Heinrich Kley: Cartoon Master

Today I'm getting a little fancier and a bit more , dare I say, sophisticated. Today we're looking at the work of Heinrich Kley, German cartoonist extraordinaire.

Heinrich Kley was born in Karlsruhe, Germany on April 15, 1863. He studied in both Karlsruhe and Munich and by the 1880s was known for his paintings. In 1908, he settled in Munich, where he began submitting cartoons to Jugend and Simplicissimus. These two magazines were satirical publications, in the same vein as Britain's Punch.

Kley was one of the most popular contributors to these magazines. His work was very influential, particularly on the Disney studios surprisingly. His satirical renderings of animals such as elephants were very influential in the designs of the characters in The Dance of the Hours from FANTASIA, as well as the elephants of DUMBO. John Canemaker makes a point of this in his commentary on the DUMBO DVD.

He died in Munich on February 8, 1945.

I will be translating from the original German.

From God's Marionette Theater

"All right, you can pack away the king, too, for the time being. At the moment, he isn't bringing in any customers."

Tourist Season

Tango

Turn in Your Gold to the National Bank

Secondhand Shop

At the Border

The Dance Floor

I hope you enjoyed this. There will be more German cartoon treats.

Auf Wiedersehen!

More MAD Treasures

As I promised kiddies, more goodies from the original MADmen.

It is obvious that the MAD employees thought very highly of their boss. Bill Gaines had to have been one of the greatest editors to ever have graced any field of publication. As far back as the late forties and early fifties, the heyday of EC Comics, Bill Gaines let his artists be creative. He never tried to censor them or make them conform to a house style. He let them do their job, the way they wanted it done. That alone earns him my respect.

Okay, the big speech is over. I'll let you guys enjoy the funny pictures. Have fun kids.

I love Jack Davis' use of color here. You can feel the heat of the Moroccan sun. Brilliant.

More MAD goodness to come!!!

Treasures of MAD Trips Long Past

Today kiddies, I bring you treats from "the Usual Gang of Idiots". About a year ago, I picked up the biography of William M. Gaines, the publisher of MAD Magazine. Inside were 16 color illustrations, inspired by the famous trips Bill Gaines would take his employees on. I'm showing you the first 8. The rest will come later.

Have fun.










Until Next Time
Happy Trails

More Frazetta For Your Blog!!

Hello folks. Sorry I haven't updated for awhile. I've been trying to write something inspiring, but it's not coming to me. So here are more luscious works of art for you to salivate over, straight from the Lord himself. Enjoy.

Until Next Time