January 31, 2018 -- Keller's "Men's Magazine" Nudes

As far as my collection shows, from the 50s through the late 80s, Reamer Keller was illustrating gags for the many "girlie" magazines. This is a sample of a piece that would've appeared in one of the many humor-bent publications marketed to "men."

January 28, 2018 -- Keller's King Size Cocktail Napkins

In the early 50s, Reamer Keller produced a series of naughty, politically (very!) incorrect cocktail napkins. Here's a sampling:





And here's a penciled sample of an original, irreverent illustration. Not sure if this was ever used:

January 26, 2018 -- Keller and Golf

Of all the themes represented in my collection of over 2,000 Keller cartoon illustrations, golf is a clear runner-up to sex-related gags. Here's an example from the 50s:

January 25, 2018 -- A Taste of Keller's "Adult Humor" in the 50s

An early "adult humor" gag -- representative of its time, no doubt.

January 24, 2018 -- Art and Sex

The idea of uploading a different pice of Keller's original art every day seems easier than it is. Still, I have plans for this blog; and as soon as I can find the time to scan more engaging pieces from my collectuion, there's this...

January 23, 2018 -- Keller Crossing the Line

Reamer Keller's cocktail napkins are coming; but in the meantime...

January 22, 2018 -- Reamer Keller and Gender Roles/Portrayals

I have hundreds of Keller's gags portraying 50s gender-biased humor. Here's a sample:



Tomorrow, I will post another example of Keller's gender humor along with pics of a series of cocktail napkins he designed.

January 21, 2018 -- a Very Belated Christmas

Here are examples of Keller’s Christmas spirit. The first is an original cartoon for a personal holiday card signed by Reamer and his wife. The latter is an original gag produced in the 50s when Reamer was still living in Atlantic Highlands, NJ. 

January 20, 2018 -- Kennesaw Comic Strip

The daily syndicated comic strip is often the goal of many cartoonists. In 1953 Reamer Keller realized this dream with Kennesaw. Originally a single panel gag following the misadventures of a hillbilly family, Kennesaw first appeared in Collier's (example below of the original art)...



... before becoming a daily strip:

January 18, 2018 -- Cleveland Plain Dealer Magazine 12/5/82

One more from the Cleveland Plain Dealer Sunday Magazine, December 5, 1982:



In print:

January 17, 2018 -- an Example of Publication

Here's an example of Keller's style 50 years after yesterday's cartoon. This piece was published in the Cleveland Plain Dealer Magazine on Sunday, November 14, 1982.



Here's a clipping of the page where the published gag appeared:

January 16, 2018

Hey There:

About three years ago I came into possession of 100s upon 100s of original gags by the cartoonist Reamer Keller (you can read about him here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reamer_Keller). So, after months of being unsure what to do with the collection, I finally decided to create a blog devoted to sharing a gag a day of Reamer Keller's cartoons. Some will be goofy and others will be smart; a few will have nudes and many will be grossly politically incorrect; but all are either head-scratching or funny.

Occasionally, I may have something to write about in regards to the daily selection; and every now and again I will auction a page of these original works on eBay.

Here's day one's post.

Enjoy,
Brian Philip Katz



Keller produced this gag in the 30s when living in Staten Island (my hometown). Come back tomorrow and you will note a dramatic shift in his style in the span of two decades.