Full page cartoons by John McNamara and Russell Clarke under a cover by Jack Raeburn. John McNamara went on to a prolific career in UK Comics and newspaper strips. Russell Clarke was a prolific illustrator of New Zealand books, magazines and newspapers, including a substantial amount of educational material. During the 1940’s Jack Raeburn produced several unnumbered comics titled Sparkles and Tiny Folks. Amongst Raeburn’s output were rare examples of colour sequential work in New Zealand comics of the time produced in collaboration with fellow cartoonist and colourist Marie McNab.
Australian Cartoonists Art Dump #1
New Zealand born artist Unk White cover for The Australian Woman's Mirror, July 17, 1957. Unk White produced some of Australia's first full page colour comics and illustration in 1930's newspapers.
From interior credit:
Our Cover - Artist Unk White has captured what is perhaps half the delight of a holiday - the planning of it. Most of us of course can only dream of that voyage overseas; though we may still look at travel folders. All can really plan a holiday.
Serial adventure strip The Spanish Sword from Australian Woman's Mirror featured above. Artist unknown.
Edith Alsop (1871 - 1958) original painting mounted on board. Alsop was initially active as a cartoonist/illustrator in the early twentieth century before moving into printmaking and fine arts. I'm not sure what this illustration was from, possibly unpublished. Found a couple weeks ago in a basket of old English annuals at a local market.
Two stunning pages in sequence from Will Donald comic Perilous Journey. Scans courtesy of Geoff Harrison.
Original illustration accompanying one off book of Persian poetry by Will Donald. Photo courtesy family of Will Donald.
Original painted art board by English Illustrator Walt Howarth (1928 - 2008). Howarth produced numerous annual covers and illustrations over a sixty year career. Example above from a UK reprint comic of Australian character The Phantom Ranger originally published in Australia by Frew.
Two covers for western digest size story magazines by prolific golden age comics maker Peter Chapman (1925 - 2016).
Australian reprint of US newspaper strip Scorchy Smith. Cover artist unknown.
Three painted Wally and the Major covers by Stan Cross.
Mystery New Zealand Cartoonists #1 UPDATE: John Cecil Hill
Digging through boxes and folders of treasure that threaten to engulf my apartment, I've accumulated a few New Zealand cartoonists that I'm seeking information on. I have biographical notes for some of them but would appreciate any new information folk might have on these artists. I found these 1937 cartoons in a custom bound collection titled Political Cartoons. They were compiled for the New Zealand Minister of Employment in Labour's first cabinet, Hubert Thomas Armstrong. The volume contains cartoons from The Evening Post, The Auckland Star and The New Zealand Herald. The Collection is filled primarily with the work of Sir Gordon Minhinnick but there are also many examples from The Auckland Star that are signed J.C.H, a cartoonist completely unknown to me.
Update: Via a FB post by Dylan Horrocks, Kristian Thompson has identified J.C.H. as John Cecil Hill. Kristian pointed to a Victoria University page with brief biographical notes on Hill.
Canterbury University Capping Mag Covers - 1960s
University Capping magazines alongside University magazines themselves were a point where many New Zealand cartoonists saw their first work published. Student cartoonists featured in Capping magazines during the 1960's and 1970's published radical material far outside the guidelines of mainstream publishing. Some of this work was insightful political and social commentary, some was misogynist, xenophobic and politically incorrect by modern society's standards. The gallery below displays covers from the University of Canterbury Capping magazines of the 1960's.
