'Toon Cards

It's snowing like crazy today, no better excuse to show you a sampling of postcards from our cartoon section. Some are funny, some make no sense, and others reflect a time when cartoon postcards were cheap advertising for products long gone from the market place. Like Old Reliable Hell on Earth Whiskey, Their slogan in 1909 was If Whiskey interferes with your business, give up your business. No use trying to do two things at once. Whoever came up with that catchy little jingle for a brand of rot gut rye deserves a Clio Award!

Some old product cards have slogans that don't make sense. If your radio set does not seem right, see what this soap will do; it's been found effective many a time, but no offence to you! What the hell does this mean? Doesn't the tone seem a little condescending? Did consumers back in the day enjoy these petty insults in advertising? We dunno.


This card shows an old battle axe staring angrily at clouds of smoke coming from a restroom. Hey, just relax and let the old man have a Pall Mall and a BM and you'll be on the road in no time. Sent to Mr. E. H. Price of Topeka, Kansas on August 3, 1952, it reads Dear Ed & the gang- Just made it to Rapid City. Seeing some lovely scenery and I stop when I get hungry or tired. Take care of things. Guy.

"Stopped Here For The 'Weak' End!" This card was sent by Pvt. Edw. Siantz, 590th T.S.S., Kessler Field, MS, on November 3, 1942, to Mr. Valentine Smutek at the Herman Kiefer Hospital in Detroit, the message reads Well I'm still here in Miss. There's talk of moving but nothing has happened. Haven't had any drilling even you could be here and get by with your back. Hope you're getting along fine. Eddie.


Pvt. Siantz promoted to Aviation Cadet Siantz and sent this cartoon postcard of a fire hydrant spraying a dog to Valentine Smutek in June 21, 1943. How are you today? I caught up with a bit of letter writing this morning and then went to the show and then we went swimming. I suppose you had your visitors and I only hope that JK were one of them. That's all for tonight. Good luck, Eddie.

Our final card from Aviation Cadet Siantz to Mr. Smutek was this cartoon machine gunner promising to fight as long as the letters keep coming. Mailed from Selma Field, Monroe, LA, on November 20, 1943, it reads, How are you feeling today? Maybe you're home by this time because I haven't heard from Virg for a week now because of my changing comps. I do hope that you are home now or will be soon. They are changing the system here and so we have to change barracks this afternoon. Good luck. Eddie.

A Google search produced some additional information: Aviation Cadet Siantz eventually became US Army Air Corps 1st Lieutenant Siantz and flew a B 24 bomber on bombing missions over Italy during the end of WWII (hopefully, the bombs from his aircraft didn't land on the Catacombs at Cappucinni. See previous postings for more on that). We believe we located a valid address in Florida and the cards have been mailed to him. They belong with their rightful owner, not us.

This card show a stick figure man fishing, reading, golfing, getting a sun tan, and drinking beer. Makes for a full day when you can engage in all those activities.

We'll close with this cartoon of a man pulling on the back of his head while holding an unhappy baby. I love my wife but no more kids. Mailed to Mr. W. Fisher in Rhinelander, WI, on August 22, 1910, a message scribbled in pencil reads Put on your old gray bonnet Let me call you sweet heart I'm in love with You. Bea. Bea, now listen and listen good: when you send your man a card with a picture like this on the front, your message of honey and roses gets negated instantly.