Humor is an integral part of the human experience.  Even so, it is hard to define for what is funny to one person is not necessarily so to another.  And although cartoonists are in the business of making people laugh, they are often engaged in a serious venture.  Cartoonists have used humor to encourage people to think in new ways, to criticize those in power, to challenge the status quo, or simply to point out absurdity in our society.

This lecture will discuss the lives and careers of cartoonists whose creative works are preserved in The Filson's collections.  Featured will be artists such as Fontaine Fox, Jr., whose beloved Toonerville Folks cartoon ran in hundreds newspapers across the nation for over 40 years.  Also highlighted will be the drawings of Wyncie King, a political cartoonist who got his start in Louisville and remembered the city fondly in his later years.  Examples from these and other cartoon collections at The Filson will be showcased.

Jana Meyer is an Assistant Curator of Special Collections.  She received her MLIS degree from the University of Kentucky.