You and Blondie at the Sheldon
Post-Dispatch designer and illustrator Dan Martin — the man who has drawn the Weatherbird for the past 22 years — has given kids from 8 to 98 a terrific gift.
I am talking about boys and girls who go for the funnies out of the Sunday paper, who used to shake their heads at “Our own Oddities” back in the day, who’ve made a daily habit of the Weatherbird, whose political outlook was influenced by the brilliant editorial cartooning of Bill Mauldin, Tom Engelhardt (pictured below with Dan Martin at the gallery) and now RJ Matson (or maybe the P-D’s legendary Daniel Fitzpatrick, a detail of whose 1926 Pulitzer Winner, which is part of the show, appears above).
There 
also are those who revel in Mary Engelbreit, or are Mike Peters fans who follow Grimmy’s every move, or have been devotees of Mizzou grad Mort Walker’s Beetle Bailey.
For them, Dan Martin has curated a fantastic collection of cartoons by these artists with St. Louis connections and many more — tracing the local craft from Reconstruction to today.
The fruits of his efforts, and collectors’ gracious loaning of art, have been organized into an exhibition called “See You in the Funny Papers: The Rich Tradition of St. Louis Cartooning.”
Starting May 17, until August 30 it will be show to the public free of charge at the Sheldon Art Galleries Bellwether Gallery of St. Louis Artists, at 3648 Washington Boulevard in Grand Center — with the opening reception this Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
A handsome book reproducing the works with commentary also will be on sale.
Dan explains the genesis of the show:
Six years ago, when I was digging through the Post archives doing research for the Weatherbird’s 100th birthday, I was constantly stumbling across one famous cartoonist after
another that had a St. Louis connection. What I found most interesting was how famous some of these great artists were, yet today are totally forgotten except to historians.
We were lucky enough to be loaned some important original, historical cartoons that the show is built around. But the show also has plenty of nationally known contemporary local cartoonists as well as some terrific young graphic novelists, so I think the exhibit will be fun as well as educational.
“Besides, who do you know that doesn’t like to look at cartoons?” he asks.
I say people who don’t like looking at cartoons aren’t worth knowing.
(Photo: Eddie Roth)
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Eddie Roth writes about education and social justice. He recently joined the Post-Dispatch editorial page after six years as an editorial writer with the Dayton Daily News. But he is not new to St. Louis. Eddie grew up in Webster Groves and south St. Louis County. He's a lawyer who for many years practiced with a downtown firm. He and his wife, Jeanne, and their three daughters, Emily, Julia and Alice, lived in the Shaw Neighborhood, where he was active in neighborhood affairs, and now have made it their home again. He also served a term on the St. Louis Police Board. When it comes to community organizing, he endorses Quentin Crisp's advice: Rather than keeping up with the Joneses, it's better to pull them down to your level. 
Matson can’t be compared to Bill Mauldin; not even close, and never will be.
Count Matson along with John Sherffius, who at least no longer clutters the P-D editorial page with his garbage.