J.B. Handelsman (February 5, 1922 – June 20, 2007) was a New York-born
cartoonist
A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comics illustrators/artists in that they produce both the litera ...
and
illustrator
An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. The illustration may be intended to clarify complicate ...
whose work appeared for decades in ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...
'', ''
Punch'', ''
Playboy
''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...
'', and other
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
publications. His sister was American writer
Edith Anderson.
Life
Bernard Handelsman was born in the Bronx on February 5, 1922. In adulthood, he adopted John as his first name. He was known professionally as J. B. Handelsman and informally as Bud.
Handelsman studied at the Art Students League and New York University. In 1963, Handelsman moved to England, where he began drawing for ''
Punch''. For eleven years, he wrote and illustrated a weekly feature called "Freaky Fables" for the magazine. He returned to the United States in 1982.
From 1961 to 2006, Handelsman had nearly a thousand cartoons and five covers published in ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...
''. His work also appeared regularly in ''
Playboy
''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...
'' and the British humorous magazine ''Punch''.
Handelsman was married to Gertrude Peck, a harpist from Michigan, in 1950. They had three children, Jonathan Handelsman, Peter Handelsman, and Constance Handelsman Bennett.
Published works
Cartoons
* ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...
''
* ''
Punch'', For 11 years, he produced a full-page weekly feature for ''Punch'', the British humor magazine, called "Freaky Fables".
* ''
Playboy
''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...
''
Illustration
*He also illustrated many books, including ''Families and How to Survive Them'' and ''Life and How to Survive It'', both by
Monty Python
Monty Python, also known as the Pythons, were a British comedy troupe formed in 1969 consisting of Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin. The group came to prominence for the sketch comedy ser ...
star
John Cleese
John Marwood Cleese ( ; born 27 October 1939) is an English actor, comedian, screenwriter, producer, and Television presenter, presenter. Emerging from the Footlights, Cambridge Footlights in the 1960s, he first achieved success at the Edinbur ...
and psychotherapist
Robin Skynner
Robin Skynner (16 August 1922 in Cornwall–24 September 2000 in Islington, London) was a psychiatric pioneer and innovator in treating mental illness.
As a young man during World War II, Skynner was a Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot who flew the ...
, and ''The Mid-Atlantic Companion'' by
David Frost
Sir David Paradine Frost (7 April 1939 – 31 August 2013) was an English television host, journalist, comedian and writer. He rose to prominence during the satire boom in the United Kingdom when he was chosen to host the satirical programme ...
and Michael Shea, plus a number of books for children.
Animation
J.B Handelsman devised a 10-minute animated film for the
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
called ''In the Beginning'', based on the
Biblical story of the Creation.
References
*
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
obituary, June 26, 2007, p. B7.
1922 births
2007 deaths
American magazine cartoonists
American humorists
American expatriates in the United Kingdom
20th-century American illustrators
Artists from New York City
Burials at Green River Cemetery
Deaths from lung cancer
The New Yorker cartoonists
People from Long Island
Punch (magazine) cartoonists
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