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The Cartoons of H. T. Webster

By Robert E. Sherwood

On April 4, 1953, the last new drawing by H. T. Webster was published in the New York Herald Tribune and a hundred and twenty-five other papers, and for many of us millions and millions of us timid souls, this day was marked as one of lift's darkest moments. There will be other fine artist-cartoonist-critics to inspire us with joy or indignation from day to day, but never another to span the years and the range of human emotions in the same extraordinary way that Webby did. He belongs with Ring Lardner, Will Rogers, George Ade, Heywood Brown --- yes, and with Mark Twain and Abe Lincoln.

Philo Calhoun, one of Webby's closest friends, points out that the artist's favorite target was himself, that his portraiture of the ineffable and immortal Caspar Milquetoast was sheer autobiography. That is unquestionably true, but Webby was also providing a revealing mirror for all the rest of us, with the exception of those unfortunates who live in a dream world of self-delusion and who fancy they are not impressed by signs that say "No Loitering."

In identifying himself with Mr. Milquetoast, Webby was aligning himself on the side of the Angels, he was standing up as one of the Pushed as opposed to the Pushers. He was our champion.

I first came to know Webby about 1925 when I was editor of Life. He had a huge heart as well as a sharp bite. When you have known someone like him, you want to remember him and the contributions that he made to the art of living.

Excerpts from preface to The Best of H.T. Webster: A Memorial Collection. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1953. All cartoons originally appeared in the New York Tribune.

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