Thursday, November 22, 2012

The 1962 Mort Drucker JFK Coloring Book

cover designed by
 Beverley Clarke Roman

The JFK COLORING BOOK was a 22 page coloring book for adults, conceived in 1962 by Alexander A. Roman along with comedian/writer Jackie Kannon with additional copy by Paul Laikin, and self-published that year as a KANROM book. The great MAD caricaturist Mort Drucker was hired to do the illustrations.  It takes a satirical look at the Kennedy White House, narrated by and seen through the eyes of young daughter Carolyn. She briefly introduces the reader to the different family members and friends (Frank Sinatra, etc), policy makers, and political leaders. The book sold several million copies upon it's release, but of course all but disappeared from the shelves the following year due to certain unforeseen circumstances. 

Here are a few pages featuring some of the great Mort Drucker drawings from the book:





















7 comments:

  1. Wonderful artwork. Mort Drucker is always a delight.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Who's that guy being sent to the moon? J. Edgar Hoover?

    Mort Drucker is not just a delight (well, he is that, too). He rules.

    ReplyDelete
  3. How creepy about Hoffa! Mort Drucker is fabulous and I've always liked how he draws mens' shoes. They remind me of the ridiculous shoes Buster Keaton sometimes wore in his silent films--oversized but with folds where the feet bend. The Kennedy dynasty--a strange time in politics due to the mythos, tragedy and current unearthing of facts. Funny how an old coloring book can dredge all that up.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sales weren't affected by the unforeseen circumstance of visitor Eleanor Roosevelt's passing in 1962?

    Paul

    ReplyDelete
  5. A terrific blog, and a great post. Thanks. I'm doing some research for a historical novel that briefly features a co-author of this coloring book, comedian and Lenny Bruce coattail-rider Jackie Kannon. The interplay between showbiz, politics, and the Mafia in the dawning of the Kennedy years, especially in NYC, is the backdrop. [*Shout out* therefore to Miss Lisa's comment above... right on, hipster sister!)I had read about this coloring book awhile back, so I'm grateful to see decent quality images here for reference. For a sampling of my own blog, and my general approach to the subject, check out the following post.

    https://markingtime4now.wordpress.com/2018/05/02/5482/

    The novel, tentatively titled _Murder in Birdland_, is more rooted in the Mafia-influenced music biz than in comedy, movies or politics. But the contexts all overlap, and one of my "characters" --Roulette Records' Morris Levy-- partnered with Kannon not long after publication of this, to open a nightclub.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great information. Thank you. I came across this blog to learn more about this coloring book I discovered when cleaning out a house. 1962 and not colored. Very interesting with what was going on at the time.

    ReplyDelete