The Portland daily press., 1881-02-11
Puck -
How the Colored Cartoons are Made
The Men Who Make PUCK"
New York Cor. Utica Observer.

New York Cor. Utica Observer
The many-tinted pictures in Puck are pro-
duced on the lithographic principle. In each
issue there are three cartoons; they are laid
out on one stone, and the tints are then ar
ranged with reference to their duplication or
combination The pictures are first drawn in
black with crayon and ink, the main outlines
and heavier shades being produced with ink,
and the softer effects with crayon. By plan
ming the cartoons on one stone a color may be
duplicated where desired by a single revolving
passage of the roller charged with that partic-
ular tint. The heavy, thick stone upon which
the sketch is made must be carefully prepared.
1t must have peculiar surface to the end that
smoothness without glaze be secured In the
last issue of Puck there were three cartoons.
One represented "Mother" Gladstone attempt
ing to extinguish big fire with small water
ing-pot charged with rose water. Another
pictured Evarts and Schurz cleft out" by
Hayes. The main cartoon represented the
Democrats and mariners throwing ''their
Jonah" John Kelly overheard. Place the
three cartoons together and you will see a pre-
vailing tint of green. 1t appears notably in
the broad expanse of ocean where the merry
whale disports, awaiting stomach full of
Kelly. 1t appears in the smoking-cap of
Charles A. Dana. 1t appears in the green
draperied room where Hayes is packing his
baggage for Fremont, Ohio; and there is
more of the tint in the grass and sky of the
Gladstone cut. To properly distribute the
inks so that this shade shall be left in exact
quantity and quality as desired is an art. Re-
turning to the three cartoous it is observable
that the dress of Mother Gladstone is red so
is the fire blazing in the Irish cabin; so is the
bathing suit of John Kelly. In one instance
the color is pronounced, in the others it is
modified, softened and blended with blue.
Next in conspicuity is the blue. 1t is notica-
BILE in the bodice of Mother Gladstone, the
dressing-gown of Hayes, and the sky that tow
ers over the mariners. These radical colors of
course require separate impressions when the
stone is placed on the bed OF the press. But
how to produce the charming effects; how to
blend the colors-that is the gift of the car
toonist, Joseph Keppler. For instance: pur-
pie and flesh colors combined produce a
mauve, blue and yellow fuse and appear in
green; red and blue unite in purple. But
these combinations are each susceptible of
dozen gradation and there must be regard
for the degrees of the tints and their relative
positions. In one case the contrast must be
sharp, in another the blending must be deli
cate and graduate. On the stone designed f or
the flesh color, the artist must draw whatever
Another will contain the purple, third the
green, and fourth the blue Arrangements
must also be made for the combinations
Keppler throws purple and green together so
as to produce dirty green, noticed in the
shade of Hayes carpet bag in the cut men
toned. When the vermillion of Kelly's broad
bathing suit was agreed upon, due regard was
had for the delicate stripes in Hayes panta-
looms, and the tint of Mayor Grace's mustache.
The colors all agreed upon, and the stones
rarn rlxr rapar inf from
artists to the photographers, where they re-
ceive an application of acid. The acid eats
wherever the greasy crayon or the ink has
touched the stone. To produce the cartoons
in Puck of January 9th four impressions were
required. The first proof presented only the
red and notifications OF red. The effect was
very odd. In the main cartoon John Kelly
appeared solely as an unoccupied bathing suit.
The flesh tints of hands and face and the eff
feet of ears and eyes, beard &c., were want
ing. The red in the other cartoons was also
apparent. On the next impression we see the
ocean, but what relation it bears to the bath
ing suit is, as yet, matter of speculation.
Next we have the blue of the sky, the white
the light effects elswhere. Then come the
flesh tints. and so, step by step, the designs
and tints are blended and become the per-
fected work. The art of employing an acid to
eat down the unprotected parts of the stone,
leaving the lines in relief, is an old one: but
u d
boldness and originality of coloring that gives
a striking effect to the clever designs which sa-
tirize the doings of the day.
The art of TYPOGRAPHY, so far as it is per-
fected, depends on three principles. First,
the power of absorption possessed by calcarss
eous stones Second, its adhesion to oily SUBJ
stances. Third, the relation of these substan-
ces to each other and their disposition to repel
water. The solution of acid is either vitrolic
nitric or muriatic. This neutralizes the alkali
of a 0rau far bvrf he
is "chalk"l, and the surfaces are eaten away
as required. Puck has come to the front on
its merit. Thirteen presses are required to
work off its weekly edition. Its sales though
large in the east are much greater in the west
ern States. The western folks want pictures
that relate to their interests. The New York
ers like something local. Down east there is
demand for industrial illustrations. In the
south Puck's constituents call upon him to
right alleged wrongs by crayon satire. Sug-
gestions are continually pouring in from all
quarters, aud the publishers, editors and art
lists endeavor to hold the scales impartially
between the various sections. Everybody on
the staff glories in the independence of the
paper 1t strikes unsparingly when aiming at
a sham. Keppler & Schwarzman began poor
a few years ago. Both have made fortunes.
The first editor of Puck was Sidney Rosen-
field. He was assisted by B. B. Valentine,
who penned the first editorial. Rosenfied and
Valentine were not affinities and the latter
went to Europe. 81. G. Bunner, the present
editor, succeeded Rosenfed, and sent for
Valentine. with whom he had formerly been
associated on the Arcadian Bunner is twen-
ty-hve, Valentine is thirty-two, James A.
Wales twenty-seven and Frederick Opper is
nineteen. The latest acquisition to the force
is Carl Won Stuher, who came from Vienna
last month. His first cartoon appeared on the
29th of December. 1t occupied double page,
and presented the bachelors reverie as pic
tured in the curling wreaths of tobacco smoke.
The Gladstone cartoon, in date of January 5,
is also the work of the Vienna cartoonist.
Keppler's time is almost wholly occupied by his
cartoons He does no outside work, unless it
be for some society In which he feels an interest
o rto oblige an intimate friend. The "V. Hus-
enberry" of the sheet is Bunner. Valentine
is responsible for "Fitznoodle."