Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-05-04

true home of humorous art. The Ger
man humorous weeklies are the best in
| the world Many of the cleverest
things in other American newspapers
have been copied from German peri
Odicals, without due credit given. The
characteristic quality of German hum
OrOus illustration is the good nature of
| it. Either it is pure fun, without
| moral and without a faint, or it is in
spired by a spirit of mild satire of
social foibles and plumbers. 1t pre-
sents types easily recognizable as be-
| longing to the real world. Even the
victims can laugh at the way the artist
catches the expression of their state
of mind. This means also that the pic
ture is a finished production. capable
of representing emotion by subtle
changes in details, and not confined to
broad and exaggerated outlines, al
though these, too, are used when eX-
pedient.
A representative of The Tribune re-
Gently made a special trip to Europe
and concluded arrangements which
will mark an epoch in the history of
comic journalism in the United States.
Beginning on May 9th the comic sup
plement of The Sunday Tribune will
be made up mainly of the work of the
best humorous artists of Germany,
some of whom will draw exclusively
for this paper. The field was carefully
surveyed and the men selected whose
work is the most important in German
humorous journalism. At the same
time due attention was given to secur
ing pleasing variety in the line of
thought represented in the drawings
of these men,
Some of these artists will make
their homes in Chicago; indeed, some
are already here to study American
conditions and to produce drawings
which shall have all the accuracy,
charm and wit by which Their work in
Germany has been characterized, and
which also shall be full of local color.
Other artists, remaining in Europe,
will treat those phases of life which
have a universal quality and do not dc
pend upon their setting for effect. or
which treat of fanciful scenes in
world of animals
The first of The Tribune's new ar
lists to arrive in Chicago is Hans Ho-
rina. OF Vienna Herr Horina for the
last Is years has occupied unique
place in the European field of wit and
humor. For that space of time he has
been the originator of perhaps 20 per
cent of the humorous pictures publish
ed in German and Austrian papers. For
years every issue of the Fligende Blaet-
ter has had samples of his nimble wit.
His fertile brain produces funny situa-
tons so abundantly that he has made
a practice of selling these ideas to the
comic papers of Germany These pa
pers have delegated to others the task
of transferring to paper his concep-
ton.
From an ethical point of view the
change to be inaugurated by The Trib-
une is no less important than from the
artistic The comic supplement, as it
aas been and as it still is in the case
Of most newspapers, has been denounc-
ed frequently by teachers and by
preachers as exercising a demoraliz-
ing influence upon the young and
tending to brutalize both young and
been open to the severe cenSure pass
ed upon the Sunday supplement in gen
eral, it cannot deny that the newspa-
pers of this country have been guilty
in allowing the evil to reach the pro-
portions it has assumed recently. a
determined effort should have been
made long ago to set the standard so
nigh that it would be impossible TO
ind a purchaser for the trivial stuff |
which enters so many homes with the |
Sunday paper.
The Tribune recognizes its partial |
responsibility in the matter. 1t has al |
ways stood at the head. but not far |
enough at the head to compel the 9th |
or papers to change their tactics. Now |
it will be necessary for these who have |
fallen into the habit of condemning the |
comic supplement unfortunately to |
make an exception of The Chicago |
Tribune and to confess that 1t is pos |
sible to find a comic supplement that |
is humorous without being coarse, sat |
irical without being vulgar, playful
being mean. cruel, or heart |