True, September 1958

true09581.jpg CAPTION: "Well, yes, it is a sort of a price war. First he raised his price, then I raised my price . . ."

A "gas price war" cartoon that was funny in 1958, when gas sold for about 29 cents a gallon. Is it still funny now? Only as nostalgia, I guess. The Cartoon Editor of True was Bill McIntyre, and his favorite cartoonist was VIP (Virgil Partch). You could count on at least one VIP in every issue. Both McIntyre and Partch are deceased.

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Eli Stein — Gag Cartoonist

For over 50 years my stuff has appeared in practically all of the major and minor cartoon outlets (no, not The New Yorker — Cartoon Editor Bob Mankoff has convinced me that my "Saturday Evening Post" drawing style has no place within its pages). But I haven't given up — maybe if I bring him cartoons drawn with my left hand, or with the pen between my toes or in my mouth . . . who knows what might happen. I'm sure it's not the gags that are deficient, considering some of the gags that have appeared in the New Yorker since the William Shawn era.

Anyway, I've been entertaining people over the years at The Wall Street Journal, The National Law Journal, Barron's, Good Housekeeping, The Saturday Evening Post (YES!!), King Features Syndicate, First, Woman's World and National Review, just to drop a few names. And I plan to continue doing just that.

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Personal (but not too personal)

  • My wife Lila and I have lived in a townhouse condo (actually a Homeowner's Association) on the south shore of Long Island, NY for the past twenty years.
  • Lots of children and grandchildren, but none living with us now. Here are their names, in no particular order, so if you see these name in any of the cartoons, you'll know why: Rebecca, Marc (Levi), Allyson, Rachel, Gary, Abigail, Sharon, Jonathan, Kelly, Lori, Andrew, Daniel, Liz, Matthew and Stephen.
  • Education: BA, major in Design.
  • How I made a living (since I obviously couldn't do it as a cartoonist): Art Director, mostly in advertising and cosmetics. Also did a stint in the evenings as an Adjunct Professor of Advertising and Graphic Art at a local SUNY college.
  • Pastimes: Tennis and racquetball. Also taking long-distance hikes with my wife and whichever children or grandchildren choose to come along.
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Foreword

Welcome to the Eli Stein Cartoon archive. To begin, read my introduction and personal notes, and then please look at the cartoons, which are categorized by either decade, publication name or topic. I’ve included some personal comments, memories and photos below many of the cartoons. I’ll be adding cartoons, memories and photos ad infinitum. Remember, your comments are appreciated (just click on the “comment” link at the bottom of each post).
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