“What are these?” I queried, opening a photo sleeve in Cliff’s art studio.
“Oh, my word!” I announced to no one in particular as I fingered the first picture.
Then I laughed, paging through all the photos, fondly called Clifftoons my husband created in the 1980s for the home health care industry and other businesses.
(Ink drawn on clear acetate painted with vinyl colors on reverse side. Each piece made into a slide.)
Do have a chuckle!
And, if you feel so inspired, create a caption or weave a wild tale.
If you missed last week’s post, ” Fleet Feet, Bossler Mennonites on the Move,” click here.
Find more of Cliff’s cartoons.
Wow! Cliff is so talented, Marian. I love these!
You are first in the chat queue today, Jill. I’ll make sure Mr. Cliff-toons sees your comment.
(No wonder you get so much done: “The early bird catches the worm, so they say.”)
LOL! Yes, and the early bird goes to bed with the chickens. 🙂
Clever! Like me, you must follow the Ben Franklin advice. 🦉
Good morning, Marian. “Clifftoons.” Love it! Cliff is so talented.
Thanks for commenting, and for tweeting this post as well, Merril.
You’re welcome, Marian. 🙂
What an excellent cartoonist he is Marian.
xxx Gigantic Hugs xxx
I appreciate the compliment, which I’ll pass on to Mr. Cliff. Huge hugs back to you, Sir David.
I went back to last year’s September post to have some more chuckles! Please thank cartoonist Cliff for the chuckles (you too)! Son Mike used to do monthly cartoons for the Medical Chronicle … they’d give him the topic, always contentious, from which he would create a cartoon –
Comedy always all alleviates the contentious, doesn’t it? Now that you mention it, I do remember your posting featuring your artistic son Mike. Medical Chronicles certainly are in need of a little levity. Thanks, Susan.
I love the Clifftoons brand name and the cartoons themselves are very good and funny. I would label the second one as ‘Maternity Ward’.
Oh, Fatima, “Maternity Ward” is the perfect caption for this misplaced patient. I hope others will follow your lead with some more funnies!
Cliff is the secret weapon of this blog, Marian. His talents and his love for you have shone brightly here already. These archival ‘toons do in fact bring chuckles. One of them is seeing the old-style brief case in the lower pic. They have almost completely disappeared in many places they used to be. When we were students, the male students left their brief cases outside the cafeteria and the chapel. Now students of both genders leave their backpacks. Little cultural cues become historical features. I wonder what artifacts we currently take for granted will go the way of the briefcase?
Your question prompted me to take a closer look at the cartoons, especially the last one. The key exchanging hands between the client and hotel concierge is certainly obsolete. In the recent past, plastic cards locked/unlocked doors. Now, I notice cellphones (connected to one’s registration, I assume) do the trick.
And nurses’ caps – gone by the wayside long ago.
Cultural cures as historical features? Maybe you feel a blog post or essay coming on. Thank you for looking at this with your sharp, analytical eye, Shirley. 🙂
I will definitely make sure Cliff sees this.
Ha! What a talented artist your hubby is, and with a sense of humour to boot!
Your talents shine as writer/photographer in every post. Thanks for recognizing Cliff’s here, Linda. The sense of humor is definitely a bonus.
Cliff is a talented cartoonist! Thanks for sharing his work. It´s wonderful that you still have them.
Cliff is in the process of digitizing all his artwork. That’s how these photos came to light. Thanks for noticing all of this, Darlene.
I want to hear the punch lines! At first I thought they were a sequence and wondered if the pregnant man (2nd ‘toon) had a craving in the first ‘toon. I hope Cliff was paid handsomely for his efforts. Did he have a syndicator or did he self-syndicate?
These cartoons are not part of a sequence, and they were chosen randomly from a series of training illustrations for the home health care industry and other businesses. Cliff has always been self-employed and never utilized a syndicator. He left most of that behind when he began performing for schools with American Art Assemblies, his outlet for providing students with character/cultural education for the past thirty + years.
And, no, he was paid adequately, but not handsomely! 🙂
Marian — How FUN to have such talented, comedic relief right under your own roof!
Cliff’s sense of humor has saved the day more than once – in our marriage and in his career. Yes, I am grateful, Laurie.
These are great, Marian! Is it a sequence or does each stand on their own? I can see the first two being linked together, but not so sure about the last one. In fact, I’m not really getting the last one! Explain to the dummy, please. Cliff’s artwork is great!
First of all, you are not a dummy, Elfrieda. The cartoons were picked randomly although the first two were created for the same vendor, my guess being the home health care industry. I don’t know what business inspired the last one. Thanks for the compliment which I’ll pass on to Cliff.
Oh my gosh, Marian. These Clifftoons do indeed bring on a chuckle as well as an admiration for such talent. They are priceless!
I’ll bet your grandkids would love these. He often drew quicky cartoons for all ages on the spot with colored chalk. However, these were labored over and made into slides. Thanks, Kathy!
These are so fun! How fun it must be to have an artist for a husband. 😉
As an artist, Cliff probably could visualize me looking different from the girl he met. I must say life with an artist 👨🎤 has not always been fun, but it has always been an adventure.
Thanks for sharing these Marian, You’re husband is certainly gifted. It’s funny how so much now in light of the state of current politics is coming to light, or coming back into light and being referenced to books like 1984, The Handmaid’s Tale, et al. I couldn’t help but thinking that first one was a caricature of D. Rump stuffing his face all by his lonesome, when there’s nobody left. Lol 🙂 That’s my little story.
Ah, Debbie. You are the first to brave a tale, political or otherwise. Come to think of it, the hair in the cartoon IS rather orange-yellow in hue. The 1980s seemed (to me at least) more sane politically when Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan were at the helm.
Lol, thanks Marian, I couldn’t resist. And I agree with you wholeheartedly. 🙂 Lol, I’m thinking you might have showed my comment to Cliff? 🙂
From CliffToons:
I appreciate all of the nice comments Marian’s followers have made regarding these three selected cartoons. Just think I have many other folders with lots of cartoons in them as well. Maybe we’ll pull out some other “thoughtful” ones sometime.
Debbie (dgkaye), your comment about “D.Rump” stuffing himself was funny and clever! Back when I created that piece of artwork The Donald was probably building sky scrapers and re-combing his hair. 🙂
Thanks for commenting.
Cliff
Lolllllllllllll Cliff, I love your sense of humor! You know they say, what goes round usually comes back. Thanks so much for popping in here. I am looking forward to seeing more of your talented work here on Marian’s wonderful blog. Pleasure chatting. 🙂
Being married to a cartoonist must be fun , Cliff is exceedingly good , but is it like being married to a comedian. I am told that clowns are quite sad in the privacy of their own home.
I could say my Dad was a little like that but as a daughter you don’t see the real truth like you do a wife. . Sorry all getting a little deep and personal but it just makes me wonder how someone can be so funny but so unfunny ( not a word I’m sure but it fits) .
Cherryx
Yes, “unfunny” is a word, certified by you, Cherry. Unlike many artists, Cliff is not the temperamental type, but “steady in the boat,” unlike yours truly. Of course he may have other faults, but I’m not telling – ha ha! 🙂
One day I want to meet the man who did these clifftunes. What wonderful ideas and a fabulous sense of humor!
You and Bill would have an instant connect to Cliff because of your love of art, including the visual arts and theatre. One day it will happen, Joan!
Ha ha – so funny!
You find art with your camera. Cliff draws art askew: That’s what cartoonists do! Thanks for noticing, Fiona.
Clifftoons- The name is as clever and unique as the cartoons are! I was hoping to come up with some clever captions but I only have this. The first one would be “Eating for two”- The 2nd caption says “I think I’m full term!” No clue with the last one. Fun!
Your captions connect the two beautifully, but I have no idea how they were linked in the presentation. I’ll make sure Cliff sees these. He’d have a chuckle or two. Thanks, Pam!
I love the Clifftoons, Marian. I got on board with the first. Is that icing chocolate? Any chocolate ice cream in the fridge? I have never landed in the hospital from overeating, but I do have bouts of eating that share the desperation of the hungry man. Something, something, something, anything to fill up this big emptiness. And Cliff makes that funny. Thanks for sharing your husband and yourself.
Elaine, I like your take on the Hungry Man. Like you, I suffer from bouts of emotional eating but I suspect that this cartoon was birthed with the idea of monitoring one’s intake . . . not eating food just because it tastes good.
Just a few hours ago we left the bedside of Aunt Ruthie and came home to spring rolls and fried rice all courtesy of Phuong, the very first Vietnamese refugee she gave shelter to in 1976. My sisters and I ate too much because it tasted wonderful – and because it is filling a void that I suspect will grow larger in the coming days.
Cliff will probably read your comment and chuckle. Thank you! 🙂
Monitoring one’s intake? Oh, that. Please ask Cliff to make that fun.
I’m glad you can be with Aunt Ruthie and can return to being mothered by someone Aunt Ruthie mothered. The circle continues…
😉