Crockett Johnson and Ruth Krauss

by Philip Nel

  “Love Thy Neighbor,” Dec. 1921, 12.

  “Vacation Number, 1922,” May 1922, cover.

  “The L’antern Cl’ass Notes” (masthead), May 1922, 13.

  “Athletics” (masthead), May 1922, 17.

  “They Shall Not Pass,” Dec. 1922, 17.

  “Athletics” (masthead), Dec. 1922, 25.

  Untitled, May 1923, cover.

  “Freshman Number, Oct. 1923,” Oct. 1923, cover.

  “Athletics” (masthead), Oct. 1923, 14.

  New Masses

  “Harriet Here Is Practically an Authority on Communists. She Writes Pieces about Them in the New Yorker,” 17 Apr. 1934, 4.

  “It’s the Real Thing, Mr. Millikan. Shall I Wire the New York Times?,” 3 July 1934, 41.

  Cartoon Depicting God and Angels, 3 July 1934, 41.

  “They‘re Not Even Citizens,” 10 July 1934, 29.

  “Radiogram, Mr. Morgan. The White House Wants to Know Are You Better Off Than You Were Last Year?,” 17 July 1934, 9.

  Portrait of Bertrand Russell, 17 July 1934: 25.

  Portrait of John Dewey, 17 July 1934, 26.

  “Just Because Your Greedy Workmen Decide to Go on strike I Can’t Have a New Mercedes. Somehow It Doesn’t Seem Fair,” 7 Aug. 1934, 22.

  “Aw, Be a Sport. Tell the Newsreel Audience You Still Have Faith in the Lawd and Good Old Franklin D.,” 28 Aug. 1934, 7. Reprinted in Robert Forsythe, Redder Than the Rose (New York: Covici, Friede, 1935), 232.

  “My God, What Will Mr. Hearst Say? We left Out the Battleships This Week!,” 11 Sept. 1934, 24.

  “Somehow I Don’t Feel That the Eyes of the Nation Is on Us This Season.” 2 Oct. 1934, 41.

  Reprinted in Robert Forsythe, Redder Than the Rose (New York: Covici, Friede, 1935), 101.

  “All Dat Dere Bad Grammar and Coise Woids in Me Letter to Dat Lousy Radical Paper Is on Account of Dat’s d’ only Kinda Language Dem Reds Can Understand,” 20 Nov. 1934, 11.

  “First, We Tell His Majesty about the Flowers; Then Very Gently, Lead Up to the Marxism,” 18 Dec. 1934, 26.

  “But Regimentation Won’t Hamper Your Individuality, Eustace; This Fascism Racket Will Give Real Freedom to Our Artistic Souls,” 18 Dec. 1934, 29.

  Full-Page, Eight-Part Cartoon without Caption, 25 Dec. 1934, 7.

  “Was It Marx, Lenin, or Gen. Johnson Who Said: ‘The General Strike Is Quite Another Matter’?,” 1 Jan. 1935, 38.

  “George Says You Can’t Stop War. It’s Man’s Nature to Fight,” 15 Jan 1935, 29.

  “Mr. Hearst Says He’ll Buy Your Farm Articles If You’ll Just Change ‘Arkansas,’ ‘Louisiana,’ ‘California,’ and So On, to Soviet Russia,” 28 May 1935, 26.

  “You Gentlemen Take It Too Seriously. After All War Is Only a Game—Like Chess,” 4 June 1935, 12.

  “Nothing Doing! If He Ain’t a Citizen He Can’t Join!,” 25 June 1935, 16.

  “Next Year We’ll Be Out There Throwing the Big Bad World for a Loss, Eh, Koscianiewicz?,” 5 Nov. 1935, 22.

  “Put in a Strong Word against the Union. The Big Boss Just Kicked in with a Century,” 4 Feb. 1936, 18.

  “The President’s Secretary Says for You to File All Applications for Flood Relief in the Lower Right Hand Drawer,” 7 Apr. 1936, 21.

  “If You Haven’t Read Escape from the Soviets You Don’t Know How Lucky You and I Are Here in America,” 7 Apr. 1936, 28.

  “I’ll Contribute If You Really Think That We Can Bring about Fascism in a Gentlemanly Way,” 14 Apr. 1936, 15.

  “Did You See What the Daily Worker Called Me Today, Brisbane? An Octopus!,” 10 Nov. 1936, 15.

  “No One Here Goes over My Head, Withers. Next Time You Pray to God for a Raise, You’re Fired!,” 20 Apr. 1937, 8.

  “Jefferson Caffery, Master Meddler,” 13 July 1937, 12.

  “Copeland—Tammany’s Choice?,” 20 July 1937, 11.

  “I Am a Real Red!,” 27 July 1937, cover.

  “We, the People,” 7 Dec. 1937, 3.

  “People’s Front,” 4 Jan. 1938, 12.

  “Anti-Piracy Patrol,” 15 Feb. 1938, 8.

  “The Primary Candidate Who Tried to Make a Mountain Out of a Mole-Hill,” 17 May 1938, 16.

  “Wall Street & Company Accident Insurance Policy,” 24 May 1938, 4–5.

  “We Need Men Like You, Mr. Barton,” 11 Oct. 1938, 15.

  Nazi Soldier Marching, 29 Nov. 1938, 3.

  “Pied Piper,” 13 Dec. 1938, 15.

  “Private Capital at Work,” 7 Feb. 1939, 11.

  “Wanna Help Your Great Big Senator Celebrate, Baby? Let’s Go to a Show,” 11 July 1939, 13.

  “Warns Hitler News Item Chamberlain Warns Hitler News Item Chamberlain Warns Hitler News Item Chamberlain Warns Hitler News,” 18 July 1939, 11.

  “Tory Congressman Goes Home,” 15 Aug. 1939, 8.

  “That Dirty Russian Deserted Us!,” 5 Sept. 1939, 20.

  “A Social-Democrat Leader Does His Bit,” 31 Oct. 1939, 11.

  “This Is You, Williams, Defending Your Mother in Pennsylvania,” 19 Dec. 1939, 7.

  “This Home Is Unfair to Burglars,” 26 Dec. 1939, 18.

  “Wonderfullums Inc.,” 2 Jan. 1940, 28.

  “The Sun Never Sets on the British Flag,” 23 Jan 1940, 18.

  “ASPCA and the Lion,” 5 Mar. 1940, 21.

  “A Question Looks at Both Sides of a Liberal,” 19 Mar. 1940, 10.

  “Have You Written Any Good Books Lately?,” 2 Apr. 1940, 16.

  “Liberal at the Crossroads,” 14 May 1940, 6.

  Hitler and clock and globe, 24 Feb. 1942, 15.

  Other Political Cartoons

  “Despite Martin Dies’s Warning, a Consumer Persists in Her Attempts to Undermine Confidence in American Advertising by Testing the Ripeness of an Avocado,” New Republic 1 Jan. 1940.

  “Honorable Ancestor,” PM, 9 Feb. 1942, 6.

  The Liitle Man with the Eyes in Collier’s

  “Table Tennis,” 9 Mar. 1940, 28.

  “Steam Shovel,” 16 Mar. 1940, 26.

  “Tiger,” 23 Mar. 1940, 34.

  “Murder Mystery,” 30 Mar. 1940, 71.

  “Speedboat,” 6 Apr. 1940, 32.

  “Miss,” 13 Apr. 1940, 48.

  “Taxis—With Fares,” 20 Apr. 1940, 27.

  “Foul! Strike Two,” 27 Apr. 1940, 30.

  “Three-Cushion Shot,” 4 May 1940, 70.

  “Straight Flush,” 11 May 1940, 46.

  “Minute Hand,” 18 May 1940, 55.

  “Leap Frog,” 25 May 1940, 30.

  “News Item,” 1 June 1940, 27.

  “Fifth Race,” 8 June 1940, 31.

  “Fly,” 15 June 1940, 88.

  “Belly Flopper,” 22 June 1940, 64.

  “Chess,” 29 June 1940, 29.

  “Empty Saddle,” 6 July 1940, 48.

  “High Building,” 13 July 1940, 27.

  “Target,” 27 July 1940, 29.

  “Dirt Road,” 3 Aug. 1940, 35.

  “High-Pressure Salesman,” 10 Aug. 1940, 35.

  “Telegraph Poles,” 17 Aug. 1940.

  “Hook,” 24 Aug. 1940.

  “Slice,” 31 Aug. 1940.

  “Sheep,” 7 Sept. 1940, 27.

  “Alarm Clock,” 14 Sept. 1940, 29.

  “Wood Splitter,” 21 Sept. 1940, 32.

  “Snub,” 28 Sept. 1940.

  “Aquarium,” 5 Oct. 1940, 33.

  “Collection Plate,” 12 Oct. 1940, 57.

  “No Riders,” 19 Oct. 1940.

  “French Pastry,” 26 Oct. 1940, 50.

  “Partner’s Trump,” 2 Nov. 1940, 30.

  “Watched Kettle,” 9 Nov. 1940, 64.

  “Loop,” 16 Nov. 1940, 29.

  “Pinball,” 23 Nov. 1940, 75.

  “Knockdown,” 30 Nov. 1940, 53.

  “Brights,” 7 Dec. 1940, 58.

  “Program Rustler,” 14 Dec. 1940, 47.

  “Raconteur,” 21 Dec. 1940.

  “Gift,” 28 Dec. 1940, 38. Note: Tie is green (in color ink).

  “Entree—Pric
e,” 4 Jan. 1941, 35.

  “Split,” 11 Jan. 1941, 36.

  “Bridge Argument,” 18 Jan. 1941, 41.

  “Traffic Cop,” 25 Jan. 1941, 31.

  “Begging Dog,” 1 Feb. 1941, 57.

  “Finesse,” 8 Feb. 1941, 45.

  “Celebrity,” 15 Feb. 1941, 31.

  “Smoke,” 22 Feb. 1941, 67.

  “Wet Paint,” 1 Mar. 1941, 57. Note: Paint is dark green (in color ink).

  “March Wind,” 8 Mar. 1941, 53.

  “Movies: Front Row,” 15 Mar. 1941.

  “Three Rings (and an Aerial Act),” 22 Mar. 1941, 61.

  “April Fool,” 5 Apr. 1941, 39.

  “New Pursuit Plane,” 12 Apr. 1941, 78.

  “Street Salesman,” 19 Apr. 1941, 60.

  “Art Gallery,” 26 Apr. 1941, 77.

  “Dentist,” 3 May 1941, 30.

  “Tough Neighborhood,” 10 May 1941, 65.

  “Drawbridge,” 17 May 1941, 65.

  “Long Freight,” 24 May 1941, 52.

  “Singing Telegram,” 31 May 1941, 46.

  “Hat and Coat,” 7 June 1941, 39.

  “Banquet Cigars,” 14 June 1941, 25.

  “Yours Truly,” 21 June 1941, 27.

  “Black Cat,” 28 June 1941, 73.

  “Taximeter,” 5 July 1941, 31.

  “Waiter’s Eye,” 12 July 1941, 54.

  “Dummy,” 26 July 1941, 29.

  “Insomnia,” 2 Aug. 1941, 47.

  “Fish Story,” 9 Aug. 1941, 47.

  “Double Play,” 16 Aug. 1941, 46.

  “Three Forks,” 23 Aug. 1941, 42.

  “Ten-Pounder,” 30 Aug. 1941, 35. Note: Ten is crossed out and Twenty is written above.

  “Roller Coaster,” 13 Sept. 1941, 43.

  “Hot Soup,” 20 Sept. 1941, 73.

  “Crooked Picture,” 27 Sept. 1941.

  “Exciting Movie,” 4 Oct. 1941, 45.

  “Shoeshine,” 11 Oct. 1941, 89.

  “After-Dinner Speaker,” 18 Oct. 1941, 75.

  “Smallest Piece,” 25 Oct. 1941, 27.

  “Burnt Tablecloth,” 1 Nov. 1941, 43.

  “Sidewalk Baby,” 8 Nov. 1941, 69.

  “Informal Flash Photo,” 15 Nov. 1941, 89.

  “Temperature?,” 22 Nov. 1941, 73.

  “Air Bump,” 29 Nov. 1941, 44.

  “Express Elevator—Up,” 6 Dec. 1941, 72.

  “Decrescendo—Fortissimo,” 13 Dec. 1941, 53.

  “Dripping Faucet,” 20 Dec. 1941, 43.

  “Handkerchiefs for Aunt Sarah,” 27 Dec. 1941, 65.

  “Boy with Snowballs,” 3 Jan. 1942, 36.

  “Scene of Last Night’s Party,” 10 Jan. 1942, 51.

  “Double Combination Super-Frappé de Luxe,” 17 Jan. 1942.

  “Car in Pedestrian Lane,” 24 Jan. 1942, 57.

  “Our Planes,” 31 Jan. 1942, 53.

  “Three News Items and a Commercial,” 7 Feb. 1942, 61.

  “Buffet Supper,” 21 Feb. 1942.

  “Mirror,” 28 Feb. 1942, 51.

  “Soft Shoulders,” 7 Mar. 1942, 53.

  “Sour Note,” 14 Mar. 1942, 43.

  “Warning,” 21 Mar. 1942, 63.

  “Sugar Bowl,” 28 Mar. 1942, 56.

  “April Fool,” 4 Apr. 1942, 37.

  “Conga Line,” 11 Apr. 1942, 53.

  “Arm Band,” 18 Apr. 1942, 57.

  “New (and Pretty) Passenger,” 25 Apr. 1942, 44.

  “Too Easy Chair,” 2 May 1942, 61.

  “Empty Glass,” 9 May 1942, 41.

  “Flashing Light,” 16 May 1942, 47.

  “Motor Trip,” 23 May 1942, 51.

  “Victory Gardens,” 30 May 1942, 50.

  “Antique Chair,” 6 June 1942, 55.

  “Six-Year-Old-Charge on a Swing,” 13 June 1942, 38.

  “Only the Cat,” 20 June 1942, 59.

  “Letter Box,” 27 June 1942, 41.

  “Nothing,” 4 July 1942.

  “Tennis Duffer,” 11 July 1942.

  “Seat,” 18 July 1942, 56.

  “Ash Tray,” 25 July 1942, 60.

  “Sidewalk Menace,” 1 Aug. 1942.

  “‘Please Pass It Along,’” 8 Aug. 1942.

  “Fire Engines,” 15 Aug. 1942.

  “Crack of Light,” 5 Sept. 1942.

  “Office Switchboard—After Hours,” 12 Sept. 1942.

  “Zzz-zzzzzz-zz-zzzz,” 19 Sept. 1942.

  “Bad Dream,” 26 Sept. 1942, 57.

  “Mail Plane,” 3 Oct. 1942, 47.

  “Home Movies,” 10 Oct. 1942, 69.

  “Air-Raid Duty—12 to 4 A.M.,” 17 Oct. 1942, 48.

  “G-rrrrrr!,” 14 Nov. 1942, 56.

  “Dinner Next Door,” 19 Dec. 1942, 27.

  “Air Raid Duty,” 2 Jan. 1943, 65.

  “January 2, 1942,” 9 Jan. 1943. Note: The final 2 is crossed out.

  Barnaby (syndicated comic strip)

  Johnson was sole author from 20 Apr. 1942 to 31 Dec. 1945. From 1 Jan. 1946 to 13 Sept. 1947, Johnson served as story consultant, but Ted Ferro wrote and Jack Morley illustrated. From 15 Sept. 1947 to 2 Feb. 1952, Johnson wrote and Jack Morley illustrated, usually guided by Johnson’s fairly detailed sketches. From 12 Sept. 1960 to 14 Apr. 1962, Johnson wrote and Warren Sattler redrew the art.

  Barkis & Family (syndicated comic strip)

  Ran from May to October 1955. Six strips were republished in Nickelodeon Magazine, November 2001, 48.

  MAGAZINES

  Barnaby Quarterly, July, Nov. 1945, February 1946.

  PAMPHLETS (ILLUSTRATED BY JOHNSON)

  Sister, You Need the Union! … And the Union Needs You! Detroit: International Union, United Automobile, Aircraft and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, ca. 1944.

  The President’s Speech Illustrated by Nineteen Artists. New York: Independent Voters Committee of the Arts and Sciences for Roosevelt, 1944. Includes one illustration by Johnson.

  For the People’s Health. New York: Physicians Forum, 1946.

  The Saga of Quilby: A Ghost Story Especially Devised for Advertisers Who Stay Up Late (pamphlet designed to sell advertising space in This Week magazine). Ca. 1955.

  ADVERTISEMENTS ILLUSTRATED BY JOHNSON

  This list is incomplete.

  “O’Malley Foiled by Crown Zippers.” Life, 10 Apr. 1944, 82.

  “Watch Ford in ‘48.” 27 Annual of Advertising and Editorial Art. New York: Pitman Publishing Corporation for Art Directors Club of New York, 1948.

  “Ford‘s Out Front.” Ca. 1947–48.

  “Have You Considered Using Kimberly-Clark Coated Papers?” Ca. 1953.

  “… Before It Talks” (American Cancer Society). Ca. 1953.

  Ladies Home Journal. 1950s. Box 15, Crockett Johnson Papers, Smithsonian Institution.

  WORKS BY OTHER AUTHORS WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY JOHNSON

  Forsythe, Robert. Redder Than the Rose. New York: Covici, Friede, 1935.

  Foster, Constance J. This Rich World: The Story of Money. New York: McBride, 1943.

  “Small Cigaret Firms Tell ‘Truth’ about Shortage.” Advertising Age, 18 Dec. 1944, 8 (Barnaby strip).

  “Soap Opera.” Fortune, Mar. 1946, 118–23, 146, 148, 151 (Barnaby strip).

  Brown, Margaret Wise. Willie’s Adventures. New York: Scott, 1954.

  ———. “Willie’s Pocket.” In Through Golden Windows: Good Times Together, ed. Nora Beust et al., 141–44. New York: Grolier, 1958.

  Branley, Franklyn M., and Eleanor K. Vaughan. Mickey’s Magnet. New York: Crowell, 1956. Cook, Bernadine. The Little Fish That Got Away. New York: Scott, 1956.

  Whyte, William H., Jr. “Budgetism: Opiate of the Middle Class.” Fortune, May 1956, 133–37, 164, 166, 171–72.

  ARTICLES

  “Fantastic Companions.” Harper’s Magazine, June 1955, 32–34.

  “A Geometrical Look at √π”.” Mathematical Gazette, Feb. 1970, 59–60.

  “On the Mathematics of Geometry in My Abstract Paintings.” Leonardo 5.5 (1972): 97–101, color plate facing p.
124. Rpt. Visual Art, Mathematics, and Computing, ed. Frank J. Malina, 143–47, 306. Oxford: Pergamon, 1979.

  “A Construction for a Regular Heptagon.” Mathematical Gazette 59 (Mar. 1975): 17–21.

  REVIEWS BY JOHNSON

  “Fables in Modern Dress.” New Masses, 17 Nov. 1936, 22. Review of Aesop Said So, lithographs by Hugo Gellert.

  “Dutch Uncle of the Arts.” New Masses, 9 Nov. 1937, 24–25. Review of The Arts, by Willem Hendrik van Loon.

  “From Gropper to Gothic.” New Masses, 11 Jan. 1938, 24–25. Review of Six Centuries of Fine Prints, by Carl Zigrosser.

  “Low’s Cartoons.” New Masses, 29 Aug. 1939, 20. Review of A Cartoon History of Our Times, by David Low.

  “See My Lawyer.” New Masses, 10 Oct. 1939, 31. Review of See My Lawyer, by Richard Maibaum and Harry Clork, starring Milton Berle, Eddie Nugent, and Teddy Hart.

  “The Secrets of Ancient Geometry—And Its Use.” Leonardo 5.4 (Autumn 1972): 362–63. Review of The Secrets of Ancient Geometry—and Its Use, by Tons Brunés.

  PUBLISHED LETTERS

  “Mathematics of Geometry in Crockett Johnson’s Paintings.” Leonardo 6.1 (Winter 1973): 92.

  “Mathematics of Geometry in Abstract Painting (Cont.)” Leonardo 6.4 (Autumn 1973): 381.

  PLAYS

  Barnaby and Mr. O’Malley. Adapted by Jerome Chodorov. 1946. Two performances in Wilmington, Delaware, and two performances in Baltimore, September 1946.

  Barnaby: A Play for Children in Two Acts, Adapted from the Original Barnaby Comic Strip by Crockett Johnson. Written by Robert and Lillian Masters. 1948. New York: French, 1950.

  Harold and the Purple Crayon. Adapted by Jane Marlin Shepard, with music by Jon Ehrlich and lyrics by Ehrlich and Robin Pogrebin. Produced and performed by Theaterworks USA. 1990.

  FILMS

  Harold and the Purple Crayon. Directed by David Piel. Narration by Norman Rose. Music by Jimmy Carroll. Produced by David Piel in association with Robert Sagalyn and Stanley Flink. Brandon Films, 1959.

  The Frowning Prince. Written and animated by Crockett Johnson. Rembrandt Films, 1960. Released by MacMillan Films, 1963. JEF Films International, 1995.

  Barnaby. Won first prize at Venice Film Festival, 1967.

  Harold’s Circus. Graphic Curriculum, 1968. NBC, Exploring.

  A Picture for Harold’s Room. Directed by Gene Deitch. Animated by Bohumil Sejda. Music from the string quartet in B-minor by Leopold Kozeluh, played by Janacek Quartet. Produced by Morton Schindel. Weston Woods Studios, 1971.

  Harold’s Fairy Tale. Directed by Gene Deitch. Animation by Bohumil Sejda. Music by Karel Velebny. Produced by Morton Schindel. Weston Woods Studios, 1974.