Cartoon themes: maids

Punch February 4, 1920

Al Stine
Playboy, March 1954

John Groth
Esquire, January 1934

Bill Ward
Fun House, February 1979

Bill Wenzel
Fun House, February 1980

Adam, November 1959

Bo Brown
Army Navy Fun Parade, April 1953

Reamer Keller
Charley Jones' Laugh Book, June 1954

Bob Barnes
Hello Buddies, June 1952

Hello Buddies, May 1955

Georges Pichard
Nugget, February 1956

Herb Green
Playboy, January 1967

This Is It #22

Cartoons I don't get #40

Is the word 'topless' here a noun or does he have more to say? Was there supposed to be another panel here?
Adam Yearbook, 1968

Cavalcade, August 1942

Warren Miller
Playboy, September 1961

The problem with many of the Sex to Sexty gags is the fact the drawing is “funny” takes away from the point of the gag, which isn't really much of a joke here to begin with (her being too promiscuous to remember who the actual father was)
Sex to Sexty, circa 1970s

Is this their anti-war streak, commenting the head of the draft board is a dickhead? Is that what the joke is?
Sex to Sexty, circa 1970s

Here I'm confused about the roles. Someone's spending too much time getting ready for a date. I get that part. But does she have two suitors? Or is the other guy a family member who lives there waiting to use the bathroom? Is it sunrise now?
Charley Jones' Laugh Book, May 1953

Hello Buddies, Winter 1950

Life February 16, 1905

Nugget, February 1956

Punch, April 1984

Punch September 26, 1915

So she's going to clean the toilet with an electric toothbrush. So what? What will that accomplish? Why should we care?
Richard Guindon
The Realist, March 1964

Punch February 4, 1920

NOT cartoons I don't get: Cartoons that predicted #metoo and #timesup

#Metoo and #timesup have been wake-up calls for us all, male and female. But I just want to say to guys, it's not about us. We don't have a say. Unless you're a monster whose career has been an open secret for years or in the position to be some kind of gatekeeper, you'll be okay. As of this writing, Parks and Recreation and Master of None are still on Netflix. It's widely known that even the most 'woke' men can be perverts. No need for #notallmen counter-hashtags or complaints about witch hunts. Women just have the talking stick right now. Think of it more like being a dog getting yelled at for climbing on the furniture.

But that's easy for me to say, being in no position of authority and not having a day job. Don't think I don't know that even though now I claim it wouldn't happen, I might have a Mr. Hyde I don't know about if I had any power. One way I'm culpable is that I collect old magazines with dirty cartoons of entitled guys grabbing ass and cheating on their wives. I have a high tolerance for that kind of thing. I don't know if it's a male thing or a Sam thing (or both). I've been indoctrinated into the same culture as everyone else. There's still stuff that shocks even me.

Once in a while, I come across cartoons where the woman has the upper hand. Whether revenge or talking amongst themselves. Often it includes violence, but sometimes after trying everything that can be the only solution. And as R. Crumb once said “It's just lines on paper, folks!”

Lo Linkert
Adam, July 1973

Funhouse, February 1979

Adam, January 1957

Joe Buresch
Hello Buddies, Summer 1954

Hello Buddies, Summer 1954

Pete Wyma
For Laughing Out Loud, March 1960

Army/Navy Fun Parade, April 1953

Good Humor, October 1964

Adam, January 1957

Bo Brown
Hello Buddies, June 1952

Jem, August 1957

Bob Tupper
Hello Buddies, June 1952

Good Humor, October 1964

Hello Buddies, Winter 1950

Bill Ward
Fun House, February 1980

For Laughing Out Loud, March 1960

Dale McFeatters
Hello Buddies, June 1952

cartoons I don't get 19

Playboy, March 1967
The only thing I can think of is this must be some kind of buggery joke. I don't think it's just a dog in stocks, which is kind of funny in and of itself. And I don't think it's that he gave the dog a black eye. The joke must be that he had sex with the dog. Though during that time in cases of bestiality the animal would be punished in addition to the person, so this would be an illustration rather than a cartoon.

Punch October 26, 1915
Look at the date on that cartoon. Isn't that a weird coincidence? Wait a moment, I did that same joke a few weeks ago when I posted a cartoon that was printed on the same date. Never mind.

Scamp, November 1957
Too bad this cartoon was done before the sexual revolution. If it were done in the 70's or afterwards they tied in the phrase “the captain goes down with his ship” with cunnilingus or depending on the time and kind of publication, the captain could be of either gender performing either kind of oral sex.

Playboy, March 1968
Bill Hoest
Is it that they're cartographers? Is it progressive for the time in that the woman is also one or is she just a secretary delivering a map? I would guess, considering it's by a guy most famous for doing a strip about a “battle-axe” wife, it's the latter.

Esquire, June 1934
Syd Hoff

Hello Buddies, June 1952
My impression is that the long-extinct Dime-a-Dance business was always a front for prostitution. Maybe that guy is me.

Hello Buddies, Winter 1950
Bill Wenzel
Who's talking? The first rule of gag cartooning is that only the person who's talking has their mouth open. And why is one of the women topless?

Hi-Life, August 1964
Don Orehek
These next three are the trifecta of taboos. Cartoons that don't age well. Cartoons no magazine would print today.
First up, we have fat-shaming...

Good Humor, circa 1964
...pedophilia...

Jest, circa 1942
...and racism. At least I think this is supposed to be racist. But I don't get the glasses part. Is it just that the guy's an asshole?

Man, April 1966

Nugget, February 1956
It's questionable whether or not this is politically incorrect. It's still okay to make fun of homelessness in some contexts, I think. I think it's French, too. They have different standards about what can or can't be mocked.

Punch October 27,1915
A hole caused by warfare possibly?