Merci, Uncle Jean
When people ask how I became a cartoonist, the first name I mention is my uncle, Jean Sebastian Noth, who passed away yesterday morning at the age of 86. An unfailingly kind and patient man, Uncle Jean was the first professional artist I ever knew and a lifelong devotee of the comic art form.
As a child, my favorite place in the world was Jean’s room—a wonderland of cartoon books and memorabilia. He introduced me to New Yorker cartoons through his complete collection of Charles Addams books, which influenced (or perhaps warped) my sense of humor more than anything else. Jean also initiated me into the works of other masters I would later emulate: Carl Barks, B. Kliban, Otto Soglow, Peter Arno, Jack Kirby and so many others.
Jean himself painted beautiful oils and watercolors full of warmth, spontaneity, vibrant colors, and surprising humor. His work is often reminiscent of that of his fellow Holocaust survivor, Marc Chagall. When Chagall was 53 and Jean only three, both were among the fortunate 2,000 rescued from Nazi-occupied France by Varian Fry and the Emergency Rescue Committee. It chills me to think of my grandmother, Elena—quite pregnant with my father, Dominique—with her sons Pierre and little Jean in tow, evading Nazi patrols as they crossed the Pyrenees mountains toward safety and freedom.
I want to honor them by working to make this a world that welcomes refugees and provides a safe haven for beautiful, gentle, artistic souls like Jean Sebastian Noth.
Thank you, Uncle Jean. I love you.
Some people might not think this an appropriate time for cartoons, but Uncle Jean would not be one of them! He loved cartoons, especially of the classic Disney variety. It made me happy that he liked this one of mine, where I got the chance to draw so many of them.
Since we’re grieving right now, let’s have a little cartoon therapy, or at least a couple of cartoons about therapists, starting with Tattoo Parlor.
And the challenger… which we will name House Call.
On to the semifinals! From our first bout of the year, concocted when I was in an influenza delirium, the winner is Portrait of the Artist 2.
In a showdown with the winner of last week’s birthday battle, Mouse Realtor.
And finally, we have our December Champion: it’s Pilot Announcement!
Thank you so much for subscribing! See you next week.
This is how your dear Uncle Jean lives on. Now we all know about him and his influence on your work. As they say, may his memory be a blessing.
tenderest consolations. my people come from Vitebsk, Chagall's home town. Do you remember the Charles Addams cartoon of people on a commuter train who look out the window & see the giant knee of a large little boy who is delighting in his train set? I think of that cartoon a lot these days.