Jack Ziegler is, of course, quite mad.
Some may say it’s toaster mania, some may suggest worst case wonkiness, but I know, because I have a treasured copy of the long out-of print classic cartoon collection of the same name, that it’s Hamburger Madness!
Jack Ziegler has been drawing cartoons for The New Yorker, and other publications since slightly after the invention of movable type. Do a search on the Cartoon Bank archive of New Yorker cartoons and you come up with over 900 Ziegler cartoons!
His deliriously loopy cartoons careen back and forth from Kliban-like lunacy to Steinberg style thought provoking drawings to traditional New Yorker style boardroom cartoons - with a twist. The twist is the point, of course, some of his “gags” bend logic in a way that would have made Ernst or Duchamp sit up and take notice.
Ziegler’s drawing is exactly what a cartoon drawing should be, hilarious in its own right, dead on with facial expressions and body language, always clear and sharp and delivers the gag like an exploding California roll in an uptown sushi bar.
Even though his classic collections like Hamburger Madness, Worst Case Scenario and Marital Blitz, and his one children’s book, Mr Knocky, are out of print, you may still be able to find used copies.
His newest collection, You Had Me at Bow Wow: A Book of Dog Cartoons by New Yorker Cartoonist Jack Ziegler has not yet been released but there are other Ziegler collections that are in print: How’s the Squid?: A Book of Food Cartoons, The Essential Jack Ziegler (The Essential Cartoonists Library) (edited by Lee Lorenz), and Olive or Twist?: A Book of Drinking Cartoons.
Ziegler is by far my favourite New Yorker cartoonist. Hamburger Madness holds a special place on my bookshelf as well!
Dear Jack,
If a guy was a friend of yours at the D.L.I.W.C., circa 1966, and has just realized that YOU might be THAT Jack Ziegler, how the “bolshoi vech”…does he get in touch with you ? Brian
Brian,
Jack is unlikely to see comments posted here. You might try sending a hand-addressed letter to him c/o The New Yorker, or c/o his publishing company.
Thank you Charley. I will do just that. Regards.
Brian
Thanks for posting these. I would love to get in touch with Jack to give him an idea about updating his “Laugh if you will…” cartoon published in ‘91. I am in the lighting business and own a copy of this one which would also be great with CFL’s instead of tubular fluorescents.