Playboy: 50 Years: The Cartoons Summary and Reviews

Playboy: 50 Years: The Cartoons

Playboy: 50 Years: The Cartoons
List Price: $50.00
Category: Book
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Book Summary Information

Introduction: Hugh M. Hefner
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2004-03-01
ISBN: 0811839761
Number of pages: 368
Publisher: Chronicle Books

Book Reviews of Playboy: 50 Years: The Cartoons

Book Review: Fifty years of fun
Summary: 5 Stars



It's nice to see a book of coffee-table proportions just devoted to cartoons, well why not? Previous Playboy books have covered the history of the magazine, the delightful Playmates and now the cartoons. The 450 plus illustrations are the work of 107 cartoonists and if you are a regular reader of the magazine you'll see your favorites. Gahan Wilson has the most (thirty-two) followed by regulars like Eldon Dedini, John Demsey, Alden Erikson, Kiraz, Roy Raymonde, Doug Sneyd (he of the flamboyant signature, which I was never able to decipher until now) Erich Sokol and between these, dozens of great artists who have maybe one or two works each. The humor might not be the wonderful ironic style of the New Yorker but it is amazing how many fresh takes can be created with the bachelor lifestyle.

This is a handsomely produced book, printed on thick glossy paper which, nicely, allows you to really appreciate just how good some of these artists are. My favorite, Jack Davis, unfortunately only has four shown, Richard Taylor has a super picture on page ten, an art gallery where he has created several Picasso type paintings, Doug Sneyd, Phil Interlandi and Dedini are all brilliant draughtsmen and Shel Silverstein can create so much with so little line and colour.


However I was a bit disappointed with this book, there is no indication of when the cartoons appeared and I wish the publishers had gone the extra mile and perhaps devoted some space throughout the pages for a photo and biography of the regulars, some of these guys have been with Playboy for years. Someone though, at least, did have the foresight to compile an Artists index and a useful Order of appearance list, both of which are in the back pages.


Clearly a wonderful book for the bedside table if your date didn't turn up, try laughing yourself to sleep.

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