[Rarebooks] OFFER:THE FIRST IMPORTANT AMERICAN SATIRIC POLITICAL JOURNAL.

[Laderman]

ENGLISH, THOMAS DUNN: FOSTER GEORGE G.: THE JOHN-DONKEY: VOL. 1, No 2, 
(Jan. 8,1848) to Vol. I No. 25,  (June 7, 1848). Lacking issues 1,18, 21, 
26. New York: G. Dexter [etc.]. The best early American magazine of 
political wit, satire and cartoons it was edited by Thomas Dunn English and 
George G. Foster, at first, both talented comic editors. Most of the 
illustrations, signed and unsigned, came from the pen of F. O. C. Darley, 
including a full-page political cartoon in each issue. The front cover 
shows the John-donkey himself, surrounded by a series of his portraits in 
silhouettes performing actions in various trades and professions[ALSO BY 
DARLEY]. Within, he sometimes becomes a character in a series of cartoons, 
which go with am article, and follow the action. He even appears in the 
weekly, full page, political cartoon. His personality is developed as that 
of a lover of liberty who cares for the rights of the powerless. His 
character was developed so strongly over the period short of a year, which 
the periodical lasted, that a book of satire using his name with its 
references, was published in Philadelphia in the 1880s. This is one of the 
earliest invented American comic characters.  He also provided the 
illustrations for a mock epic of Don Quixote with Horace Greeley in that 
role. This is early Darley, and the only editorial cartoons he did, and he 
did them very well, indeed. The engraver, C. A. Hinckley may have been 
responsible for some of the other comic cuts, which are unsigned. One 
series, called "The John Donkey's Shakespeare Illustrations", a weekly 
feature, for some time, includes a character in the strip named Othello who 
is drawn always in silhouette, and is African in features. The political 
cartoons and writing were primarily directed at national politics; the 
actions of the president and his advisers, and rivals. After the first 
volume of 26 issues, only 17 more were published. The ULS notes only 7 
runs, 4 of which include volume I only. Bound in contemporary ¼ black calf, 
marbled boards, somewhat rubbed, binding about Very Good, contents Very 
Good. $1250.00

ZITA BOOKS / NEW YORK, N.Y. / G. LADERMAN
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