Karl Kae Knecht (American, 1883-1972) Now from H

Karl Kae Knecht (American, 1883-1972) Now from Head to Toe and Are You Listening, Uncle?, Evansville Courier newspaper cartoons (two works), 1941; 1960 India ink, lithograph crayon, and pencil on heavyweight paper 12 x 12 inches (30.5 x 30.5 cm) (Now from Head to Toe, image) 10-1/2 x 12 inches (26.7 x 30.5 cm) (Are You Listening, Uncle?, image) Each signed in lower region: Karl Kae Knecht Karl Knecht attended the Chicago Art Institute, and his first cartoon was published in 1905; a year later he joined the staff of the Evansville Courier (Indiana) newspaper. He drew cartoons, wrote columns and reviews, and served as a staff photographer. For most of his career his cartoons appeared on the front page of the paper. Mr. Knecht was associated with the circus and regularly incorporated a drawing of a miniature elephant into his signature; the little character appears in both cartoons. He retired from the Courier in May 1960. Two books have collected his work: The World of Karl Kae Knecht Through His Cartoons by Philip C. Ensley (1979) and The Cartoons of Evansville's Karl Kae Knecht by Dr. James MacLeod (2017). The state of France after the German conquest is starkly portrayed in Now from Head to Toe, Mr. Knecht's original cartoon that was published on the front page of the Evansville Courier on May 23, 1941. Marshal Petain, head of the collaborationist Vichy government, extends his arms to embrace the woman who personifies French democracy, and a "pro Nazi French" tailor drapes her in Nazi swastika cloth, arm band, stockings, and ball and chain. Britain's John Bull and Uncle Sam look on in dismay. The artist inscribed, signed and dated this original in the lower margin: "To Murray Harris best wishes Karl Knecht 1941." Are You Listening, Uncle? by Knecht was published in the January 16, 1960, edition of the Evansville Courier. Nikita Khrushchev, Premier of the Soviet Union, stands outside the Kremlin backed by his "mighty missiles" to inquire if Uncle Sam is paying attention to the USSR's advances made in ballistic missile technology and numerous test firings. He further points out that the USSR has a standing army of 3,000,000 men. (image size: 10.5" x 12") Quantity: (2) HID03101062020 © 2026 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved www.HA.com/TexasAuctioneerLicenseNotice

Condition
Very light toning to each example along extreme edges. A few very light handling dents, visible under raking light along extreme edges. Light scattered surface dirt, most visible in margins. Wear and markings to margins of pages in keeping with illustration and publishing process. Not framed.
Each sheet overall: 15 x 14.5 inches and 11.25 x 14 inches
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