CLICK HERE FOR THE LINK IN OUR FEBRUARY 2021 AUCTION!While many are familiar w/Rube Goldberg Machines, many are unaware of the man who created them and were in fact, named after - cartoonist Rube Goldberg (1883-1970). Goldberg's complicated gadgets performing simple tasks in indirect, convoluted ways have immortalized the artist. The character most closely associated w/Rube Goldberg Machines is Goldberg's Professor Lucifer Gorgonzola Butts, A.K., who was credited as the inventor of these outlandish devices. Professor Butts first appeared in a prose piece published Nov. 3, 1928 in Collier's story It's The Little Things That Matter. After that, the character and his amazing inventions appeared exclusively in the pages of the nationally distributed weekly Collier's magazine. The Inventions of Professor Lucifer G. Butts, A.K. ran roughly every other week from Jan. 26, 1929 to Dec. 26, 1931, creating about 60 cartoons featuring Professor Butts and the character appeared sporadically in other publications after 1931. Offered here is 6.25x20.5" artboard for Dec. 2, 1933 "That's Life" daily strip, w/three panels of pen and ink original art w/screentone accents, first featuring text explaining the 12 step Rube Goldberg Machine, a self-packing suitcase. Steps include knocking over bureau, spilling clothes into suitcase, which puts pressure on discs, causing boxing glove to punch suitcase lid closed and knife to cut string supporting shoe, which falls onto closed suitcase, pressing it flat. Goldberg has signed at bottom right corner of panel. Third panel features Alphabetical Soup companion gag panel, showing turban-clad man inviting viewers to "Step Inside And See The Little Dancer From St. Louis MO.* (* Men Only)," a classic play-on-words gag. Goldberg has signed/dated bottom right of second panel w/McNaught Syndicate copyright strip at left. Artboard has inked dated crossed out at bottom right w/corrected date written above it. Pin holes at corners and along bottom of art, w/staple holes at center left/right. 1" streak of faint moisture staining along right margin, not distracting. Bureau area in second panel has some faint staining, not distracting. Artboard is Fine overall but could be matted and framed for nice display. Pre-1950 examples of original art featuring Rube Goldberg Machines rarely come to market.
