Does anyone know who drew this? It’s absurdly clean and simple, but the attention to detail is just amazing. The looks of disbelief on the guys on the right side are perfect.
the cartoon was done by the superb George Price, who did over 1200 cartoons for The New Yorker and hundreds more for other magazines. He had an extraordinary eye for detail on clothes, furnishings, automobiles, locales etc. Please note how dead on he got that “Zoot Suit” and hand-painted tie, not to mention the role on the three-button sport coat worn by that guy on the right with the martini in hand.
Shows just how ignorant our society was during the time. What gives these Caucasian men the right to condescendingly judge another culture’s fashion, let alone an individual’s? It is a pity these attitudes have yet to become non-existent. These matters of perspective are detrimental not only to our society, but to our civilization as a whole. But I’m sure you all already knew that….
Fab post, Harvard Class, though your analysis is characteristically simplistic, possibly let down by poor syntax. Yet the central thesis is sound; the barbarians are at the gate and ‘civilization as a whole’ is clearly under threat ….. as always.
Comment by Me — December 13, 2010 @ 7:12 am
“Thank you”?
How about a proper attribution, for a start?
Comment by Christian — December 13, 2010 @ 8:18 am
The only people I feel obligated to give proper attribution to are real people doing real work under their real names through a real medium.
Comment by Harvard Class of 2013 — December 14, 2010 @ 10:31 am
Shows just how ignorant our society was during the time. What gives these Caucasian men the right to condescendingly judge another culture’s fashion, let alone an individual’s?
Harvard class,isn’t “another culture fashion”…
is only bad taste.
The moral of the story is that the “bold look guy” come to college with GI bill,will be conquered by Ivy league fashion.
This is symbolic about the born of Ivy league fashion cycle in late 40s.
Thanks.
Well,i love 50s and early 60s,and i like The United States in that era.
“Ivy” is clean,simple,elegant
and much similiar for many aspects to 50s Italian sartorial tradition.
For exemple look this 1951 Renè Gruau sketch:
@ Harvard Class of 2013 (“What gives these Caucasian men the right to condescendingly judge another culture’s fashion, let alone an individual’s?”)
This sanctimonious comment brings to mind the Dead Kennedys’ classic “Holiday in Cambodia,” which begins thusly: “So you’ve been to school for a year or two and you know you’ve seen it all….”
The signs on the glassed-in tomb suit case are priceless, pun intended, as is the ancient messenger “boy” dressed c. 20 years earlier. This is delicious satire and one suspects the metonymic zoot suit knows it. That’s why he is the only man in the room with a smile on his clock.
I suspect Harvard Class of 2013 is parodying the standard politically correct, multi-culturalist view that is rife throughout 21st century academia.
But assuming he is serious and part of the generation that grew up playing soccer without keeping score and giving every player on both teams exactly the same trophy just for participating, so as not to damage anyone’s self esteem, I have a question for him: What gives the guy in the zoot suit (or his culture) the right NOT to be judged?
In the 1940’s, zoot suits were primarily identified with latinos and war-time riots with servicemen in LA. As a kid in the 60’s, I saw “pachucos” in San Antonio and Corpus Christi, Texas dressed very similarly. They were tough-looking gang dudes, often alone at a downtown street corner. You assumed there was a blade or pistol down in one of those deep pockets. There was tension in the air wherever they went.
So with that context, I find this cartoon bizarre, because the apparently anglo, happy-go-lucky fool in the zoot suit does not fit the images I remember. I recognize that my context is not everyone’s, but Latinos 50 and older might be confounded or even angered by it. It’s just food for thought, so don’t get your panties in a twist over it.
Date is 1949,source is “Esquire”,and this is a my scan for film buff style forum.
Carmelo.
Thank you.
At least the other men are appropriately attired.
Today?
Does anyone know who drew this? It’s absurdly clean and simple, but the attention to detail is just amazing. The looks of disbelief on the guys on the right side are perfect.
“Thank you”?
How about a proper attribution, for a start?
The only people I feel obligated to give proper attribution to are real people doing real work under their real names through a real medium.
Posting anonymously on a message board doesn’t count.
Love it!
xoxo
SC
RKB sent the following message:
the cartoon was done by the superb George Price, who did over 1200 cartoons for The New Yorker and hundreds more for other magazines. He had an extraordinary eye for detail on clothes, furnishings, automobiles, locales etc. Please note how dead on he got that “Zoot Suit” and hand-painted tie, not to mention the role on the three-button sport coat worn by that guy on the right with the martini in hand.
Shows just how ignorant our society was during the time. What gives these Caucasian men the right to condescendingly judge another culture’s fashion, let alone an individual’s? It is a pity these attitudes have yet to become non-existent. These matters of perspective are detrimental not only to our society, but to our civilization as a whole. But I’m sure you all already knew that….
Fab post, Harvard Class, though your analysis is characteristically simplistic, possibly let down by poor syntax. Yet the central thesis is sound; the barbarians are at the gate and ‘civilization as a whole’ is clearly under threat ….. as always.
Fatfriend.
Comment by Me — December 13, 2010 @ 7:12 am
“Thank you”?
How about a proper attribution, for a start?
Comment by Christian — December 13, 2010 @ 8:18 am
The only people I feel obligated to give proper attribution to are real people doing real work under their real names through a real medium.
No,its all okay,i’m very pleased to help at this superb site.
Is right that things like that are shared.
Chris,i would very happy if you use here this material that i have put on film buff style forum:
http://forums.filmnoirbuff.com/viewtopic.php?id=7856
http://forums.filmnoirbuff.com/viewtopic.php?id=7876
Carmelo.
Comment by Harvard Class of 2013 — December 14, 2010 @ 10:31 am
Shows just how ignorant our society was during the time. What gives these Caucasian men the right to condescendingly judge another culture’s fashion, let alone an individual’s?
Harvard class,isn’t “another culture fashion”…
is only bad taste.
The moral of the story is that the “bold look guy” come to college with GI bill,will be conquered by Ivy league fashion.
This is symbolic about the born of Ivy league fashion cycle in late 40s.
Thanks.
Well,i love 50s and early 60s,and i like The United States in that era.
“Ivy” is clean,simple,elegant
and much similiar for many aspects to 50s Italian sartorial tradition.
For exemple look this 1951 Renè Gruau sketch:
http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/7959/01b.png
And this is Vittorio De Sica in 1954 with a Rubinacci suit:
http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/7743/b09.png
And this is a 1958 Nicola Blasi of Naples work:
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/4940/a50blasi.png
@ Harvard Class of 2013 (“What gives these Caucasian men the right to condescendingly judge another culture’s fashion, let alone an individual’s?”)
This sanctimonious comment brings to mind the Dead Kennedys’ classic “Holiday in Cambodia,” which begins thusly: “So you’ve been to school for a year or two and you know you’ve seen it all….”
Taliesin quoting DK, and it’s not even “Terminal Preppie.” Didn’t see that one coming.
Might Harvard Class of 2013 possibly be stooping to irony? I only ask.
The signs on the glassed-in tomb suit case are priceless, pun intended, as is the ancient messenger “boy” dressed c. 20 years earlier. This is delicious satire and one suspects the metonymic zoot suit knows it. That’s why he is the only man in the room with a smile on his clock.
I suspect Harvard Class of 2013 is parodying the standard politically correct, multi-culturalist view that is rife throughout 21st century academia.
But assuming he is serious and part of the generation that grew up playing soccer without keeping score and giving every player on both teams exactly the same trophy just for participating, so as not to damage anyone’s self esteem, I have a question for him: What gives the guy in the zoot suit (or his culture) the right NOT to be judged?
And doesn’t the guy in the zoot suit have the same right to judge the three fellows he sees across the room?
rojo,
are you still out there– somewhere?
In the 1940’s, zoot suits were primarily identified with latinos and war-time riots with servicemen in LA. As a kid in the 60’s, I saw “pachucos” in San Antonio and Corpus Christi, Texas dressed very similarly. They were tough-looking gang dudes, often alone at a downtown street corner. You assumed there was a blade or pistol down in one of those deep pockets. There was tension in the air wherever they went.
So with that context, I find this cartoon bizarre, because the apparently anglo, happy-go-lucky fool in the zoot suit does not fit the images I remember. I recognize that my context is not everyone’s, but Latinos 50 and older might be confounded or even angered by it. It’s just food for thought, so don’t get your panties in a twist over it.
To be clear, I’m not a latino. I was a freckly redheaded kid when I first saw these guys.
America lauds “individuality,” yet if your lapels or tie are one millimeter wider than the next guy you risk scorn, ridicule, unflattering attention.
Harold Rosenberg, the art critic, coined this phenomenon “the herd of independent minds.”
One wonders if the original cartoon had a caption.
Wonderful cartoon. Love the “same as last time” label!!