Cartoonists + White Bikinis = W.T.F.
Recently, Heidi MacDonald over at the Beat posted a series of five photos of classic cartoonists who have gathered to do what cartoonists do best, get all liquored up and then draw on the bikinis of a bevy of beautiful ladies.
Pictured: Artist's tools.
I couldn’t let those photos go by without further research, so I followed links to Life magazine and found a wealth of other photos chronicling this very strange event. Now, let me say, I’m all the damn sure for this. True, I’m a writer, so I can’t draw, but I could certainly drink a few cocktails and hell, I don’t see why I couldn’t write a paragraph or two on the bikini.
The important thing is, when you’re downing booze by the pitcher and are drawing cartoons on the body of a swimsuit model, you’re walking a fine line between burlesque fun and the downright seedy. So, let’s just take a walk down that path, and see which way many of our most beloved cartoonists (like Alfred Andriola, Otto Soglow, Milton Caniff and others) fell.
Ready to walk the path? Good. It's a long hike.
Okay, this is just going to be a bit of fun, but... trust me ladies, get some drinks down the hatch.
And, huddle up. Remember that cartoonists, like dogs, can smell fear.
Okay... let's meet the cartoonists. You boys aren't going to be creepy, right?
Mingle. Mingle. Mingle.
Okay! Let's get this party started. Girls! Line up for the cartoonists to draw on your.... bodies. Hmm, "creepiness" meter is already rising.
Why does it sound like wolves baying in here?
Well, they're off. And the cartoonists certainly don't seem very shy about where to draw. Strained smiles, everyone!
The 1950's were a kindlier, gentler time, right? Shouldn't we take that into account on ye ol' "creepy" meter?
Where did that rascally cartoonist go? Ahhh, there he is. On your rump. Smiles everyone!
Well, it's a toss up. Is it creepier that he's drawing on her breasts, or that someone has written, "Mason Dixon Line" on the bottom of her swimsuit?
Exactly. More booze, please.
If you look closely, you can see Alfred Andriola doesn't think signing his name is enough. He also seems to be signing his phone number. Hmmm, what's that buzzing? Is that my creepy meter?
Happiness and "put-up-with-this-shit-ness" have collided.
You know, all in all, we're not doing too bad. It's hard to really complain about---
Oh well, hell. Here we go. And I'm going to need a new creepy meter, because the old one just topped off.
Now we're getting out of control. Who decided to draw that on her butt? C'mon guys. We're in the fifties, here, and drawing eyeballs on model's rumps is something only a dang commie would do.
And.... we've lost all semblance of reason and the creepy meter just grew legs and started walking around the room, slapping people. C'mon, people, let's try to remain civilized here. We've gone from civilized, to burlesque, to the downright tawdry. We're only one small step from dousing these girls in water in some sort of ill-advised "Girls Gone Wild Meet the Cartoonists" bacchanal.
Crap.
Okay, so now the men have drawn all over the ladies, covering them in cartoon characters and phone numbers, and they've done so in the most intimate areas, and for some reason a number of the men (see last photo) are wearing fireman's hats, but that's IT, right? I mean, we won't be following these ladies back to their rooms and watching them disrobe, will we?
Sigh.
I like the pose that Caniff’s girl is striking.
Bonus creepy points for the fact that some of those ladies don’t look old enough to drive.
Of course, the comic nerd in me is wondering what ever became of those swimsuits …
Yeah. She’s got that look of… “I am having fun and am pleased by this night, and yet I begin to question the future of my modeling career, and the very nature of my life.”
I too wonder about those swimsuits. I collect original art, so there’s a part of me that thinks the swimsuits would be fun to have, but I also picture myself screaming, “NOTHING!” and then slinking away after the package arrives, and someone says, “Hey Paul, what’s in the box?”
I’m neither a writer nor an artist, but as a red blooded, Guinness swilling, whiskey downing Irishman I feel uniquely qualified to participate in any future events involving copious amounts of alcohol….and if said events should also involve bikini models…then so be it! I’m prepared to take that hit for “Team-Tobin!”
Should the opportunity present itself, you will indeed get the call.
Wow. I learned something today: so technically, based on the standards of the most successful members of that profession, Benny Hill was also a cartoonist. Huh.
(If you look realllllll closely at the model’s hemline in Photo 14, you can see 8 marginalia cartoons by Sergio Aragones.)
This whole photo shoot does have a Benny Hill feel to it. You’re absolutely right!
The beauty of the internet—I need only two describing words: “LOL” and “WTF?”.
Well nearly-said, sir.
Huh! While I think the concept is cool, the photos themselves left me with a definitely creepy feeling /:)
Sorta in the same vein, check out the April Flores Toy Show. To launch a porn star’s new line of sex dolls (for lack of a better term. I dunno, what’s it called when it’s just a toy of the lady-parts-area?), a bunch of artists were sent plaster casts of her lady area to paint up. Some of them are pretty cool!
I agree. Concept = fun. Execution = creepy. And that April Flores toy show was a fail. It was wacky enough to appeal to my disturbed side, but the artists, I think, really failed to come through with any interesting art.
No one has mentioned yet the wonderful juxtaposition of this post coming right before/after your post about Models Inc.
Surely, this must be re-enacted with Patsy, Millie, Mary Jane and whomever else is starring in your book.
It wasn’t until after I posted that I noticed the Models Inc / bikini models connection. I was rather pleased by it.
Um…you know those aren’t bikinis, right?
The fire helmets lend a legitimacy to the proceedings, in my opinion. The real shame of it all is that the drawings are so raggedy. Someone should have told them you don’t lubricate the cartoonists until after the job is done.
Hilarious stuff, Paul. Aside from Andriola, I wonder if anyone can help us identify the cartoonists here. I only know that’s George Wunder (not Caniff) drawing ‘Terry’.
[...] Paul Tobin’s reconstruction of the event is a must [...]
Oh. Yeah. That’s my own bad. I use “bikinis” as a sort of generic for swimsuits, but you’re absolutely right that they’re one-piece swimsuits.
Thanks! And thanks also for more information on the event, which (for the rest of you reading) can be accessed here… http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2009/08/13/more-on-the-cartoonistswimsuit-mystery/
I’d really like to know who all those people are, too. We need us a 1950’s cartoonist scholar.
I too was pleased by the fire helmets. Those the lack of shriner hats despoils the whole proceedings.
the firehat tells us that that is Bill Holoman, of Smokey Stover fame.
Excellent! Thank you. And it makes such brilliant sense.
Then the night got REALLY crazy once the models and cartoonists switched wardrobes!!!
Hmmm. Girls dressed in men’s suits? Kinda sexy, actually. Cartoonists dressed in the model’s swimsuits? Urr. Uhhhh. NO! My brain! My BRAIN!!