I honestly can't reckon how many of these hilarious vintage hillbilly themed matchbooks I have, but it's a lot! They're pretty much everywhere around here too, cuz every time I open up a drawer or start digging around in a box of stuff, I always find a couple. So here we go with a small, but eye-poppin' example of the ones that have surfaced recently, and it's a real nice 'n spicy showcase of various artists doing what they do best in their unique, individual styles: drawing perty lil country gals and their cantankerously bearded 'ol Ozark mountain men! I'll post more in the future whenever they make an appearance, cuz if there's one thing I'm reeeally bad about it's keeping my matchbooks organized and all together in one place...
It's probably just the strange yellow halo, but I think the Goin' My Way! and Not Unless You Shave! illustrations look like they were done by the same artist. They are my faves of this bunch for sure. I know it's a little thing, but the choice to use an exclamation point instead of a question mark on the former is really amusing to me. It's more like an inspirational massage than a cartoon. Like, "Keep on Truckin', man!"
ReplyDelete"Goin' My Way!" Reading it in an announcer voice kicks off something like a mountain man Mentos commercial in my head.
My favorite thing is the little detail of the confederate solider in the ... toilet seat??? .... I mean that's kind of appropriate ... in the last match book. He's so angry!
ReplyDeleteI also like the self censor on the breasts on the third one; did the artist think that was good enough to pass?
Two hound dogs! There isn't a cliche the artists didn't get out on these!
These matchbook covers, much like comics back then, were ephemeral art. Something to give the owner a chuckle or two, then be tossed away like the Sunday funnies.
ReplyDeleteI can only wonder how many humorous matchbooks back then are now lost to time.
The only matchbook cover I ever saved was one with my grandparents picture on it. There was probably a photographer offering to turn pictures into matchbook covers back in the 50's or 60's. I gave the matchbook to my cousin who is the historian of the family.
Thanks for sharing one more bit of humor from days gone by, Karswell.
Thanks again for the comments, and as mentioned, I'll post more of these as I find em!
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree with you on the evils of smoking I miss matchbooks. They were great ways of advertising and quick and easy souvenirs of places and events you had been to. Nobody has matchbooks any longer. The closest you can get is coffee mugs and who has the space?
ReplyDeleteI have a large brandy snifter filled with these treasures. Maybe I should start collecting them seriously.
Thank you for all your work.