¡Ay, Caramba! It's Cartoon Time

The forthcoming European premiere of Married to Comics prompted me to go through my digital scrapbook of sign painting and lettering cartoons. And to seek out some new material.

So, with a nod to what is sometimes called the 'silly season', I hope that some of these provoke a smile and a chuckle as you browse through them.

Prehistoric Painting

We all know that sign painting is the second oldest profession in the world, no doubt because it satisfies our innate desire to make a mark on the world.

And this is an insight into the lettering that lies beneath the stones.

A Sign of No Business

It was many years later that these painterly efforts were put to commercial use, and the vocation of sign painter came into being. The cartoonist E.C. Segar, of Popeye fame, explored the commercial imperative for signs in this 1922 Thimble Theater sketch.

And beware the "nephew who is a hippie artist": buy cheap, buy twice.

The importance of signs to business was also the topic of a 1925 Signs of the Times article, 'Signs: The Untiring Force Which Keeps the Wheels of Progress Turning', accompanied by this illustration.

That image of signs of all kinds in every imaginable position was foretold by Winsor McCay.

Hot Off the Press

Cartoons have been a mainstay of the sign painting press, and these are just a couple from The Journal of Decorative Art, published by the National Association of Master House Painters of England and Wales.

Across the pond, H.F. Voorhees contributed to Signs of the Times between 1920–1934, which included his Shop Talk strip.

From 1987, Signs of the Times ran Justin Green's Sign Game, and a collection of these was later published in a book.

Green's other sign-painterly series was Signscape.

And, in SignCraft, the two mainstays of the publication's cartoons were Duwayne Rickerd and Bob Parsons.

Bob Parsons' work was later published as a book, with ten years of SignCraft cartoons inside.

The Winter 1983 issue of SignCraft carried a piece profiling Duwayne Rickerd and Bob Parsons. Editor Tom McIltrot has kindly allowed me to share it here as a PDF, which of course contains more of these men's work.

Also in book form, and filled with sign painting humour, there's Magnus and the Roman Letters by David Kynaston (featured in BLAG 02) and the various illustrated interpretations of The Legend of Slappy Hooper.

And, of course, there are cartoons in BLAG; here are a couple from the first two issues.

Solid as a Rock(well)

The American artist Norman Rockwell was prolific in his editorial work, and these pieces sometimes featured sign painterly subjects.

The Far Side

Gary Larson's work regularly contains sign and sign painting themes, but the licensing department is currently closed. Here are links to three that I particularly like:

• Acme Sign Co., End of the World
• Ace Sign Co., Quicksand
• Work Order

Tools of the Trade

A good worker never blames their tools, but they can be the butt of jokes. Or the focus of profound insight.

Brushes in Peril

Colours in Conflict

Wise Words

You Spelled It Wrong!

It's a cliché, but it does happen!

Word play can also extend to entire slogans.

And then there's the profanity and political incorrectness that was Mr Tourette — Master Signwriter, from Modern Toss.

Many of the cartoons were also animated into short sketches for the television series.

Just My Type

And, for a little detour from the main theme, here are some sketches with more typographic leanings.

Writing It Off

Calligraphy is another discipline ripe for the cartoonist's pen.

The Last Signwriter

Here's a prophecy that only partially came true. To create 'The Last Signwriter', Steven Jackson added the branding of the early Gerber vinyl cutting machine to the original illustration by Virgil Finlay.

Time Out

After all that smiling / chuckling / laughing, you're probably in need of a rest like this sign painter on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post.

That's All Folks!

And remember, I.O.A.F.S.

More Sign Game