip cartoonist and graphic novelist, who had worked with many greats including Al Jaffee of Mad and Charles Schulz, passed away this morning. There is no further information at this time.

Dave attended the High School of Music & Art, the National Academy of Design and the University of Iowa.

Dave was a golden age comic book artist. His first job, back around 1940, was with Magazine Management, a company that later changed its name to Marvel. Dave drew "Mighty Mouse and "Patsy Walker," among other titles.

He continued as a comic book artist for the next couple of decades, producing mystery, horror and romance comics for Lev Gleason, St. John and Ziff Davis. He's also been credited with drawing the Classic Illustrated version of Huckleberry Finn.

Dave was a syndicated comic strip artist. He had a number of his own strips, notedly "Dudley D," which ran from 1961 to 1964 with the Herald Tribune Syndicate, and "Don Q," a strip that ran from 1975-80, syndicated by the New York Times Features Syndicate. Below is an interview from the JewishPub Web site:

Q: And you had a political cartoon strip for The New York Times.

Dave Gantz: My strip “Don Q” was syndicated by the New York Times Special Features Syndicate and ran from 1975 -1981. In its time, Don Q appeared in over 100 newspapers throughout the world, daily and on Sundays, but it never appeared actually appeared in The New York Times.

Q: Why not?

Dave Gantz: I was told that because The New York Times was distributed nationally, if the strip appeared in the Times it would hamper sales of other papers throughout the country. I remain skeptical about this explanation because I know that The New York Times published a comic strip in 1906 to compete with Pulitzer’s “World.” It was called “Roosevelt’s Bears” and it flopped after 6 months. The publisher, Adolf Ochs, vowed that the Times would never again publish a comic strip. Not even “Don Q.”

David Gantz also created freelance cartoons and illustrations for major publications including Boy's Life and Mad Magazine.



Above: JEWS AND THE GRAPHIC NOVEL by David Gantz; an online illustrated essay on the impact of Jewish creators. Thanks to Steve Bergson's Jewish Comics blog for the link.

David Gantz wrote and illustrated over 75 children's books for Scholastic, Random House, Simon & Schuster and others. In addition to his commercial work, he was a fine artist, working in print making and sculpture. He exhibited in the US and Canada.

He won a 1997 National Cartoonists Society Newspaper Panel Division Award for "Gantz Glances."

He worked with Chaim Potok on his (Dave's) most recent book, JEWS IN AMERICA.

Dave was a member of the National Cartoonists Society Long Island Chapter (the "Berndt Toast Gang"). Berndt Toast Chairman Adrian Sinnott adds:

"David was one of the kindest, intelligent, and creative people I've ever met. An artist, writer, and sculptor. His work included scores of books and whenever you spoke to him he was working on another project. He was a great inspiration to me and countless others. Another great loss."

Above: one of the many terrific samples of his comic strip work from Allan Holtz' Strippers Guide blog here (scroll down a bit).

Al Scaduto 1928-2007 (Updated)

Just got word that Al Scaduto passed away yesterday. He was 79. I have no more details at this time.

Al Scaduto was one of the nicest guys ever and I am glad to say he was a friend. He brought his love of singing to every get together of the Berndt Toast Gang, giving us all a chance to hear his lovely voice sing a couple minutes of opera.

He was generous with his time and stories of cartooning. He had been with King Features for over 60 years, soon after graduating from high school. He went from being an assistant, to actively taking over Jimmy Hatlo's feature THEY'LL DO IT EVERY TIME.

Al went to high school with Joe Giella, Sy Barry and Emilio Squeglio -- fellow cartoonists and fellow Berndt Toasters -- and they shared their friendship with all of us.

I will miss him very much, and this is all damn hard to take in.

UPDATED December 9, 2007:


Photo: Al Scaduto sings at a recent Berndt Toast meeting while girlfriend Claire kvells. ("Kvells" being a Yiddish word meaning to rejoice and be prideful.)

"'What I like most about being a cartoonist is starting with a fresh piece of paper and ending up with an idea,' he said. 'You're the writer, the actor and the director. I never thought about retiring. I enjoy what I do.'"

- Al Scaduto, from a February 11, 2007 Connecticut Post interview written by Dirk Perrefort.

A few more notes about Al Scaduto, perhaps the last, great "bigfoot" style cartoonist. A guy who knew Milt Gross, for heaven's sake!

These are all notes I made from the Berndt Toast Gang meetings. The BTG is the nickname for the National Cartoonists Society Long Island chapter. I was chapter chair for about five years.

+ + +

Back in 2005, Al told the Gang about The School of Industrial Arts reunion. SIA was founded by four young art teachers in 1936, who built desks from old orange crates and plywood. Even though it’s changed its name to the High School of Art and Design and moved from its former Civil War hospital building to a modern building on Second Avenue, it’s still referred to as SIA by those who graduated.

After the graduation ceremony from the High School of Industrial Arts in 1946, Al's father told him he would starve. That same year, Al started at King Features. By 1948, he became a full time assistant for Ben Dunn, but still found time for lots of other work. A multiple winner of the NCS Newspaper Panel Cartoon Award for the strip, he’s been soloing on They’ll Do It Every Time since 1989. Not bad for a boy from the Bronx!

+ + +

OK, we have a number of BT Gang traditions. The group has been meeting in one shape or from since 1966. For instance, every month we ask someone to bring in some samples of their work. Al Scaduto brought in dozens of originals from his years on They’ll Do It Every Time, Sick magazine, Little Iodine and so many, many illustrations. A Certain Major Syndicate surprised Al with a beautiful cake that was inscribed ”Congratulations Al from your Friends at King Features.” Al told us a little about his career. After the graduation ceremony from the High School of Industrial Arts in 1946, his dad told him he would starve. That same year, Al started at King. By 1948, he became a full time assistant for Ben Dunn, but still found time for lots of other work. A multiple winner of the NCS Newspaper Panel Cartoon Award for the strip, he’s been soloing on They’ll Do It Every Time since 1989. Not bad for a boy from the Bronx!

Photo: Children's book illustrator and current Chair Adrian Sinnott, Al Scaduto, Mike Lynch from a May 2007 get together.

And another Berndt toast tradition (actually, more of a running gag): Al Scaduto announces that he has brought a guest. This happens every time, and every time, he introduces the fellow sitting at the same table: “Jumpin'” Joe Giella. Then Al tells a disparaging joke at Joe’s expense. This is all forgivable since we all love Joe and the joke is an old joke. On those rare occasions when Al can’t make it, we all worry that there will be no one to introduce Joe.

+ + +

On April 24, 2006, legendary cartoonist Creig Flessel wrote a letter to me (on real paper, since Creig's not an Internet-kinda guy) about what he's up to

I keep busy doing watercolors and cartoons for local residents and our grandchildren. Tell Al Scaduto (my mentor) that I'm concentrating on my cartooning and he is my god.

+ + +

Al had this to say in the days after Jay Kennedy's death:

"Many years ago, when I was still working at Bob Dunn's office up at King Features on the 17th floor, Jay Kennedy was assigned the job of Comic Editor. He was always very 'low key' and a true gentlemen, with a tremendous knowledge of comics. I met him several times, either at cartoon conventions or at King Features affairs, as well as at NCS meetings and, of course, at Bunny Hoest's Annual Bash. Talking to him on the phone one day, he praised me by saying, 'Al, you do a handsome feature.' I'll truly miss this gentle man."

+ + +

Photo: a display of some of Al's originals on a display table at our January 25, 2007 get together

Al was just a very sweet guy. He would call me from time to time, to let me know how much he enjoyed the monthly BT meetings. He would drive from his home in Connecticut, pick up his girlfriend in Tarrytown and then drive out to Huntington, Long Island. When new or wannabe cartoonists would drop in, he would always spend time with them and ask them more questions than they would ask him.

He was an integral part of the Berndt Toast heart, and he will be missed.

Al, we were all kvelling when you were around. We'll miss the cartoons and the music and the man so dearly.



Links:

Mark Evanier on Al

King Features bio

Comics Curmudgeon, with a comment from one of Al's daughters.

Happy Birthday, Walter Berndt

Above: cool SMITTY sheet music from the Hogan's Alley site.

Happy Birthday to Walter Berndt -- the man who drew SMITTY for 50 years!

And don't forget about the Berndt Toast Gang -- the Long Island Chapter of the National Cartoonists Society!

"Berndt Toast?" What kinda name is that?!

Recently, Tim Lasiuta interviewed the one and only Lee Ames about the Berndt Toast Gang. Lee said:

When the Long Island group, Creig Flessel, Bill Ligante, Frank Springer, Al Micale, and I got together to work for Hanna Barbera [in the 1960s], we decided to have a Finnegan's (Bar) lunch every last Thursday of the month. During that period, Creig brought Walter Berndt to join us.

We fell in love with the cigar smoking old timer (look who's talking!), as he did with us. After a couple of years he passed away and left us grieving. Thereafter, whenever we convened on Thursdays, we'd raise a toast to Walter's memory. On one such, my big mouth opened and uttered, "Fellas, it's time for the Berndt toast!" I wasn't trying to be cute at the time but I'm not displeased that it stuck and we became the Berndt Toast Gang, one of the largest branches of the National Cartoonists Society.

More on the history of the Berndt Toast Gang here.

Big tip of the chapeau to Craig Yoe!!!!!

Creig Flessel to Receive "Sparky" Award

From Editor & Publisher: Creig Flessel will be awarded the "Sparky" award (named after Charles Schulz) on Sunday.

Adrian Sinnott New NCS LI Chapter Chair

Above: Sinnott & Lynch

The National Cartoonists Society Long Island chapter (the "Berndt Toast Gang") announces a new chapter chairman: illustrator Adrian Sinnott.

When I moved from NYC to NH last month, we were looking for a volunteer to step in and be the ringleader. Adrian was kind enough to be the BT Gang's "man behind the curtain" like I had been. I wish him much good luck. The lad will need it. Corralling cartoonists is not for the weak.

Above: a faked news item from Joe Vissichelli. This made the email rounds and the actual, real Daily Cartoonist site picked it up. This is a larger, more readable version than what's on the DC site.

And, so long as we're on the subject, below are a few strips by the group's namesake, Walter Berndt. He drew Smitty for more than 50 years. More on the history of the Berndt Toast Gang here.




Above: The Berndt Toast Gang logo drawn in Berndt style by Frank Springer.