Michael Sporn Animation – Splog

- We’ve been, lately, showcasing some of Lyonel Feirlinger‘s work. A close cousin of his would seem to be Ludwig Hohlwein. Hohlwein was a brilliant German poster artist. His influence seems to have fallen far and wide. Alex Toth and Rowland B. Wilson have both admitted a fondness for Hohlwein, and homage can be found in several of their works. There can also be no doubt that Vernon Grant was aware of Hohlwein’s work.

Hohlwein was born in 1874 and practiced his art until 1906 when he turned to pster design. He quickly became one of the leading masters of his day. (Interestingly, it was 1906 when Feininger did his two great comic strips and left to turn to oil painting in Germany.)

Bill Peckmann introduced me to Hohlwein, and he’s scanned many of the posters from the book to the right, a 1926 publication. Many thanks, again, to Bill for the material.

Here, then, are some of the posters from this book:

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Here’s a note from Bill Peckmann: “Here’s the color version of the ad/poster
from an oversized Dover reprint book. Sorry I couldn’t get it all on the scanner,
but you’ll get the jest of it. It’s that glowing coal of the cigarette in the
silhouette that Rowland just loved. Pretty neat, huh?”

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An Alex Toth image.

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Another Alex Toth image that looks
very much like a Feininger strip panel.

- I’ve posted a number of items by and about artist Vernon Grant and I’m glad to be able to showcase this rarity as well.

The Cow and the Silver Cream is a booklet that Vernon Grant wrote and illustrated in 1943 for the Wright Silver Cream Company. It was used as a giveaway item for those who sent in for it.

This item comes from the collection of Bill Peckmann and it’s an enormous rarity. I’m thrilled to be able to share it with you.

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This is the inner cover liner.

Many thanks, once again, to the inimitable Bill Peckmann for this booklet. It’s a gem and it’s a real rarity.

For other posts about Vernon Grant, go here.

- I’ve posted two pieces by illustrator, Vernon Grant, the designer of Snap, Crackle and Pop. Here’s a booklet out of the hands of the late Rowland B. Wilson. I start with a short note sent to Bill Peckmann (who graciously loaned the material for display. Many thanks.)

(Click any image to enlarge.)

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The other three Vernon Grant posts can be found here:
Snap Crackle Pop
Vernon Grant’s Nursery
Vernon Grant’s Santa Claus

- You’ll remember that I did a couple of pieces on the illustrator Vernon Grant. He was the original designer of Snap, Crackle and Pop for the Kelloggs Corp. back in the late ’30s, and I featured a post on the history of those characters.

I followed that with one on his Mother Goose book. There, I posted some of his uniquely styled illustrations for that book of Mother Goose rhymes.

Both those posts were heavily dependent on some great material loaned me by Bill Peckmann from his remarkable collection.

Vernon Grant was also drew Santa Claus. He seemed to love drawing St. Nick in many different incarnations. This is something we share. Whereas I confine myself to many varied Christmas cards, he has a perennial best selling picture book, Vernon Grant’s Santa Claus, that’s been on the market for many years. Bill Peckman recently sent me a copy of the book to scan and post, but I’d already had my own copy. I’ve decided, here, to post about half of the book. I’m particularly interested in Grant’s illustrations prior to the ’50s. Conseqeuntly, I’ve chosen to select only those illustrations that were done in 1953 or earlier, and I’ve placed them in chronological order.

Not all of the images are of Santa Claus. Hence in organizing them by date, we have to start off with a beauty but one that doesn’t feature Santa.

Hi-Ho! For a Merry Christmas – 1932

I got your letter – 1934

Empty pockets – 1936

How sad! The Depression hit Santa, too.

Merrie Minstrels – 1937

Santa’s Special Delivery – 1940

Season’s Greetings – 1942

Untitled – 1946

This one is untitled, but it’s far and away my favorite.

Is It My Turn Yet? – 1946

These last two are too Norman Rockwell for my taste.
But it shows the direction Vernon Grant and America were taking.

Mommy Kissing Santa Claus – 1953

The song “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” written by Tommy Connor
was a smash hit in 1952. The smash singer was Jimmy Boyd (who later
grew into the role of “Jimmy” on the original Mickey Mouse Club.

Vernon Grant obviously built on the song title.
It looks like a Coca Cola ad of the period.

- As posted yesterday, the illustrations of Vernon Grant gave us the cereal icons Snap, Crackle and Pop. After they helped make Rice Krispies an enormous success, Kelloggs employed Grant to illustrate Mother Goose nursery rhymes which graced the back of the packages.

Again, these pictures brought more success for the cereal company, and they ultimately brought them to a publisher to bind all of Grant’s illustrations in one book.

The result was the book that appears to the right. Vernon Grant’s Mother Goose is still available some 70 years later. He also had a second book, Vernon Grant’s Santa Claus.

Grant was a graduate of Chouinard Art Institute. While most of his classmates headed to Disney’s studio to break into animation, Grant went East to New York where he sought advertising work and illustration jobs. He had some modest success with his gnome characters which finally led to the Kellogg’s job where his life’s work was set.

The Mother Goose book contains 25 illustrated pages; each page contains an illustration accompanied by the Mother Goose rhyme. These are the illustrations below:

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(Click any image to enlarge.)

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

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Jack be nimble, Jack be quick

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Tom Tom the Piper’s Son / Deedle Deedle Dumpling

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Little Jack Horner / Jack Sprat could eat no fat

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Old King Cole was a merry old soul . Sing a song of sixpence

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There was an old woman of Harrow

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Old woman in the shoe / A wise old owl lived in an oak

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Humpty Dumpty/ Peter Peter Pumpkin eater

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Jerry Hall / A crooked sixpence

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Rain Rain Go Away / Three men in a tub

(Note that the three men in the tub are Grant’s Snap Crackle and Pop.

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Nose Nose, Jolly red nose / Ladybug Ladybug

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Simple Simon and the Pieman

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Friday Night’s Dream / How many miles to Babylon

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Little Tee Wee

Thaks, again, go to Bill Peckmann for the introduction to Vernon Grant as well as the loan of the book.

The original Snap, Crackle and Pop

- Vernon Grant was the designer of the three elves who’ve appeared on the Rice Krispies package since 1928.

Snap, Crackle and Pop have gone through many incarnations since their debut. Their ears and noses have been reduced and softened, and their costumes have changed significantly.

Two other variations found on liine. The left animated at Playhouse Pictures in the Fifties.

A couple of commercials can be found on YouTube. Naturally enough, the quality degenerates chronologically.
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In 1939, Snap, Crackle and Pop starred in a short called Breakfast Pals. In the 1½ minute film, the three elves have to fight another three elves: Soggy, Mushy and Toughy. Ultimately, our heroes roll the bizzaro elves into a syrupy pancake and prepare Rice Krispie cereal for two boys sharing a sleep-over.

The film was made by Cartoon Films Ltd. This was the last incarnation of Ub Iweerks’ own studio. He was, at the time, making some short films for Columbia.

Soggy, Mushy and Toughy fight Snap Crackle & Pop

In 1939, the Kelloggs Corporation sent this letter which talks of other illustrations by Vernon Grant. Mother Goose rhymes were added to the package backs and became very popular. Kellogs sought to publish them.

(Click any image to enlarge.)

This is the subsequent book, which became
quite successful and is still available.

I’ll post the illustrations for the book tomorrow.
The letter and book are courtesy of Bill Peckmann to whom many thanks are offered.