Life, 1911-08-24 · page 30 of 40
Life — August 24, 1911 — page 30: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page profiles cartoonist T.S. Sullivant, known for his bold animal drawings in *Life* magazine. The text records an interview where Sullivant recounts starting his artistic career late (age 32) and developing his distinctive style of giving animals human characteristics with exaggerated features. The cartoon labeled "Investigating the Man Higher Up" depicts animals (appears to be dogs or similar creatures) examining a palm tree trunk. The phrase "the man higher up" was period slang for someone in authority or a superior figure—here used as wordplay, literally showing animals investigating an actual "higher up" (the upper portion of a tree). This plays on Sullivant's signature technique of anthropomorphizing animals while maintaining his satirical edge about authority and hierarchy. The O'Neal anecdote below humorously suggests that paying $20,000 to avoid sleeping in an upper berth is a bargain—poking fun at the discomfort of train travel.
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T. S. Sullivant M* SULLIVA S drawings appeared in Lire for a great man: y years, Their boldness and their nality, the tremendous force with which they are hurled at you, give them a place by themselves in the history of American pictorial It seems to be impossible to get away from one of Sul livant’s drawings—it sticks in the mem ory with all of the precision of a real sensation. “Do you think that women, as a rule. like your work?” we asked pleasantly, as we dropped in on him one day ia Plainfield 1 don't know that I ever thought about it,” he replied. “ Perhaps my sub jects are not women’s subjects.” We wonder what a woman's subject We have never been able to make ind on that score. .”" we continued, consider to be the most interesting thing about your caree Mr Sullivant reflected. “If anything is interes plied, “perhaps the fact that I did not begin 10 draw until I was in my thirty- second year.” “And how did that come about?” “Well, to begin with, I was born in Ohio, and my carly life was spent in Germany. I never had a thought about drawing pictures until the year men- tioned and then I thought I was too old” what you *LIFE* y Album “Cato learned Greek at ventured. “Well, perhaps it was the thought of Cato that led me to consult B, Frost. To him I submitted some of my sketches. He encouraged me to continue. For a time I studied at the Philadelphia Acad- emy and then commenced sending my drawings to publishers. But perhaps i is well not to dwell on the harrowing details of that st “And after that eighty,” we of my career.” I became interested in animals. ‘To invest an al with human attribui took my fancy and I presume my in ination—up to that time more or | fettered with commonplace details. dulged itself in exaggerations which gradually came under better control.” “Where did you acquire your sense of humor?” “IT don't remember whether it was in Columbus, Oh or in Philadelph “And do you still think, Mr. Sulli INVESTIGATING vant, that there is hope for any one who wants to become an artist, if he docsn't start at it until after he is thirty?” Mr. Sullivant carefully considered. “Well,” he replied, thoughtfully, “1 suppose I was always what I am now— only I didn’t know it.” Our own opinion about the matter is— but on further consideration we have decided not to say. Not High A TLEMAN named O'Neal, when traveling in a sleeping car four 30, had secured a lower berth and ve it up for an upper one in order to accommodate a fellow traveler. This fel- low traveler died recently and left Mr "Neal twenty thousand dollars for his courteous act. At the first blush this seems a large sum for such a service, but we maintain that it is none too much. Any man who could afford it would willingly pay twenty thousand dollars rather than sleep in the upper berth of a sleeping car. A wr re We nt THE MAN HIGHER UP comicbook $-COl