F.M. Howarth and “Puck” Magazine

Categories: Did You Know|Published On: March 19, 2010|Views: 70|

Share:



.html

When you think Puck, you may think of Shakespeare’s meddling little sprite.
Or, you may think of that scabby skateboarder from The Real World. Or
perhaps an innovative Los Angeles chef. But did you know that the word
Puck has yet another connotation with pop culture?

Puck
was the name of a German language humor periodical that debuted in 1871 from
Austrian immigrant Joseph Keppler. One year later, Puck was being
published in English as well. It wasn’t easy getting the publication on its
feet, however, and both language-versions soon folded before Keppler decided to
re-launch them in 1874.

While the new German version did extremely well,
it took the English version slightly longer to catch on. By adding color
lithography in every issue, as well as black and white sequential comics and
cartoons throughout, however, Puck soon became a revolutionary
publication that set the stage for such publications to come. But not only was
the layout of Puck noteworthy – so also were the artists who helped bring
the publication to life. Artists such as Frederick Burr Opper, Eugene
“Zim” Zimmerman, and especially F.M. Howarth.

Franklin Morris
Howarth, who was born in 1870, was a pioneer of illustration at the end of the
19th century. His unique narrative style of drawing and highly
stylized characters made him a forerunner of the new publications that were
surfacing during the time, and he contributed his work not only to Puck
but also to Judge (which debuted in 1881), Truth (which also
debuted in 1881), and Life (which came along in 1883). Howarth also
created the full-page sequential color comic strips on the back covers of many
Puck magazines, beginning in the 1890s.

It was an anthology
devoted to his work for Puck, however, that helped establish the format many
books reprinting Sunday newspaper comic strips would follow in later years. See,
in the 1880s, the idea of collecting anthologies of one particular theme or one
particular artist began to gain popularity. The earliest anthology of this type
known today is A.B. Frost’s Stuff and Nonsense, which was published in
1884. Four years later, in 1888, there was Frederick Burr Opper’s Puck’s
Opper Book
. This notion caught on, and soon, Puck began a monthly
Library series of smaller, mostly black and white books that republished
material theme and artist-oriented material. In 1899, it was Howarth’s turn. And
the 90-page hardcover Funny Folks, published by E.P. Dutton and measuring
a rather large 16 ½” x 12”, stands today as one of the first
books to establish the format that many Platinum Age comic books would follow.
Recreating several of Howarth’s Puck pieces, both sequential and
single-gag and in both color and black and white, this book is also often
regarded as a “bridge” between the Victorian and Platinum Ages.

Of course, the publication of Funny Folks was only one step in
Howarth’s fantastic career. In 1903, he began work on his first weekly
continuing newspaper strip, Lulu and Leander. This led to
the creation of 1907’s Ole Opey Dildock – The
Storyteller
. Sadly, however, Howarth died in 1908, so we are only left to
speculate upon what sort of brilliant inspiration he could have contributed to
comic books to come.


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F.M. Howarth and “Puck” Magazine

Categories: Did You Know|Published On: March 19, 2010|Views: 70|

Share:



.html

When you think Puck, you may think of Shakespeare’s meddling little sprite.
Or, you may think of that scabby skateboarder from The Real World. Or
perhaps an innovative Los Angeles chef. But did you know that the word
Puck has yet another connotation with pop culture?

Puck
was the name of a German language humor periodical that debuted in 1871 from
Austrian immigrant Joseph Keppler. One year later, Puck was being
published in English as well. It wasn’t easy getting the publication on its
feet, however, and both language-versions soon folded before Keppler decided to
re-launch them in 1874.

While the new German version did extremely well,
it took the English version slightly longer to catch on. By adding color
lithography in every issue, as well as black and white sequential comics and
cartoons throughout, however, Puck soon became a revolutionary
publication that set the stage for such publications to come. But not only was
the layout of Puck noteworthy – so also were the artists who helped bring
the publication to life. Artists such as Frederick Burr Opper, Eugene
“Zim” Zimmerman, and especially F.M. Howarth.

Franklin Morris
Howarth, who was born in 1870, was a pioneer of illustration at the end of the
19th century. His unique narrative style of drawing and highly
stylized characters made him a forerunner of the new publications that were
surfacing during the time, and he contributed his work not only to Puck
but also to Judge (which debuted in 1881), Truth (which also
debuted in 1881), and Life (which came along in 1883). Howarth also
created the full-page sequential color comic strips on the back covers of many
Puck magazines, beginning in the 1890s.

It was an anthology
devoted to his work for Puck, however, that helped establish the format many
books reprinting Sunday newspaper comic strips would follow in later years. See,
in the 1880s, the idea of collecting anthologies of one particular theme or one
particular artist began to gain popularity. The earliest anthology of this type
known today is A.B. Frost’s Stuff and Nonsense, which was published in
1884. Four years later, in 1888, there was Frederick Burr Opper’s Puck’s
Opper Book
. This notion caught on, and soon, Puck began a monthly
Library series of smaller, mostly black and white books that republished
material theme and artist-oriented material. In 1899, it was Howarth’s turn. And
the 90-page hardcover Funny Folks, published by E.P. Dutton and measuring
a rather large 16 ½” x 12”, stands today as one of the first
books to establish the format that many Platinum Age comic books would follow.
Recreating several of Howarth’s Puck pieces, both sequential and
single-gag and in both color and black and white, this book is also often
regarded as a “bridge” between the Victorian and Platinum Ages.

Of course, the publication of Funny Folks was only one step in
Howarth’s fantastic career. In 1903, he began work on his first weekly
continuing newspaper strip, Lulu and Leander. This led to
the creation of 1907’s Ole Opey Dildock – The
Storyteller
. Sadly, however, Howarth died in 1908, so we are only left to
speculate upon what sort of brilliant inspiration he could have contributed to
comic books to come.


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