john-tebeau-art-dev

Arthur Szyk Was One Badass Cartoonist

Very few cartoonists can be said to be badass, I know. But Arthur Szyk (say “shick”) is one. His ballsy satire and caricatures (especially of the baddies of WWII) excel in execution and feeling. His patriotic work for his adopted country the US is equally full of heart. He transcended the art form. Influenced by medieval illuminated manuscripts, Szyk’s work was detailed, exquisitely colored, meticulously balanced, and loaded with meaning and symbols. He should be better known and appreciated. So here’s me doing my part.

Just take a look:

"Satan Leads the Ball" by Arthur Szyk
“Satan Leads the Ball” by Arthur Szyk

What was especially interesting to me—after the shock of Szyk’s incredible execution wore off—was that Hitler isn’t the center of this evil parade. The fat German industrialist is. Hmm.

Collier's cover by Szyk
Collier’s cover by Szyk

And Hermann Göring is depicted as much larger than Hitler, too.

"Il Duce" by Arthur Szyk
“Il Duce” by Arthur Szyk

And a good guy:

Washington by Arthur Szyk
Washington by Arthur Szyk

Bottom line: Szyk was a master of his craft, and a true fine cartoon artist, well worth checking out.

The Arthur Szyk Society

Szyk’s Wikipedia page

Arthur Szyk, working away. What a guy, what a guy....
Arthur Szyk, working away. What a guy, what a guy….

 

 

 

 

11 comments

Hi John,
Thanks for your wonderful post on Arthur Szyk and your link to The Society!
Irvin Ungar
Curator, The Arthur Szyk Society

You are so welcome, Irvin. I love his work so much and admire his courage and spirit even more.

I simply want to say I am beginner to weblog and absolutely enjoyed this web site. Almost certainly I’m planning to bookmark your blog post . You definitely come with great articles and reviews. Thanks a lot for sharing your web-site.

I read so many articles with poorly-written content that your article is very impressive. It’s good to know there are writers that can write well and make their points clear.

Before everything else, allow me to compliment your clearness about this subject matter. I am no experienced about this matter, but just after joining your write-up, my own knowledge has changed properly. Please be sure to permit me to grasp your rss to remain in touch with any future updates. Great job and will definitely pass it on to supporters and my online visitors.

Thank you for the auspicious writeup. It in fact was a amusement account it. Look advanced to far added agreeable from you! By the way, how can we communicate?

Very interesting information!Perfect just what I was searching for!

Enjoyed reading through this, very good stuff, regards . “It is well to remember that the entire universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others.” by John Andrew Holmes.

Dead indited written content, regards for entropy. “Necessity is the mother of taking chances.” by Mark Twain.

Great post.Never knew this, thank you for letting me know.

I like this post, enjoyed this one thanks for putting up.

Leave a comment:

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.